Church life

We are delighted to hear that you have decided to get married and that you are interested in exploring the possibility of being married at St John’s; the information on this page should help give you an idea of what being married at St John’s will involve. If you wish to explore being married at St John’s further, please contact the church office.

The service itself is the focal point of the day and there is a lot of fun to be had in making it your own. For example, you can be inventive in your choice of music and hymns, readings, poetry and prayers. You may also want to involve friends or family in reading or even performing. One of the things you will be asked to decide is whether you would like the service to be in traditional or contemporary language.

We are here to help you with all these matters and there will be plenty of opportunity to discuss your options with the member of the clergy who will take the service and with our Director of Music.  Indeed, one of our clergy will expect to meet with you several times before the big day to discuss both the service and the meaning of marriage for you both.

Please note that under Scottish law no wedding can proceed without a Schedule from the Registrar of Marriages. You must visit the Registrar to arrange this at least a month before the ceremony – although the sooner you do this the better.

If you wish Holy Communion to be part of the service, please mention this to the clergy.

Music

If you are to be married at St John’s, then the music for your wedding will be discussed with the Director of Music at least six weeks before the ceremony. This is particularly important if you would like members of our choir to be present to ensure you have the appropriate number of choir members for the musical pieces you have requested. The Director of Music will also advise on issues of copyright particularly when the ceremony is to be recorded, of which you may be required to pay for a PRS license to cover this copyright.

Time

The time of the service must not overlap with church services. Please see our service times here. We usually also do not offer weddings within one week ahead of major festivals, such as Easter and Christmas.

Flowers

If you would like flowers in church, you can make arrangements with a florist and discuss access for set up with the office.

Video and Photography

Photographs may be taken in the church after consultation with the clergy. They may also be taken on church premises outside the church. Videos may be recorded by arrangement with the Director of Music at an extra charge which covers only the public performance of the music in the service.  This fee does not cover any copyright music recorded during the service or at the reception. Please visit the PRS website for details of copyright licensing if recording your wedding.

The basic fee for getting married in the Main Church at St John’s is £1150.

For a small and simple service in the chapel only, the fee is £300.

For both of the above, there is an additional organist fee of £150.

Added Extras:

The church choir may be able to sing at your wedding at £50 per singer if required. The fee for the Musical Director and choir may increase if there is substantial musical input required for the wedding.  This will be negotiated on discussion with the Musical Director.

With the permission of the Director of Music you may invite someone else to play the organ for the ceremony.

Visit the main Contact Us page to get in touch with St John’s

Registrar of Marriages
253 High St, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ
0131 529 2600