Supporting couples as they prepare for marriage in the church is a deeply meaningful part of pastoral ministry. A church wedding offers more than a beautiful setting; it is a sacred act, where couples make their vows before God and the gathered community. By encouraging marriage in the church, clergy help root that commitment in faith, often fostering a longer-term connection between the couple and the life of the church.
In addition to spiritual guidance, couples will need clear and informed support as they navigate the legal and administrative aspects of getting married. Up-to-date resources to assist clergy in guiding couples through legal documents, procedures, and pastoral preparation are available on the Parish Resources website. These tools can help you confidently accompany couples on every step of their journey toward Christian marriage.
Growing your wedding ministry
Here are some tips and suggestions to help you increase the number of weddings happening at your church:
Handle enquiries with warmth
Keep in close touch with couples who show an interest. Make a follow-up call, invite them to a church service, whether online or physically at the church building. If they eventually choose not to have a church wedding, let them know about other services they can have to bless their marriage.
Website information
Most couples will do research online before they get in touch. Have a look at your church web presence from the point of view of a couple and check the following:-
- Is your church’s profile up to date on achurchnearyou.com? This includes having the correct email address entered into the ‘Get in touch’ form on your church’s profile, so that when a couple sends a wedding enquiry via that form, it actually reaches the right person. It’s vital that your church’s profile is up to date, because it’s often the number one site that comes up in Google searches for church information, and many couples may therefore try to contact you this way.
- Is it clear who couples can contact, how they can do that, and when?
- Is the church’s message positive and welcoming?
- Is there a designated page about weddings which gives preliminary information and invites couples to get in touch?
- Is there a link to the Your Church Wedding page?
Social Media
- If you have a church account on Facebook, X or Instagram, post about weddings, how much your church loves doing them and extend a warm invitation for couples to make enquiries.
- Keep repeating these posts every so often, perhaps a couple of times each month, or more, and especially around Boxing Day, New Year and Valentine’s Day, when marriage proposals tend to peak – posting just once will not be enough.
- Ask those who follow your account to re-share these posts to their own networks sometimes.
Get everyone involved
- Family can be one of the biggest influences on the wedding choices made by young couples. There may be people among your congregation who know someone in their family or network of friends who has just got engaged. Encourage them to give information to the couple and talk to them about the possibilities of having a church wedding, even if this may not be at your church. You can buy printed leaflets, which can be given out and shared with family and friends.
- Have a vision bigger than your church – it may be that the wedding doesn’t take place in your building, but you may still be involved in local couples’ marriages by offering prayers, or perhaps banns being read. If so, consider sending them a banns invitation card.
Wedding fairs
- Find out if any wedding fairs are planned in your local area and see if you can be a part of it – perhaps shared with another church nearby. You might even encourage your deanery to join up for this.
- Alternatively, if you have the appropriate space, host your own wedding fair and invite local wedding businesses to be a part of it. Although there’s a lot of work involved, you’ll benefit from the opportunity to meet all the other suppliers’ contacts on home ground. Involving other businesses in this way also greatly widens the publicity.
- Read ‘How to be better presented at wedding fairs’.
- If possible, display leaflets which couples can take away.
- Hand out your business card and encourage couples to get in touch.
More tips and information can be found on the Church Support Hub.