St Paul's Cathedral – Weddings Guide
You can get married at St Paul’s Cathedral in the city of London but it’s a national institution so there are special rules about who and when people can get married here. However the rules don’t apply for wedding receptions which anyone can host, usually in the Crypt, for a unique wedding reception venue in the City of London.
Wedding Ceremonies at St Paul’s Cathedral, London
Why is St Paul's Cathedral So Significant?
First built in AD 604, St Paul’s Cathedral is intimately intertwined with the British monarchy. From the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles to the resting place of Lord Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington, St Paul’s Cathedral is the place of royal weddings and funerals, of national celebration and mourning, of British pride and heritage - and always has been.
Rebuilt in 1710 by Sir Christopher Wren, the stunning grade I listed space is frequented by royalty, members of Parliament and celebrities throughout the year so the restrictions on who marries here are understandably tight.
Who Can Get Married at St Paul's Cathedral, London
You can only get married at St Paul’s Cathedral if you have ties to St Paul’s Cathedral or the British royal family through birth or the royal family’s annual honours given for outstanding service to the country or bravery.
So to get married at St Paul’s Cathedral, you, your partner or one of your parents must:
- have received an Order of the British Empire, an Order of St Michael and St George or a British Empire Medal from the British royal family
- or be a member of: the congregation at St Paul’s Cathedral or the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor, a charity with a membership of people who have received a knighthood for public service. The charity supports St Paul’s Cathedral, poverty and education.
Can Anyone Who Qualifies Get Married at St Paul's Cathedral
Yes, if you meet the criteria for ties to: royalty, the 3 royal honours linked to St Paul's Cathedral or membership of the congregation or Knights Bachelor, you don’t have to be a Christian to get married at St Paul’s Cathedral and it’s no problem if you’ve been divorced. However same sex weddings can’t be carried out at St Paul’s Cathedral and the cathedral will only do Church of England wedding ceremonies because it's a Church of England church.
Why do you need ties to British royal honours?
Each royal honour is linked to the maintenance of a different royal chapel, including those in St Paul's Cathedral. As well as maintenance, members and their family can also wed in the linked royal chapel. Those with honours linked to St Paul's Cathedral can wed at St Paul's.
What are royal honours?
British royal honours are awarded to British citizens every year by the British king or queen for outstanding service to the country or their local community.
Recipients are announced in January and some later in the year on the monarch’s official birthday. Recipients include: normal members of the public, celebrities, members of Parliament, civil servants who work for the government and more. Honours are given in the form of orders and medals which date back hundreds of years.
The British Honours British citizens can be awarded and the royal chapels linked to each are:
- Knight Bachelor: ( Recipients can use the title Sir. Members maintain the Chapel of Knights Bachelor in St Paul’s Cathedral where an annual service is held for members. They can use St Paul's Cathedral for weddings, baptisms and memorials.)
- The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire: (OBE, CBE, MBE, GBE, DBE, KBE, BEM – British Empire Medal) (Recipients become dames and knights and are from the Arts, Sciences, charities or public servants or have done something outstanding for the local community – each category matches the abbreviations so OBE etc. Members have a chapel in St Paul’s Cathedral which they can use for weddings, baptisms and memorial services. An annual thanksgiving service is held for members every 4 years.)
- The Order of the Companions of Honour: (Recipients are from the Arts, Sciences, Medicine and public servants. Members maintain The Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace which they can use for weddings, baptisms and memorials).
- The Royal Victorian Order: (Recipients have worked for the British royal family, some become dames and knights. Members maintain The King’s Chapel of Savoy in Westminster and can use it for weddings, baptisms and memorials).
- The Order of Merit: (Recipients have excelled in public service here or overseas. Members maintain the Chapel Royal at St James’s Palace and can use it for weddings, baptisms and memorials).
- The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George: (Recipients have excelled in public service overseas and were nominated by the Foreign Office – they become dames and knights. Members maintain a Chapel in St Paul’s Cathedral and can use it for weddings, baptisms and memorials. Members attend an annual service there every 4 years).
- The Most Honourable Order of the Bath: (Recipients have excelled in the high grades of military service or the civil service – they become dames and knights. Members maintain the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey and can use it for weddings, baptisms and memorials).
- The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle: (Recipients have excelled in public office or national service and are nominated by the British monarch. Members maintain the Chapel at St Giles High Kirk in Edinburgh and can use it for weddings, baptisms and memorials).
- The Most Noble Order of the Garter: (Recipients have excelled in public office or national service and are nominated by the British monarch. Members maintain the St George’s Chapel, Windsor and can use it for weddings, baptisms and memorials).
Why Mel B was able to get married at St Paul's Cathedral
This is why Mel B of the Spice Girls was able to marry Rory Mc Phee at St Paul's Cathedral in 2025 - she has an MBE. Mel B received her MBE in 2022 for her charity work in support of domestic abuse. Victoria Beckham is the only other Spice girl with a royal honour, she received an OBE for services to fashion in 2017. However Geri is an ambassador for the Royal Commonwealth Society and her other charity work often coincides with royals who are patrons of the same charities.
But there is still hope, if you do not fit the small group of people who fit St Paul's Cathedral's criteria.
How To Still Incorporate St Paul's Cathedral Into Your Wedding
Do not despair if you don't fit into that narrow category of couples who fit St Paul's Cathedral's criteria. Lots of creative wedding photographers' take their couples to St Paul's Cathedral and other iconic London locations to take stunning shots after the wedding ceremony, if the wedding venue is nearby - and there are a lot of sensational wedding venues nearby like: Horizon 22 , the Shard, the Ned and Sky Gardens.
How To Book A Wedding at St Paul's Cathedral
Book Far, Far In Advance
If you do fit St Paul's Cathedral's criteria, then be aware, St Paul’s has a packed calendar of annual national events so if you do qualify for a St Paul's Cathedral wedding you’ll need to book well in advance and be prepared to be flexible because St Paul’s Cathedral only do 30 weddings a year on Saturdays in January and February or between April and October. Set annual events means the dates of availability will be rigid year on year so couples do book far, far in advance.
To Make Your Booking For A St Paul's Cathedral Wedding
If you do qualify for a St Paul's Cathedral wedding and want to make a booking, fill in the online application form and wait patiently for your reply because it usually takes a few weeks before you hear anything - this is a really busy national church.
If you're not yet ready to book and want to ask questions, email the team at: weddingsandbaptisms@stpaulscathedral.org.uk
But this is not a venue to um and ah about! It takes perserverance, commitment or serious luck to get married at St Paul’s Cathedral because average wait times are 3-4 years. Wedding dates are usually given to couples in the Spring for the following year and once they're gone, they're gone - you cannot have a wedding date reserved ahead of the release for you.
What Kind of Church Ceremony Do You Have If You Get Married at St Paul's Cathedral?
When you get married at St Paul's Cathedral your wedding will be a Church of England wedding conducted by a member of the Cathedral’s clergy and will usually take place in the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire (The OBE Chapel). The OBE Chapel is in the Crypt underneath the main church space, complete with columns, archways and a seating capacity for 400.
Restrictions on Wedding Photography and Videography at St Paul's Cathedral
Depending on which chapel you’re in (dictated by the type of honour you or your relative has), some officiating clergy at St Paul's Cathedral are really strict about wedding photographers taking photos during the ceremony so do check that out at the point of enquiry because it may affect your decision if you can only have a limited number of ceremony photos or a big gap in your wedding videography.
Where in London is St Paul’s Cathedral located?
St Paul’s Cathedral is located on Ludgate Hill at St Paul’s Churchyard, the highest point in the city. Ludgate Hill sits in the middle of Blackfriars, Fleet Street, Barbican and Mansion House. This area, close to the River Thames in the city of London, is full of attractions, gorgeous hotels and brilliant transport links with Bishopsgate, London Bridge, Tate Modern, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, Covent Garden and lots more nearby.
Now, you might not be able to get married at St Paul's Cathedral but you might want to have your wedding reception there.
Wedding Receptions at St Paul’s Cathedral, London
If you don’t fit the honours or royalty criteria but are interested in holding your wedding reception at St Paul’s Cathedral instead, you'll be pleased to know wedding receptions at St Paul’s Cathedral are open to anyone. Most wedding receptions at St Paul's Cathedral are held in the Crypt or for small guest numbers, at Chapter House.
St Paul's Cathedral Wedding Receptions in The Crypt
The Crypt is an atmospheric space with stone pillars, vaulted ceilings and beautiful architecture. The space is available for evenings only from Monday to Saturday from 6.30pm to 11pm. However, a packed programme of cathedral events means Saturdays and Fridays are usually unavailable.
The Crypt has capacity for up to 250 seated guests for a wedding breakfast or up to 350 standing guests for a Champagne reception. Hire costs start from £9,500.
St Paul's Cathedral Wedding Receptions at Chapter House
Chapter House is a private dining space beside St Paul’s Cathedral built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1715. The 2 period dining room event spaces are elegant spaces with chandeliers and wood panelled walls adorned with historic oil painting. The long dining table is the centrepiece of each room with capacity for 32 seated guests or 70 for a Champagne reception.
Views from Chapter House look out over St Paul’s. Hire costs start from £1,200. For more about wedding reception costs and spaces at St Paul's Cathedral, email the team at: corporateevents@stpaulscathedral.org.uk
For church wedding ceremony costs, read our quick guide
Wondering where Princess Kate (Kate Middleton got married? Interestingly it wasn't at St Paul's Cathedral, it was up the road at Westminster Abbey. Learn more about weddings at Westminster Abbey.
For all your wedding stationery to announce this stunning event, check out our brilliant collection of beautiful luxury wedding invitations, on the day stationery, save the dates and more – all fully customisable and available as matching sets. Go
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