England and Wales
Marriage for same-sex couples is now legal in England and Wales. The General Assembly was supportive of the introduction of equal marriage as the legislation went through Parliament and we worked with the Quakers and Liberal and Reform Judaism as well as other faith groups to provide a progressive religious response.
The Act provides for Churches and Chapels to "opt-in" to same-sex marriage and to appoint "authorised persons" to act as registrar and Unitarian places of worship have to go through the administrative process individually.
You do not have to be a Unitarian to be married in a Unitarian Church or Chapel. One of our popular hymns is "All Are Welcome Here" and as an outward-looking faith we are generally open to approaches from couples who come seeking a spiritual or religious element for their marriage. This can be the more traditional ceremony or can incorporate rituals, words and music that are more meaningful to the couple. Do get in touch with the Church to explore whether or not a Unitarian service is for you.
Congregations below have been approved for same-sex marriage. Further information and contact details can be found by using the "Find a Congregation" facility.
County |
|
Location |
Church |
|
| Birmingham | Ladywood | Unitarian New Meeting | ||
| Blackpool | South Shore | Blackpool Unitarian Church | ||
| Bolton | Bolton | Bank Street Chapel | ||
| Bolton | Turton | Walmsley Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Bradford and Keighley | Bradford | Bradford Unitarian Church | ||
| Brighton and Hove | Brighton | Brighton Unitarian Church | ||
| Bristol | Bristol | Unitarian Meeting, Brunswick Square | ||
| Bury | Bury | Bury Unitarian Church | ||
| Bury | Whitefield | Stand Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Calderdale | Todmorden | Todmorden Unitarian Church | ||
| Cambridgeshire | Cambridge | The Memorial Church (Unitarian) | ||
| Ceredigion | Lampeter | Brondeifi Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Ceredigion | Llandysul | Capel y Graig Chapel | ||
| Ceredigion | Pontsian | Llwynrhydowen Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Cheshire East | Knutsford | Brook Street Chapel | ||
| Cheshire East | Macclesfield | King Edward Street Chapel | ||
| Cheshire East | Styal | Norcliffe Chapel | ||
| Cheshire East | Wilmslow | Dean Row Chapel | ||
| Cumbria | Kendal | Kendal Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Derbyshire | Chesterfield | Elder Yard Chapel | ||
| Derbyshire | Great Hucklow | The Old Chapel (Unitarian) | ||
| Derbyshire | Belper | Belper Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Devon | Cullompton | Pound Square Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Devon | Sidmouth | Old Dissenting Meeting House | ||
| Doncaster | Doncaster | Unitarian and Free Christian Church | ||
| Dorset | Bridport | The Chapel In The Garden | ||
| Gloucestershire | Cheltenham | Unitarian Church | ||
| Hull | Hull | Hull Unitarian Church | ||
| Isle of Wight | Newport | Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Kent | Maidstone | Maidstone Unitarian Church | ||
| Kent | Bessel's Green | Old Meeting House | ||
| Lancashire | Padiham | Nazareth Chapel | ||
| Lancashire | Rawtenstall | Rawtenstall Unitarian Church | ||
| Leeds | Leeds | Mill Hill Chapel | ||
| Leicestershire | Hinckley | Great Meeting | ||
| London | Croydon | Croydon Unitarian & Free Christian Church | ||
| London | Hackney | Newington Green Chapel (New Unity) | ||
| London | Hampstead | Rosslyn Hill Chapel | ||
| London | Islington | Unity Church (New Unity) | ||
| London | Kensington | Essex Church (Kensington Unitarians) | ||
| London | Lewisham | Lewisham Unitarian Meeting | ||
| London | Stratford | Stratford Unitarian Free Christian Church | ||
| Lincolnshire | Lincoln | Lincoln Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Liverpool | Gateacre | Gateacre Chapel | ||
| Liverpool | Sefton Park | Ullet Road Unitarian Church | ||
| Manchester | Chorlton | Chorlton Unitarian Church | ||
| Manchester | Manchester | Cross Street Chapel | ||
| Medway | Chatham | Unitarian Christian Church | ||
| Neath Port Talbot | Trebanos | Gellionnen Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Norfolk | Norwich | Octagon Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Norfolk | Great Yarmouth | Old Meeting Unitarian Church | ||
| North Yorkshire | Whitby | Flowergate Old Chapel | ||
| Northamptonshire | Northampton | Northampton Unitarians Meeting House | ||
| Nottinghamshire | Mansfield | Old Meeting House Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Oxfordshire | Oxford | The Chapel, Harris Manchester College (for those with connections to the College and/or The Manchester College Oxford Chapel Society) | ||
| Plymouth | Plymouth | Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | Aberdare | Highland Place Unitarian Church | ||
| Rochdale | Rochdale | Rochdale Unitarian Church | ||
| Salford | Eccles | Monton Church | ||
| Sheffield | Sheffield | Fulwood Old Chapel | ||
| Sheffield | Bradfield | Underbank Chapel | ||
| Sheffield | Sheffield | Upper Chapel | ||
| Shropshire | Shrewsbury | Shrewsbury Unitarian Church | ||
| Somerset | Crewkerne | Crewkerne Unitarian Chapel | ||
|
South Gloucestershire |
Frenchay | Frenchay Chapel | ||
| Southampton | Southampton | The Edmund Kell Unitarian Church | ||
| Staffordshire | Newcastle-under-lyme | The Unitarian Meeting House | ||
| Stockton-on-Tees | Stockton-on-Tees | Stockton-on-Tees Unitarian Church | ||
| Suffolk | Bury St Edmunds | The Unitarian Meeting House, Bury St Edmunds | ||
| Suffolk | Framlingham | Framlingham Unitarian Meeting House | ||
| Suffolk | Ipswich | St Nicholas Old Meeting House | ||
| Surrey | Godalming | Meadrow Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Swansea | Swansea | Swansea Unitarian Church | ||
| Tameside | Dukinfield | Old Chapel (Unitarian) | ||
| Tameside | Denton | New Chapel (Unitarian and Free Christian) | ||
| Trafford | Altrincham | Dunham Road Chapel | ||
| Wakefield | Wakefield | Westgate Chapel | ||
| Warrington | Warrington | Cairo Street Chapel | ||
| Warwickshire | Warwick | High Street Chapel | ||
| West Sussex | Billinghurst | Billinghurst Unitarian Chapel | ||
| West Sussex | Horsham | Horsham Unitarian Church | ||
| Wigan and Leigh | Atherton | Chowbent Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Worcestershire | Hollywood | Kingswood Meeting House | ||
| Worcestershire | Evesham | Oat Street Unitarian Chapel | ||
| Worcestershire | Kidderminster | New Meeting House, Kidderminster | ||
| York | York | St Saviourgate Unitarian Chapel |
Scotland
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 was passed in the Scottish Parliament early in 2014 making Equal Marriage possible from 16 December 2014.
Scottish Unitarians are proud to have been at the forefront of the campaign for Equal Marriage.
Unitarian celebrants at the Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow Churches welcome all couples who wish to be married or to receive a blessing in our churches or at other venues (as the law in Scotland does not restrict religious marriage to specific buildings).
Photo – Ed Fordham and Russell Eagling who were married at Rosslyn Hill Unitarian Chapel on 5 July 2014.