Life events

Our Clergy, Vergers and Events teams run hundreds of services and events every year. We will work closely with you to make sure your personal choices shine through. Whatever the occasion, we can help you chose the right space and format for your life event at the Cathedral. Please remember that as a living church, we need to fit these into our busy pattern of daily worship and other calendar commitments so flexibility in dates is required. There are also some requirements that need to be met in order to use the Cathedral for life events.

If you need to speak with someone urgently about any of the above please call 07593 559920 or email our Vicar of the Close, Nigel Davies at voc@salcath.co.uk

Salisbury Cathedral is not the same as a parish church and different Marriage Regulations apply. To be married in the Cathedral by right, one of the couple must have their residence in The Close. All other couples wishing to be married in the Cathedral, must apply for an Archbishop’s Special Licence.

To obtain an Archbishop’s Special Licence, one of the couple (or both) needs to have a demonstrable connection with the Cathedral. Below is a list of such ‘Qualifying Connections’ which may apply and will enable the Cathedral to support your application.

• You or your fiancé has their name in the Baptism Register of the Cathedral.
• You or your fiancé has their name in the Confirmation Register of the Cathedral.
• You or your fiancé are currently regular worshipping members of the cathedral congregations and have been for at least 6 months.
• You or your fiancé are members of the Cathedral Roll or are a child of members of the Cathedral Roll.
• You or your fiancé are former Boy/Girl Choristers of this Cathedral.
• You or your fiancé are current members of the cathedral choirs or former members of long standing (or their children).
• You or your fiancé are current members of cathedral staff (ordained or lay) or their children.
• You or your fiancé are former members of cathedral staff of long standing or their children.
• You or your fiancé are cathedral volunteers, or your parents are volunteers.
• You or your fiancé are members of Staff (teaching and non-teaching) of The Cathedral School.
• You or your fiancé attended Salisbury Cathedral School; Bishop Wordsworth School; or Leaden Hall School.

If you do not feel that you can meet these requirements or make a worshipping commitment, it is worth remembering that everyone in this country has a parish church where they have the right to be married. The Parish Priest will be able to explain what you need to do to be married in your parish church.  Click the following link to find out which is your Parish Church: A Church Near You

For any further information, please contact fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page.

The Cathedral and Close are private property and the upkeep of both is expensive.

We look to pay for the costs of upkeep where appropriate and where possible. Organisers or commercial photographers of weddings that are not taking place in the Cathedral are allowed to take photos within the area of the churchyard provided they obtain approval in advance and pay a fee of £50.00 (incl VAT). Please note that photographs of weddings that have not been held inside the Cathedral cannot be taken in the Cathedral itself, the Cloisters or the Cloister Garth.

It should be noted that weddings which take place inside the Cathedral will take priority over the commercial user when a clash of programmes/timings is identified.