Marriages

The Church of St Leonard is registered with the Warwick registration office to conduct religious marriage ceremonies. 

This means that your marriage will be performed by one of our authorised ministers. 

We are an independent Christian church (not a Church of England church), and we are church members of the Order of St Leonard (a full member of Churches Together in England). We join many independent churches in membership and enjoy fellowship and connection with our friends in Christ,

OSL is also a member of the Evangelical Alliance and the Free Churches Group.  

Religious Marriage Ceremonies allow couples to be married at the Church of St Leonard, according to their Christian faith and the ceremony will include hymns, worship, prayers, and bible readings.  An initial meeting with the Minister is required, and certain legal requirements must be met to confirm that the marriage ceremony is possible.

Civil Marriage Ceremonies: It is not possible to arrange a Civil Ceremony at the Church of St Leonard.

Our Christian expression celebrates unity throughout Christian denominations, and our team encompasses evangelical, charismatic, liturgical and contemporary expressions of worship. 

The ceremony may be formal and traditional - such as with hymns and readings, or expressed with contemporary praise and worship. In either case, this will be a Christian marriage ceremony, 

We have our own director of worship music, and there are options to suit your own expression, such as with organ style music, worship musicians, choirs, soloists etc. 

The Church of St Leonard is situated on a private estate, a few steps from the Wroxall Abbey Hotel. 

It is important to note that a religious marriage service at the Church cannot be booked by the Wroxall Abbey Hotel (even if a reception is being held at the hotel).  

Marriage ceremonies can be organised at the Church without any obligation to arrange facilities at the hotel - and, in all cases, the religious marriage ceremony must be arranged directly with the church minister. 

None of the foregoing relates to civil marriage ceremonies.

The Church can accommodate guests, plus the wedding couple and space for additional musicians.  There is no minimum number, and the Church has accommodated intimate weddings of just a few people, where preferred.  We can accommodate 130 people in the pews and seating in the main part of the church. The pews have red cushioned seats for comfort. 

Additional seating in the Choir area, is often utilised for musicians and choir, but at maximum capacity could be provisioned for 150.

Wheelchair accessibility:  chairs will normally be removed from the rear of the church to support space required. 

For larger weddings, overflow seating arrangements can be made with live relay, and could potentially accommodate 500 people. For more information please enquire.

We are happy to allow flowers in the church and will provide information on permitted placement, access to the church, and removal of flowers after the service. 

You may incorporate battery operated candles (and you are welcome to use ours, too) but insurance forbids members of the public from using live flames in the building. The ministry team can include a candle ceremony (with real candles) as part of the service, under our supervision. 

Decorations and other items will need to be discussed with the Minister, but for general information, and due to the Grade I listed status of this extraordinary building, we do not permit extensive decoration of the church (such as with banners) - but are sensitive and welcoming of items such as framed photographs in remembrance of a family member, for example.  Biodegradable confetti, dried petals etc are permitted, on exiting the Church. 

Food and drinks are not permitted within the Church (except for bottled water - but this should not be in a glass container).  Guests should ensure mobile phones are silenced.

Our Ministers are committed to supporting couples as they prepare for their marriage and we offer marriage preparation support ahead of this lifelong commitment.

We provide details on all areas of marriage preparation upon request - please contact the Minister via the contact form. 

Part of planning your wedding will include attending the church on at least three occasions - this gives an opportunity to make a connection with the church, reflect on the commitment you are making to one another and to God. 

In the busy-ness of invitations, food choices, flowers and favours - we provide the space to focus on the reason you have chosen to spend your lives together, God’s love for you, and your love for one another. 

There is a fee for the marriage ceremony. This covers the arrangements, preliminary meeting, Minister, rehearsal and administrative costs associated with arranging your marriage, and the support of a Verger (who prepares the church, welcomes and directs your guests and supports co-ordination of the service on the day of the wedding). 

If music is required, musicians and performing rights‘ fees are payable. We have a range of recommended musicians.  Fees are based on Musician’s Union rates for Wedding Ceremonies. Additional fees are payable for rehearsals. Musician fees are paid directly to the musicians.  

Due to the many options available, it’s best to speak with the Minister and look at your individual preferences.

What days/times can we get married?Legally, at any time - but we will discuss this with you.  We do not offer ceremonies after 1pm on a Sunday, due to our afternoon congregation service. There are occasional dates throughout the year that are also unavailable (including Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day)

The Church of England only permits marriages to take place between 8am and 6pm, however we do have more flexibility and would be happy to consider an evening ceremony. 

Must I be baptised or confirmed to be married in the Church? 

No. As with many churches, our Ministers recognise the complexity of faith and Christian expression. However, we acknowledge that a marriage in Church reflects the desire for the couple to include God’s blessing in their union. 

Must I regularly attend the Church to be married there?

While you are welcome to join our congregation, it is not a lengthy requirement. You will just need to attend a minimum of three services prior to your wedding..