Advertised as “Would you like your Chapel or Meeting House to become the perfect place for a wedding this year?”, this online event was hosted by Rev. Melda Grantham, who leads on the Unitarian Weddings Initiative. Unitarians from across the UK joined in to hear Rev. Melda Grantham, Rev. Phil Waldron and Joanna Drake share ideas, stories, and practical tips to help Unitarians develop their buildings as a wedding venue, ably hosted by Lizzie Kingston-Harrison on Monday 16 January 2023. We heard some excellent advice from some very experienced wedding venue managers, including what to do if your chapel is bang in the middle of a busy city centre with no parking!

What stood out was the need for professionalism, if your chapel or church is going to be a successful venue in the middle of a crowded market – this was especially emphasised by Rev. Waldron. It’s certainly the case that any congregation thinking of doing this should seriously consider if you have the resources in terms of experienced co-ordinators and organisers, and assistants – perhaps best of all, paid assistants – to offer people the best experience you possibly can. If not, it’s best to get the infrastructure in place first rather than risk letting people down. The stories were inspirational, and it’s great to hear Unitarians moving forwards. Many thanks to Rev. Grantham for organising it, and to the speakers!