The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, was passed on 17 July 2013, and the first marriages of same sex couples took place on Saturday 29 March 2014.
Weddings can take place in a Register Office, a church or other religious building if that organisation has opted in to allow same-sex marriages: as an ordained minister, I can officiate weddings in churches, with the permission of the resident minister. At this current time, same sex couples cannot marry in the Church of England or the Church in Wales.
Alternatively, you can get married anywhere you like that is licensed to hold weddings, and I would be honoured to help you shape a ceremony that celebrates you as individuals and as a couple. It can be short and sweet, or it can be expanded to include stories, music, videos – whatever you wish to make it special and meaningful for you.
You may choose to have a short legal ceremony at a Register Office with the Registrar and then have a separate celebration of your wedding with your families and friends. I would be honoured to help you shape this informal (and not legally-binding) ceremony that celebrates you as individuals and as a couple.
You can give your imagination and creativity full rein, as there is no set format. It can include stories, music, videos – whatever you choose to make it special and meaningful for you.
If you wish, I could officiate at both ceremonies for you, as I am both an ordained minister and a celebrant. You can give your imagination and creativity full rein for the informal wedding celebration, as there is no set format, although most people do decide to follow the standard running order of a traditional service with their own highly individual touches when it comes to style, music and words.
Notes Wedding Enquiries
Please contact me by email in the first instance.
The date should already have been confirmed with the venue, whether this is a church or a
Register Office for the legal marriage ceremony, and for the informal venue for a wedding
celebration if relevant.
I will check my availability, and we will arrange a meeting at your home or at the venue: a
meeting by Zoom or Teams is also possible.
I shall send you some basic information ahead of our meeting.
When we meet, I shall ask you for a lot of information about both bride and groom.
Working together I can then formulate a draft service to incorporate all of the relevant elements.
I shall be in contact with the venue (if relevant) throughout so that things go smoothly on the
day.