Advice & Guidance
With nearly 600 locations across Devon, getting married in Devon offers some stunning locations or historical sites that have been the settings for beautiful weddings for centuries. Churches are rooted in community, seeped in prayer and are places that connect past, present and future generations.
You can marry in any of our parishes churches, not just your local church. Perhaps, it’s a place where you grew up, where your parents or grandparents were married? You can also make a ‘qualifying connection’ with a church by regularly attending services to prepare for your big day.
A church wedding also invites you to discover the church community. You’ll be invited to hear your banns being read; you’ll get to know your local vicar, perhaps members of the wider congregation through the choir or the church flower team. Perhaps, your local church as a toddler group, foodbank or support group you might like to get involved with?
L egal Guidance
Please be encouraged that you don’t have to attend church to get married in a church. We are delighted that you are ready to make these amazing promises to each other; we would love to be a part of this and to ask for God’s blessing upon your marriage. The Church of England YourChurchWeddings website has lots of guidance on how to register to marry in a CofE church in Devon.
Banns & Licences
Most Church of England marriages will be by what is know as 'the reading of the banns' and do not require a licence from the registry office. The church where you would like to get married will explain the legal process but rest assured for most weddings it is very simple and does not require you to have a separate wedding licence. If you would like to find out more now, see below.
"Being able to really take hold of what God had planned for us a couple. Doing things as one, instead of separately."
B ooking
Do churches get booked up?
Yes! If you are interested in getting married in church, please get in touch with the church as soon as you know the date of your wedding for an initial chat. Just like reception venues, churches can get booked up a long way in advance. Devon has over 600 churches in some beautiful locations and our local vicars would love to hear from you. Remember, it’s your day! Churches offer bespoke services; no two weddings are the same; every couple’s day should reflect something of their love for each other through the music, hymns, readings and feel of the day. Find your local church.
Cost
Weddings can be small and beautiful, intimate and personal, or large and extravagant. An intimate wedding attended by your closest friends and family might be just your cup of tea rather than a big society wedding with 100's of guests.
Sometimes the cost of weddings can feel enormous, but a simple church wedding does not need to cost the earth! The standard fee for a wedding is around £500 plus optional extras, including organist, choir, bells and flowers.
M arriage Preparation
If you choose a church wedding, not only are you promised a fantastic day, we will also be praying for you as your prepare for the marriage. A church wedding reminds us that that marriage is more than just a contract between two people, but a declaration of love that reflects the very love of God.
Many churches offer marriage preparation courses. These are a great opportunity to spend time talking with your partner about your life and relationship. Subjects covered might include children, attitudes to money, in-laws and how to fairly divide the housework! Some people who have attended a course describe them as a bit like relationship counselling before you need it. Sessions are usually arranged so that you don’t have to discuss things with anyone other than your partner if you don’t want to.
S ame Sex Partnerships
Same sex couples can request special prayers of thanksgiving and blessing to be said for them within a regular church service as a way of celebrating their relationship. There are a variety of prayers which have been approved for use. These are known collectively as the Prayers of Love and Faith. It Is up to individual church ministers as to whether or not they will offer the prayers in their churches. If it is not clear from the church’s website, please contact Devon Church Weddings and we will advise you of churches in your area offering the prayers: devonchurchweddings@exeter.anglican.org
Click here to read more about the Prayers of Love and Faith.
It is not currently possible for same sex couples to get married in an Anglican church.