St Paul’s Cathedral is a magnificent venue for your wedding, located in the very heart of Melbourne. We are delighted that you are thinking of getting married here, and encourage you to make contact with our Cathedral staff to plan your marriage at St Paul’s.
St Paul’s Cathedral is the home church for Anglicans in Melbourne and Victoria. Although you do not need to be an Anglican to be married here, marriages celebrated at St Paul’s follow the liturgy of the Anglican Church of Australia, which provides both for traditional language and modern language wedding services.
Our Cathedral staff will be able to advise you on getting married at St Paul’s, giving you full details of wedding preparation and the ceremony itself. They will discuss costs, as well as options for choral and organ music during the service, bell-ringing before and after the ceremony, or wedding floral arrangements, with you.
For more information and to make an inquiry please contact events@stpaulscathedral.org.au or 9653 4345.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do we have to complete a marriage preparation course?
Yes, couples are expected to undertake a marriage preparation course along with other meetings with the Clergy Celebrant. We can recommend a number of courses to suit your requirements. There is often a cost involved with the courses which is expected to be met by the couple, on top of the Cathedral costs.
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Can we play our own music?
Use of recorded music is permitted with permission from the Celebrant or Director of Music, however it may be an infringement of copyright to broadcast professionally recorded music in any public arena without a licence which includes all Christian wedding services.
Recorded music with a sung text must be God-related, regardless of whether it’s during the service or before or after. Instrumental versions of secular songs are often available which exclude the sung texts. Sometimes these songs are often more suited to the reception than the service.
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What denomination is St Paul’s Cathedral?
St Paul’s is an Anglican Church or Church of England as it may be known to some people.
It is a legal requirement that all wedding services in the Cathedral are conducted by a licenced Anglican Priest, normally one of the Cathedral Clergy, and using the services prescribed in the Anglican Prayer Book.
Church membership is not required, however at least one of the parties to the marriage must have been baptised into a Christian Denomination.
Will the Cathedral be open to the public during the wedding?
The Cathedral is Melbourne’s busiest sacred attraction and therefore we welcome a lot of visitors when our doors are open. The Cathedral and our services are always open to the public to come and pray or to sit quietly and take in the beautiful surroundings.
We have a staff member at our main door at all times and visitors will not be permitted to walk around during your ceremony. Often some visitors do like to come in and sit quietly at the back of the Cathedral and watch the service, but our staff are on-site to ensure there are no interruptions.
How many people can we invite?
The Cathedral can seat up to 900 people. Most weddings average around 150 guests however all sizes up to 900 can be accommodated.
There is no minimum number of guests required.
(COVID-19 Restrictions may apply)
Can we write our own vows?
All vows must conform to the guidelines specified by the government – that is that the couple is entering into a lifelong commitment. The prescribed vows in the Anglican service are used in our services.
Can we have a photographer or videographer?
The Cathedral has no objection to professional photographers taking photographs of the service nor to the ceremony being filmed by a videographer arranged by the couple being married. It is important that the photographer and/or videographer introduce themselves to the clergy before the service begins and heeds all instructions given by the celebrant.
Please note flash photography is not permitted during the service as it can be distracting. Drones are not permitted inside the Cathedral or in precincts due to ATSB regulations.
Can other clergy or ministers take part in the service?
One of the Cathedral staff must be the Celebrant but other clergy are welcome to take part in other aspects of the service such as reading the bible readings or offering prays. We also encourage family members and friends to participate in the service by delivering readings, leading the prayers and acting as ushers.
Other Anglican Clergy are permitted to preach at services provided they have a licence from the Archbishop. Normally, clergy from other denominations are not permitted to preach.
Wedding Information Booklet
Getting Married in the Anglican Church
As part of the formal process of completing your Notice of Intended Marriage, we also have to issue you with Information about the Christian understanding of Marriage, and to remind couples of our expectation that they attend marriage preparation.
Australian law defines marriage as “the union between two persons to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered, for life”. Your Notice of Intended Marriage form signals the voluntary intent. Your wedding preparation will help you live out the intent to spend your lives together.
The Anglican Prayer Book, according to whose rites you will be married, offers more background to what Australian Anglicans believe about marriage. It specifies that marriage is between a man and a woman, who become husband and wife. Again, it highlights the lifelong nature of the union, and counsels that marriage should not be entered lightly or selfishly. This is what the opening prayer of the Marriage Service says:
Marriage is a gift of God our creator.
It is a symbol of God’s unending love for his people,
and of the union between Christ and his Church.
Christ loved his bride the Church,
and gave himself for her.
As he has called Name and Name to marriage,
so he draws their differing gifts and hopes
into a unity of love and service.
Scripture teaches that marriage is a lifelong partnership
uniting a woman and a man in heart, mind and body.
In the joy of their union, husband and wife
enrich and respond to each other,
growing in tenderness and understanding.
Through marriage a new family is formed,
where children may be born
and grow in secure and loving care.
Marriage is therefore to be honoured by all.
No one should enter it lightly or selfishly,
but responsibly and joyfully,
with mutual respect and the promise to be faithful.
Both Australian law and the Church believes that in order for a marriage to endure, it needs to be placed on firm foundations. We expect couples to undertake a Relationship Matters Wedding Preparation Course. Couples may also want to attend an Alpha marriage course. These will serve you well as you prepare for your marriage.
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