Licences for Wedding Ceremonies

Copyright Licences & Wedding Services
This page is intended to provide guidance about which licences might be required, either by the church or the wedding couple, for wedding services that take place in churches.

Church Copyright Licence (CCL)	This permits the words of authorised* hymns and worship songs to be included in the printed wedding orders of service.   Don’t forget that your CCL licence number must be included somewhere in the order of service, together with the copyright details of each song reproduced.   You must also remember to include details of these songs in your annual Copy Report. The CCL also permits you to record wedding services, including the live music.  Hymns, worship songs and any other music played live, e.g. whilst the bride enters the church or during the signing of the register, can be recorded under this licence. The CCL does not permit recordings to be made whilst other sound recordings are being played, for example if the bride enters church whilst a track from her favourite CD is played. [See A Wedding Video Is being Made below] The CCL only covers the wedding service, not the reception or evening disco etc.  *An authorised hymn or worship song means one which is included in the CCLI licence schemes.
PPL Church Licence	This licence is not required for wedding services.  It covers the public performance of sound recordings during church activities, but is not required for acts of worship/weddings/funerals.
PRS for Music Church Licence	This licence is not required for wedding services.  It covers the public performance of live music and sound recordings during church activities, but is not required for acts of worship/weddings/funerals.

A Wedding Video is Being Made
If a wedding couple asks to have the service recorded by a videographer, family friend – or even Aunt sally with her mobile phone – the only licence you require is the Church Copyright, provided the service only includes live music.   Permission is also required from all participants in the service (musicians, readers etc.) if their performance is to be recorded. 

If a recording of the service is made whilst a sound recording is being played, that sound recording is, in effect, being copied (dubbed).   Therefore the videographer or wedding couple needs to get a Limited Manufacture Licence (LML) from the PRS for Music website.

If the wedding video is to include a reception and/or disco (where live music or sound recordings are played), or if the videographer intends to over-dub music onto the finished video (i.e make copies of sound recordings), the licences available from CCLI do not cover this.   Again, the videographer or wedding couple needs to get a Limited Manufacture Licence (LML) from the PRS for Music website.

Professional videographers will be aware of the licensing requirements but, nevertheless, CCLI suggests that churches advise wedding couples to ensure they have discussed copyright issues with their videographer. 
 

Links to: SongSelect / Create / FAQs / Terms of Agreement / CopyReport