Weddings at Durham School

With an unparalleled view of Durham’s world famous cathedral from the hill on which our beautiful chapel stands, Durham School is an increasingly popular venue for weddings, particularly for former pupils and others with a demonstrable close connection with the School. We have already hosted several weddings where both bride and groom once sat regularly in chapel as pupils. We also have excellent facilities for your wedding reception following the service. Improved access to the chapel also means that the bride and guests no longer have to climb the 98 steps (although they can if they want to!). You may find the following information of help if you are thinking of holding your wedding at Durham School.

General

All weddings in the chapel are subject to the law regulating Anglican marriages in England and Wales.

In English law everyone has the 'right' to be married in their own parish church or in a church that they habitually and regularly attend (if this is not their parish church). It is very difficult to get obtain permission to get married in any other church or chapel.

Eligibility

So in what circumstances is it legal to be married in Durham School’s chapel?

• you can be married by virtue of residence (by banns or certificate) if one or both of you lives in the parish of St Margaret's, Durham or St John's, Nevilles Cross
• you can also be married by banns if one or both of you worships regularly at St Margaret's Durham or St John's Nevilles Cross
• if you have a strong, recent and demonstrable link with Durham School, it may be possible to obtain an Archbishop's Licence giving special permission to marry in the School Chapel; such licences are discretionary, and not automatic.

Beginning to make arrangements

The School has no 'resident' priest. Whether you hope to be married by banns or by Archbishop's Licence it is important to speak early on to your own vicar, who you need to provide support for a licence application, or to read banns in the churches where either of you lives. You also need to ask if he or she would be able to conduct the wedding for you.

In law it is your own responsibility

• to make sure that the wedding arrangements are legal, and
• to find and ask a priest to conduct the ceremony, though we can suggest names if your own vicar is unable to help.

There are often added legal complications if

• there is little time before the proposed date of the wedding, or
• either of you is divorced with a former partner still living, or
• either of you is a foreign national, or
• neither of you is baptised

In all of these cases the advice of the priest conducting the marriage is essential before any arrangements are made.

Making a reservation

We cannot make a firm booking until it is clear that the legal conditions will be met. In addition, it is often more difficult to find a venue for the reception than for the marriage, and we advise you to deal with both the legal issues and the reception before making the booking final. Durham School has extensive experience of hosting wedding receptions – please let us know if this would be of interest to you and we will provide you with further details.

A possible alternative

If you have set your heart on a service in the school chapel, and there is no legal way for the marriage to take place, you could consider having a service of blessing after a civil marriage (which could take place, for example, at the Register Office). There are no legal restrictions about blessing a marriage which has already taken place elsewhere.

If you would like further information about weddings in Durham School’s chapel please contact Mr Geoff Simpson, Director of Services and Development in the first instance. (0191 375 3271)

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