Weddings
Congratulations on your engagement and thank you for your interest in getting married at St Paul’s Church! We are thrilled that you are considering St Paul’s as the venue for your very special day.
Can I get married at St Paul’s?
You can marry in church regardless of your beliefs and whether or not you are a regular churchgoer or have been baptised. However, to get married at St Paul’s, one or both of you must either live within the parish (click here to check) or have a ‘qualifying connection’ with this particular church. Examples of qualifying connections include being baptised or confirmed within the parish, regularly attending church services, having parents who have lived or attended church services within the parish, or parents or grandparents who were married within the parish.
Why choose St Paul's?
St Paul’s is more than just a wedding venue. Built in 1826, we are the original Parish Church of Shipley, West Yorkshire and now a Grade II listed building. This beautiful historic church can comfortably seat 150-200 guests for a full wedding service which may include optional extras such as an organist, the choir and bell ringers. Join the generations of couples who have married here before you (some of whom may even be your relatives) and become a part of local history yourselves.
We at St Paul’s promise to work with you to ensure that your wedding day is both personal and meaningful to you as a couple. As well as adding a spiritual dimension to your marriage, a church wedding can encompass the best of ancient traditions and modern twists resulting in a unique and truly special wedding day that you will remember always. St Paul’s Church will also offer you friendship, support, advice and prayer before, during and after your wedding.
Preparation
A wedding is for life, not just for a day, and we believe that everybody should have the opportunity to think about what that life involves. To help you do this, you will be invited to attend a wedding preparation session before your wedding takes place.
If you choose to be married at St Paul’s, you must have your Banns of Marriage read out in church for three Sundays during the three months before your wedding takes place. Banns are a legal requirement and an announcement in church of your intention to marry. If you live outside the parish, you must also have Banns read out in the parish where each of you live.
Just need a Banns Certificate?
If you live within the Parish of St Paul, but have decided to get married at a church within another parish, you will still need to have your Banns of Marriage read out here at St Paul’s, as well as at the church in which you are due to be married. Banns must be read out in church for three Sundays during the three months before the wedding, after which we will issue you with a certificate to take to the church where you will marry. Please click here to enquire about having your Banns read at St Paul’s.
Contact Us
To enquire about getting married at St Paul’s, please complete and submit the form below.
Wedding Enquiry Form
Some of the content on this page has been informed by the Church of England Weddings website. For more detailed information about Church of England weddings, including ideas for hymns, music and Bible readings, please visit: yourchurchwedding.org.