In Finland, many couples plan to get married on a summer Saturday afternoon. The most popular wedding churches and chapels are already being booked the year before.
Therefore, you should allow plenty of time when trying to book the church or chapel of your choice on a particular day or time. The Church in Helsinki has more than fifty churches and chapels suitable for church weddings. Their use is predominantly free of charge. If you are interested in a particular church or chapel, contact the relevant parish to discuss your wishes concerning place and time. If you both live outside Helsinki, it may still be possible to get married in a church in Helsinki.
But since members of the Church in Helsinki are given priority, you may have to wait longer for confirmation of your booking or to accept a less favourable date or time. When you have secured the place and time for the wedding ceremony, your parish will provide you with a pastor to officiate at the wedding. If you belong to two different parishes, you can choose which parish to contact for a pastor. You may want a specific pastor at your wedding—perhaps a friend or relative, a pastor you know from confirmation camp, or a pastor who speaks your language, if you are from abroad.
In that case, you should contact the pastor directly. If you belong to a Lutheran parish in Helsinki but have the wedding ceremony outside Helsinki, the parish does not assign a pastor. Basically, Helsinki pastors perform weddings only in the Helsinki area. The parish office will give you the necessary contact information, so you can discuss and agree on the choice of music and hymns directly.
The pastor assigned to conduct your wedding will contact you a few weeks before the wedding for a meeting. In the meeting, you can discuss matters concerning your relationship and upcoming marriage.
