Weddings and Wedding Blessings

We believe marriage is a gift from God and that getting married is a beautiful, personal and spiritual commitment. We would love to help you make your wedding day as memorable as possible.

Your wedding day is likely to be one of the happiest and most memorable events of your life, and in the lives of your family and friends. We would be delighted if you chose to hold your marriage ceremony in one of our many beautiful churches, and we will do everything we can to make your wedding as special as possible.

In this section, you can discover what you need to think about as you begin to plan and prepare for your Church in Wales wedding.

Getting married in one of our churches, many of which are listed buildings, will not only ensure that that your ceremony takes place in some of Wales’ most beautiful and distinctive settings, but also that that your marriage ceremony is full of depth and spirituality. As part of the marriage service, we will ask God to bless and guide you as you begin your married life, and we’ll pray that God will accompany you on your journey through life together.

Our vicars and their teams will spend time getting to know you ahead of your big day so that they can help make your marriage celebration unique to you. There are lots of ways to do that, with a wide variety of prayers, readings, hymns, songs and other music to choose from. We’ve included some suggestions for you below. In addition to the set elements of the ceremony, you can add some additional words and promises to share with one another if you choose to.

There are some legal requirements for getting married in a Church in Wales church but please don’t worry, we’ll take time to talk through everything with you.

Many churches offer preparation courses to help you get ready for marriage. Sometimes they involve meeting with your vicar, or it might involve other members of their church team. Within the context of our busy lives, preparation courses such as these help provide important time and space to think about, and prepare for, your married life.

Thank you for considering the Church in Wales as you prepare for your special day. We pray that it will be everything you hope for.

The Church in Wales would love to help you celebrate the blessing of your marriage.

Many couples who have had a civil wedding, whether in the UK or abroad, also choose to dedicate their marriage to God.

A marriage blessing is usually a simple service acknowledging the commitment already made by the couple at their civil ceremony. It asks for God’s blessing upon them, and guidance for their new life together.

If you would like to have a civil marriage blessed, there are no legal preliminaries, and it is available to all, including same sex couples. Because it is not a marriage service, banns are not required, and there is no legal paperwork or registers to be signed.

A marriage blessing can be designed to have a similar feel to a wedding with hymns and songs, readings, flowers and even bells if they are available. Some people prefer their blessing to feel like a traditional wedding, others prefer a more low-key service.

To find out more, please contact your local church or vicar, who will be delighted to chat to you about what’s involved and discuss what your wedding blessing could look like.