- The Rectory
- The Street, Barham
- Canterbury
- Kent
- CT4 6PA
01227 941561
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Fees
What does a church wedding cost?
There are certain fees set nationally for church weddings and are updated each year from the 1st January.
The Fees for 2026 are:-
Calling Banns £39
A Banns Certificate (required when Banns are called for marriage in another church) £20
The Marriage Service Fee is £566
EXTRAS The fees shown do not include charges for heating, the services of a verger, music (e.g. organist, choir), bells, and flowers, which are fixed by the Parochial Church Council.
In the case of a marriage service in church, any costs and expenses incurred in respect of routine administration (including arranging dates and times and the making of entries in registers), making the church available and lighting it are included in the fee prescribed as payable to the Parochial Church Council
The organists also charge £120 for a wedding, and they have a right to this fee even if you import another organist. There may also be additional charges if the organist has to buy music and learn a new piece.
If you have Bells at Barham the cost is £50
If you have a choir, £100
Should you wish to make a video recording of the service, we charge an additional £40 in performing rights fees. Following a recent change in the law, this even applies to a guest doing a video on their phone.
The Verger is the person who prepares the church, attends to guests, and clears up afterwards. We ask for £45 to give them.
Barham church is normally kept at about 11° C in the colder months. If you would like extra heating, we need to agree a cost for that. The churches of Bishopsbourne, Kingston and Womenswold have very little heating at all!
Running a beautiful medieval church is a very expensive business, and we invite a donation towards that - perhaps something between £50 and £100 might be appropriate, and if you are able to ‘Gift Aid’ this, it would be much appreciated.
We will be asking you for a £100 deposit at the beginning of the year in which you are married, and the balance to be paid one month before the big day.