Love deserves a celebration! Welcome to the church for your big day. In a church wedding there is room for you and your love for one another. In a beautiful church room, with music and texts that move, you give the wow to love and honour eachother.
The two people are at the centre of the celebration, but they are not alone. Their mutual promises are given in the presence of witnesses.
You can choose a wedding with a grandiose celebration and lots of guests, or a minimalistic wedding in sneakers, with only best men and women and a priest present. Wedding is a great celebration of love anyway.
Frequently asked questions about wedding in Church of Norway
Who can get married in Church of Norway?
All couples are welcome to a church wedding. No requirements are made to what opinions, values or faith you may have.
A wedding is a beautiful celebration of love. Two people wanting to marry to live together is a long tradition in Norwegian society. Whether you are young or old, are newly in love or have been together for a long time – you are welcome to church.
Foreign nationals can get married in the church
You are welcome to a church wedding also if one of you is a foreign national. If one of you is a foreign national with permanent residence, you will normally follow the normal legal procedures for marriage testing. If one of you is a foreign national without permanent residence in Norway, this may require additional documentation and time for the legal proceedings at the tax administration office.
Updated guidelines may be found at the Norwegian Tax Administration office: Person - The Norwegian Tax Administration (skatteetaten.no)
You may have a church wedding no matter your gender or sexual orientation
All couples, regardless of gender or sexual orientation may get married in Church of Norway.
You can get married in church regardless of previous marriage
If one of you has been married previously, you should be aware that some extra preparations may be needed to confirm that the former marriage has ended.
This is particularly relevant if a divorce from or death of a former spouse has not been registered at the Population Register.
You may have a church ceremony if you already have entered into civil marriage
If you already have entered into civil marriage, it may be desirable to celebrate this in a special ceremony in church. In the context of a beautiful space, with evocative music and readings that touch you, you repeat your vows, and the marriage received prayers and blessings.
You may renew your vows to each other in the church
Have you been married for a while and wish to celebrate the day? In that case you may have a ceremony in the church where you repeat and renew your vows to one another. You are welcome to contact the congregation where you live for an informal talk about how this can be done.
How can i book a wedding in the church?
Book a wedding in the church at your local church office
If you want the wedding to take place where you live, you may contact your local church office to book the wedding. Send an email, make a telephone call or fill in the form at the church office webpage to make the booking.
If you don’t know which congregation you belong to, you may fill in your postal address in the seaqrch field further down this page.
If you wish the wedding to take place in another part of Norway
If you wish to have the wedding in another church than the church where you live, you may contact the preferred church. Use the search button further down to find the contact details.
Some churches are particularly popular for weddings, but you may contact the church office to find out about the possibilities for you. If you choose to have the wedding in another church than where your address is registered, you may have to pay a fee. This may vary from church to church.
Getting married in a church abroad
If you wish to get married abroad, the Norwegian Church Abroad may be a good alternative. The Norwegian Church Abroad has many congregations around the world. The pastors in the Norwegian Church Abroad have the right to marry, and they can marry people who have an approved certificate of probation for marriage, or bless a couple who has already entered into civil marriage.
To book a wedding abroad, you must contact the Norwegian Church Abroad directly. Click here to find your closest church abroad.
What are the costs of getting married in the church?
Getting married in the church where you live (registered address) is free, as long as one of you is a member of the Church of Norway.
Whether you are young or old, just recently fell in love or have been together for a long time, you are welcome to church! There are no requirements about the opinions, values or faith you have. All couples can get married in the church.
Why get married in the church?
The Bible reads:
God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them
(1 John 4:16)
The church proclaims that God has created us in God’s image to live in fellowship with God and with one another. Marriage is God’s good gift to us, human beings.
Marriage in church is a legal action, taking place within the framework of church tradition and Christian faith. There are hymns, Bible readings and prayers for the couple. The marriage vows are said in the presence of witnesses, and before God. In the ceremony we pray for God’s blessings over the couple, their future and their families.
What happens in a wedding in Church of Norway?
In the church the marriage is placed in a larger context. You will receive prayers, for the marriage and for the future. The pastor asks for God’s blessings over you marital vows.
In one of the prayers used in the ceremony, it says:
Good God, we thank you for (the names of the couple) and for their love for one another. Bless their lives as a married couple. Help them to keep the vows they have given one another, so that their marriage can be filled with trust, care and joy.