The Sidney Chapel offers a beautiful location for your wedding, and the College can also offer facilities for a drinks reception to celebrate.

Weddings

The Chapel is available for the weddings of current and past students, staff, or Fellows. Others with a strong connection to the College may apply to be married on a case by case basis.

Legally all weddings in the Chapel must be according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England. However, as long as at least one of you is baptised, you needn't be a regular church-goer. In some circumstances we can also arrange for a celebratory service to be held after a civil marriage. If you wish to hold your receptiion in Sidney, please speak to the Conference Office as soon as possible.

Timings

Normally we can only hold weddings outside of term, and when the Chaplain is available. In some circumstances another Anglican priest may be brought in, but it will be the couple's responsibility to locate one.

Legalities

All weddings in the Chapel occur by special licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The responsibility for obtaining this licence falls to the couple (although they will need the Chaplain's participation). They should initiate the application as soon as the wedding date is agreed. Please see the Faculty Office's website where the processes involved are laid out. This may look daunting, but in practice it tends to run smoothly.

A second requirement is that we record your marriage in the registers of the local parish. It is your responsibility to contact them to arrange for the register to be loaned for your wedding. Please write to:

The Administrator
St. Andrew the Great
St. Andrew's Street
Cambridge
CB2 3AX

Inform them of your names, the date, time and place of your wedding, and enclose a cheque for £10 payable to 'Ely Diocesan Board of Finance'.

Fees

The College charges the same fees for weddings as those set by the Church of England centrally. For 2024 this has been set at £531 (£241 minister’s fee and £290 for the College). In addition the organist, should you have one, is entitled to a £175 fee, plus travel expenses if they have to come from outside Cambridge. If a recording is made of the service, either audio or video, the organist fee is from £350.

Contact the Conference Office to make an enquiry.