Cathedral Weddings
A Cathedral Setting
We are delighted that you have decided to marry. No doubt plans are already taking shape and we would be pleased to talk with you about a wedding in the Cathedral.
There is so much more to a marriage than the ceremony on the day, as important and special as this is. It is a sacramental commitment with vows exchanged before God. This means that the couple enter into a deep covenant that intends to be life-long and exclusive. Love is at the heart of God’s creation and in marriage we share in that loving.
Jesus attended a wedding at Cana in Galillee and through the Holy Spirit we believe that he is present to bless your union.
If one of you has been married before, let us know and we will talk with you about this futher. There are some special rules we have to follow and we will need to see the original Decree Absolute – a copy is not sufficient. Please note, we cannot arrange a date until we have been able to talk.
Marriages in the Church in Wales can only be between a man and a woman. Under the current law, we are not entitled to conduct same-sex weddings. This is different to civil weddings. We can conduct a service of blessing for same-sex couples who have entered into either a civil marriage or partnership, and will be pleased to talk with you about this, if this applies to you. Because we are not a parish church, similar criteria apply for all marriages and blessings – see below.
Wedding Service Eligibility
Marriages in the Cathedral are governed by the UK law, for England and Wales. Because the Cathedral is not part of a parish, marriages have to be by Special Licence issued by the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The civil registrar is not involved and there are no banns to be read in this or any other church.
There needs to be a connection with the Cathedral and here you can read the current Criteria for Marriage in the Cathedral.
Since May 2021, the Cathedral no longer registers the wedding at the marriage ceremony and we will not issue the certificates. A Marriage Document is completed which you will sign and we will send this to the Registrar for Marriages. The registration takes place there and they will issue your certificates at a later date. We keep a Marriage Register to record that the wedding happened, but this is not the legal register any more. If for any reason you do not receive your certificate, contact the Registrar of Marriages to find out what has happened.
If you are going on a honeymoon which requires passports to be changed before hand, HM Passport Office can give you a form for us to complete to say the wedding is planned. You need to talk to the Passport Office for more information.
Marriage Service
The Order of Service will be that for the Church in Wales. This still means that we can make it personal and the priest taking the service will talk through with you what you would like – music, bells, flowers – and put you in touch with those who can help further.
To talk further, please contact the Cathedral Administrator.