Weddings
If you're looking to get married in church, we'd love to be among the first to congratulate you on your engagement! We love to celebrate weddings at All Saints!
One of the first questions we're asked is 'Can we get married in your church?'
Our Priest-in-Charge, Rev. Lisa Fairman-Brown has a legal obligation to check that you can lawfully marry in the parish before any arrangements can be confirmed with you.
To start with, it is best to email her, or fill out our Wedding Booking Enquiry Form. Whichever you choose, we will need to call you to and to ask you certain questions during that first chat:
- How closely related to each other you are (in case the law will not allow your marriage). You will need to prove this before a booking can be made.
- If one or both of you are not UK nationals, a different process must be followed and this will be explained to you during the call, but it does not stop you being married in our church.
- Do either of you qualify to be married at All Saints Church? Qualification is determined as follows:
- If you live in Wick Parish, there should be no difficulty in organising a date for your wedding. It’s always best to plan as far ahead as you can and book a date early, because weekends can be busy, particularly in the summer months. At Easter and Christmas, our buildings need to be available for private prayer and the preparation for services, so we don’t usually take bookings for weddings at those times.
- If you live in another parish, but want to marry here, we will do all we can to make that possible. Please check below to see if you meet the legal requirements:
- If either prospective bride, groom – or both – live in the parish, they normally qualify automatically to be married in the parish church.
- The law also makes it possible for a couple to marry in a church away from where they live because it has special significance for them through family or other connections. A couple need to show that one or both of them has one of the ‘Qualifying Connections’ that are listed below.
A person has a Qualifying Connection with a parish if that person:
- was baptised in the parish. (This does not apply where the baptism formed part of a combined service of baptism or confirmation); or
- had his or her confirmation entered in a church register book of a church or chapel in the parish; or
- has at any time had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months; or
- has at any time habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months. (This qualifying connection can be established during the period between booking a wedding and the start of calling of banns. – ‘habitually’ would normally mean attendance at the Sunday morning service at least once a month); or
a parent of that person has at any time during that person’s lifetime:
- had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months; or
- habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months; or
- a parent or grandparent of that person was married in this parish.
In all cases involving church services – i.e. coming to/going to/attending normal church services, baptism, confirmation or marriage – this applies only to Church of England services
The Church of England has compiled some helpful information on church weddings here and has published a list of the relevant fees for 2025 here. These may, of course, be subject to change for weddings in 2026.
If you have any other questions regarding your exciting preparations, please do not hesitate to get in touch.