Winchester Cathedral held a deeply-moving Renewal of Vows service for Anthony and Shannon in August. The service took place in the cathedral’s Epiphany Chapel, next to the north transept, where centuries of history lend every moment a quiet gravity. The Revd Canon Andrew Micklefield led the ceremony with warmth and empathy, having worked closely with the couple beforehand to shape a service that felt personal and unforced.
Anthony and Shannon walked up the aisle to Stand by Me. It was an unguarded and human moment, made more powerful by the scale of the building around them. The service concluded to Signed, Sealed, Delivered, sung by two close friends. The music rose effortlessly into the stone ceiling above.
Winchester Cathedral is one of the great architectural glories of medieval England. Its nave is the longest of any Gothic cathedral in Europe, originally Norman in style before later being remodelled in the Perpendicular period. The soaring vaults draw the eye upwards, encouraging stillness and reflection. Light filters in gently from above, catching on pale stone that has witnessed over a thousand years of worship, ceremony and public life.
After the service, the quire and nave provided an extraordinary setting for wedding photographs. The rhythm of the columns and the sense of space create images that feel both intimate and timeless. In fact, we remained inside longer than planned while a torrential downpour passed outside. But there was no sense of hurry. The cathedral invites patience.
For couples considering Winchester cathedral for their wedding, a renewal of vows is a possible alternative to a wedding service with full legal force, For that, you need to be an active, worshipping member of the cathdral community for at least a year. Instead, if you have married elsewhere, renewing your vows would enable you to make a spiritual commitment to each other in this amazing building.
Venue: Winchester Cathedral
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