St. Botolph’s, with its beautiful location in a stunning garden and close to a major transport hub, is a wonderful church for a wedding. If you are interested in being married here please contact us as early as possible for an appointment to see the Rector and discuss your plans.
There is a good deal of helpful information about Anglican marriage on the Church of England website.
However, specific rules apply to some churches in the City of London and the following may help you in making a decision about being married at St. Botolph’s
Who is eligible to be married at St. Botolph's?
Couples who are resident within the parish boundaries have the right to be married in their parish church. If you do not live in the parish, you may still be married here if one or both of you worship regularly at the church in the period preceding the proposed wedding date. In most churches the method of legal preparation would be by having Banns read, but under the present laws banns can only be called at Sunday services. As St. Botolph’s, along with many of the churches in the City, does not have any services on Sundays, we cannot therefore use this method of marriage preparation. This means that couples wishing to be married here and who are qualified by residence, or membership of the Electoral Roll, have to apply for a Common (Bishop’s) Licence. In order to be considered for membership of the Electoral Roll it is expected that the bride or groom will have attended services regularly for a period of six months prior to application. In all cases at least one of the couple must have been baptised.
If you are not resident in the parish and do not think you would be able to make the regular worship commitment outlined above, but have a connection with St. Botolph’s in some other way and would like to be married here, it may still be possible under special circumstances. Please speak to the Administrator to see whether you might qualify.
When can we be married?
Saturday is the most popular day for weddings but other days can be considered. Our regular services are on Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes so these times should be avoided. It is not normally allowed for marriages to take place during the season of Lent (the 40 days prior to Easter), although exceptions may be made. Marriages can take place in law at any time between and 8.00am and 6.00pm, and a marriage service normally lasts about three-quarters of an hour.
How much does it cost?
The cost of being married in church, as with all other aspects of weddings, can vary enormously depending on how elaborate your plans are. A basic ceremony without any music, bells or flowers can cost as little as £750. If you wish to have a fuller service with organ, singers, bells and so on this obviously costs more. You will also be encouraged to make a donation to the church. All the relevant costs will be explained to you when you meet the Rector.
What do we do next?
Contact the Administrator to arrange a meeting where it will be identified if it will be possible for you to be married at St. Botolph’s, and if it is you will be given all the information you need about the various aspects of planning a wedding here.
We look forward to helping you with your wedding plans!
Get in touch
Contact the Administrator to arrange a meeting where it will be identified if it will be possible for you to be married at St. Botolph's, and if it is you will be given all the information you need about the various aspects of planning a wedding here. We look forward to helping you with your wedding plans!