Can I get married in a church if Im not religious?

Hi Annabel

Ask at the venue if it is ok.

That will depend on the church, some will require you to join them or at least do orientation.

An alternative would be to choose a civil ceremony and add some religion into it

Hi,

If it is not part of a venue you would have to have the permission of the clergy. There is no reason that you could not have it in a church but remember it is private property so permission would have to gained and probably a fee paid for the use of the chapel. Hope you find the perfect place.

Hi Annabel,

As you can see from the other response the answer is grey and depends on the church in question. My advise would be to approach the church you are looking at and see what options they can offer.

If you have any other questions please let us know.

Cheers,

Scott

If you don't ask you'll never know, I would be shocked if they said no.

I would be interested to hear the outcome..

Best of luck Annabel

Hi Annabel. You don't have to be religious to be married in a church. There are many churches that are simply for hire as a venue for weddings or even funerals etc. which are not affiliated with religious denominations. You would have to find out who runs the church next door to your Mother, and enquire as to what their requirements are in respect to a wedding. Regards Sharen Pelly.

You would have to check with the church and sometimes they may require you to do a short course. You dont have to be religious to be married in a church generally but each church may have its individual regulations. Best wishes, Helen Pickering CMC

Absolutely, many couples wish to have their ceremony performed in a church for various reasons despite not benign religious themselves.

Just like any other private property it just depends on the owners permission.

If it is a public church however this may complicate things. Best to speak to the owners/reverend of the church.

Have a blast of a day.

@Kylemarshallcelebrantservice

Hey Annabel,

If you want the ceremony in a church yet you're not religious then that's fine! There are no legal reasons why you can't get married there by a civil celebrant.
You will need to check that the leader/pastor/priest of the church allow couples to marry there. I've done weddings in churches before and there wasn't a hassle, it was a great ceremony.

Have a wonderful ceremony!

@petethecelebrant

Annabel, the answer is yes and no! If the church is privately owned, yes. There are many privately owned churches being used as ceremony venues. If the church is still owned by a parish, the answer is generally NO! Some religions regard civil celebrants as equivalent to "dealing with Satan." Not withstanding that, some Protestant parishes have realised their churches, now rarely used on Saturday afternoons, can generate significant income from civil weddings. You will have t ask around. Churches such as St Patrick's at Nulkaba in the Hunter Valley are interesting in that, while privately owned, they were never deconsecrated by the Diocese. I have, on occasion followed with my ceremony immediately after a Catholic wedding with a priest.