Church of England says 'any church will do' for a wedding

Bishops are hoping to reverse the sharp increase in civil ceremonies in venues such as stately homes or hotels.

At the moment, couples can only marry in churches where either the bride or groom worships or in parishes where one or both lives.

The only way around this is to apply to the Church of England for a special licence, a costly and time-consuming process.

Under the new rules, couples will only have to show a tenuous link to the church they choose, such as having a grandparent who was married there or knowing a friend who lives in the parish.

The change is likely to place pressure on churches made famous by television programmes such as The Vicar of Dibley, or those where celebrities have been married.

It has had a mixed reception from the clergy. The Reverend Colin Randall, in charge of four churches in Carlisle, said: "For years I've had a very strict neighbouring vicar who would not marry anyone who was not a resident.

"These changes will make getting married in church more straightforward."

But the Reverend John Hartley, from Bradford, said: "My nightmare scenario is that people will say their parents used to worship in a certain church, but it may be impossible to find evidence."

Sheila Cameron QC, Dean of the Arches and Auditor - the leading legal adviser to the Church - believes traditional weddings need to be made as attractive as possible.

Since 1994, the number of civil ceremonies in places such as hotels and castles has risen to more than 50,000 a year, while Church of England marriages fell 40 per cent to 60,000.

The reforms were overwhelmingly approved by the General Synod in its summer sessions in York but must be rubber stamped by Parliament.

There have been no objections so far from the Department of Constitutional Affairs.