Pop star Ellie Goulding is marrying in no ordinary venue.
York Minster is a famous landmark and tourists flock to see its towering splendour from all over the globe.
Goulding, 32, is walking down the aisle to wed art dealer Caspar Jopling, 27, in the largest Gothic church in the UK.
According to the cathedral website, a couple must have a “present and demonstrable connection” with York Minister to marry there and obtain a Special Licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
“This normally means that, in addition to any other connection a couple may have with York Minster, past or present, they are attending services at the cathedral on a regular basis for at least six months before their wedding.”
The registrar looks for “convincing evidence that the couple has a genuine and substantial, personal and ongoing, connection with the cathedral… which is so strong that it… makes this cathedral the most obvious church in which their marriage service should be held…
“Our hope and expectation is that couples will continue to worship regularly in the Minster after their wedding for as long as they live in the area,” the website adds.
A York Minster spokeswoman told the PA news agency: “This couple have been granted a Special Marriage Licence to be married in York Minster because they have fulfilled the qualifying criteria.
“Applications for special marriage licences are private and confidential”.
While Love Me like You Do singer Goulding grew up in Hertfordshire, Jopling’s roots are in Yorkshire.
His father is the Honorable Nicholas Jopling, of Frickley Hall, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire.
His grandfather is Baron Jopling, the ex-Conservative MP, who served as Deputy Lieutenant of North Yorkshire.
York Minster was built between the 13th and 15th centuries and features the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world – the size of a tennis court.
In 1984, a spectacular fire destroyed the roof of the South Transept and damaged the Rose Window.
The blaze, which firefighters said was probably caused by lightning, followed fires in the minster in 1829 and 1840.
The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of York and its central tower is 71 metres high.
Goulding’s wedding reception is expected to take place at Castle Howard, described as one of the “great palaces of Europe”.
The grand venue is where Brideshead Revisited – both the TV drama and movie – were filmed.
While Goulding made her fortune by notching up success in the pop charts, Jopling comes from a wealthy family.
