How much does it cost to be married in Church during 2021? The answer is the total of the relevant Statutory Fees (legal fees approved by Parliament), the Additional Fees (payable to the individuals who perform the services and determined by what you want, i.e. playing the organ, ringing bells etc.) and a Voluntary Donation.
IDEA?! Saltwood Village Hall (of which the Rector here is a Trustee but not a Beneficiary) offers a charming low cost venue with a recently refurbished kitchen. You can walk from the church to the hall in three minutes. If you wish to offer hospitality to your guests but without necessarily inviting them to the reception (which can be expensive), both churches are in attractive settings and we are happy to consider requests from couples who want to serve wine/cold drinks to guests after the service and enjoy the sunshine in the churchyard.
The Statutory Legal Fees
Marriage Service = £464.00
plus either
Banns fees, for having your banns read at your home church = £31.00
If you are marrying away from where you live you will also have to pay for having your banns read in the marrying church = £31.00 + the banns certificate from your home church = £ 15.00
or
Licence fee = £200.00 to £300.00 (Depending on the type of licence).
Additional Fees
Wedding Certificate = £11.00 (Increased on 1st April)
Verger = £55.00
Organist = £100.00
Bell Tower & Ringers = £185.00 Lympne or £160.00 Saltwood
Saltwood Choir = £120.00
Heating (Oct-May) = £ 60.00
These fees (except for the Wedding Certificate) are paid directly to the people who give their time and skills to perform their respective tasks. Part of the Bell Tower fee is kept specifically for maintenance of the bells. Flowers, even if arranged by the church arrangers, are paid for separately since costs vary depending on the season and requirements.
The Real Cost of Your Wedding
It is our joy and privilege to conduct your wedding at all of our churches. We pray you will remember it fondly for the rest of your lives and do not want financial hardship to stop you being married here (please speak to the Rector, in confidence, if this might be the case). However, the statutory legal fees still do not cover the real costs of conducting weddings in these beautiful Grade 1 listed buildings. We receive no support from central or local government. Instead, the running and maintenance costs are met by those who worship here Sunday by Sunday out of their own personal and sacrificial giving.
To help secure the ministry of these churches for future couples wishing to get married (as others have before you, so you can be married here) we would be grateful if you would make a contribution towards the real cost of your wedding. If you are financially unable to do this, please do not feel obligated; either consider making a smaller contribution or accept the gift of others a reminder of God’s generosity to each of us. However, if you are able to make the contribution, please accept our thanks in advance. (If either of you is a tax-payer, you can Gift Aid it, making it even more valuable to us, at no cost to you – please ask for details).
Suggested donation = £120.00
This will be used to pay for improvement and maintenance of the churchyard and building for your big day.
The Total Cost
An example of the minimum cost:
| TOTAL | 887.00 |
| Item | Amount |
| Church and Minister | 464.00 |
| Legal preliminaries (couple living in the same parish, marriage after banns) | 77.00 |
| Wedding Certificate | 11.00 |
| Verger | 55.00 |
| Organist | 100.00 |
| Heating(October – May) | 60.00 |
| Donation | 120.00 |
As you can see, the total cost of your wedding here will depend upon the legal preliminaries necessary and the choices you make.