Getting Married at Tewkesbury Abbey: A Local Wedding Photographer’s Guide
If you’re thinking about getting married at Tewkesbury Abbey, you’d be hard pushed to find a wedding ceremony setting with more atmosphere.
I’m a photographer based here in Tewkesbury, and the Abbey is one of those buildings that you almost stop noticing when you see it every day — until you really look at it again.
It is enormous, beautiful, slightly overwhelming and absolutely full of history.
For a wedding, that is quite a combination.
So, if you’re wondering can you get married at Tewkesbury Abbey, how old is it, and what would a wedding there actually be like?, here’s a local guide.
Why get married at Tewkesbury Abbey?
The obvious answer is that it is spectacular.
But it isn't simply a beautiful old church.
The present Tewkesbury Abbey is more than 900 years old. The Abbey was founded by Robert FitzHamon in 1087, construction of the present building began in 1102, and it was consecrated in 1121.
That means couples marrying here today are walking through a building that has been part of Tewkesbury for more than nine centuries.
Its enormous Norman tower is particularly extraordinary. The tower measures approximately 45 metres high and 14 metres square, and the Abbey describes it as the largest Norman church tower in existence.
Inside, there are vast Norman columns, medieval tombs, vaulted ceilings and seven medieval quire windows containing some of Europe's outstanding surviving 14th-century stained glass.
It certainly isn't your average parish church.
Tewkesbury Abbey has witnessed some serious history
One of the things I love about historic buildings is the sense that your own story becomes another tiny chapter in something much bigger.
Tewkesbury Abbey has seen plenty.
The Battle of Tewkesbury, one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses, took place in 1471. Edward, Prince of Wales — the Lancastrian heir to the throne — was killed following the battle and buried within the Abbey.
Then came Henry VIII and the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
In 1540 the monastery was dissolved and many of its surrounding buildings disappeared. Amazingly, the Abbey church itself survived because the people of Tewkesbury bought it for £453, effectively saving it for the town.
More than 480 years later, it remains Tewkesbury's parish church.
There's something rather lovely about beginning a marriage inside a building that generations of local people cared enough about to save.
Can you actually get married at Tewkesbury Abbey?
Yes.
And it may be easier than you imagine.
Tewkesbury Abbey says that if either you or your partner lives within the Abbey parish, you are entitled to be married there.
If neither of you currently lives in the parish, don't immediately rule it out. The Abbey specifically says that it may still be possible to marry there and recommends contacting the Abbey Office to discuss your circumstances.
Church of England rules allow couples to marry in a church outside the parish where they currently live when they have a recognised connection with that church or parish.
That connection can include having lived in the parish previously, having been baptised or confirmed there, regularly attending the church in the past, a parent having lived or worshipped there, or a parent or grandparent having been married there.
And there is another interesting possibility.
If you have no existing connection with the Abbey, Church of England guidance says that in some circumstances you can create a qualifying connection by attending normal services at the church at least once a month for six consecutive months.
You then need to allow enough time for the legal arrangements and banns before the wedding.
So if marrying at Tewkesbury Abbey is something you really want, it is worth asking rather than assuming you can't.
How do you book a wedding at Tewkesbury Abbey?
The Abbey recommends contacting its office as soon as you decide that you would like to marry there.
They can talk through available dates as well as options including the Abbey choir, organist, bell-ringers and additional flowers.
There are statutory Church of England wedding fees, which are revised annually, so it is worth asking the Abbey directly for the current cost rather than relying on an old figure online.
The Abbey Office can currently be contacted at 01684 850959 or [email protected].
