Planning your wedding in
Beaulieu Abbey Church, St Katharine's Church, Exbury
or St Paul's Church, East Boldre

The legal position in England & Wales

Please see legal requirements at https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships#content This is recommended reading for anyone considering marriage or civil partnership in England or Wales.

Holding your wedding within the Church of England

The Church of England has an excellent website, (https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/) with pages of useful information that may answer your initial queries.

How to arrange your wedding in the Parish of Beaulieu and Exbury and East Boldre.

Congratulations. We’re so excited that you’re planning to get married. We would love to help you begin your married life together in either of our churches.

There are certain legal requirements to be satisfied before proceeding further.

Everyone is entitled to be married in their parish church where they currently live, but if you choose a church in another parish you need to have a ‘Qualifying Connection’ to be married there.

Qualifying connections include:

• you have at some time in your life lived within the parish, for a period of at least 6 months;  

or

• you have regularly attended normal church services in the parish for at least 6 months; 

or

• your parents live or have lived in the parish, for at least 6 months during your lifetime;   

or

• your parents have regularly attended normal services in the parish for at least 6 months;   

or

• your parents were married in the same church as you wish to be married in;   

or

• you were baptised or prepared for confirmation in the church you wish to be married in?

If neither of you is resident nor has a qualifying connection, attending services regularly for at least 6 months within the Parish of Beaulieu, Exbury or East Boldre would establish a qualifying connection. We encourage couples to join our worshipping community at least twice a month.

You can find details of all Services via our website.

https://beaulieuchurches.org.uk/calendar/church-calendar.

Banns are normally read on 3 Sundays within 3 months of the wedding in the church in which the wedding is to take place and in the Home Parish of the bride and groom (if that is different). This is in addition to your 6 month qualifying period, therefore if you are attending services in order to form a qualifying connection, you should do so at least 9 months before your wedding date.

Please contact the Parish Office via this form so that further information can be given and dates discussed.

Marriage fees

The cost breakdown for holding your wedding at Beaulieu Abbey Church can be found here:

https://beaulieuchurches.org.uk/information/fees/wedding-fees 

There is a £100 non-returnable booking fee which is payable at the point of the booking, with the final balance being due two months before your wedding. Please contact the Parish Office for the fees for St Katharine's and St Paul's.

The fees are increased in January each year by the Church of England. Fees are payable in accordance with the year you marry.

Will you marry a couple where one or both partners is a divorcee?

If one (or both of you) is divorced you will need to complete a form entitled Marriage in Church after Divorce. You will need to attend an early interview with the Parish Priest to discuss your options before you can make a booking. The form can be obtained from the Parish Office (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Further information will be provided once your wedding day is booked in regard to:

• Interviews with the priest conducting your wedding
• Orders of Service
• Music
• Choir
• Church Flowers
• Video/Photography
• Photos in the Cloister
• The use of Confetti within the Parish

Wedding Question and Answer sessions

On some Sundays during 2025 we will have Wedding Q&A Sessions in the Abbey Church straight after the morning Sunday Service, when you will be able to find answers to all your questions. These are an opportunity for you to meet the vicar, the Churchwardens, the Organist, the Director of Music (position currently vacant) and the Flower Team Leader. You will be contacted when the next event is due.

Any further questions please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.