The Church in Wales has voted to make permanent provision for church blessings for couples in same-sex Civil Marriages and Civil Partnerships.

Five years ago, after deciding that it was “pastorally unsustainable” for the church to make no formal provision for those in committed same-sex relationships.

The Governing Body approved a service of blessing for an experimental five-year period.

The church's governing body, at its meeting in Llandudno, debated a motion to make the provision permanent by incorporating a rite for the blessing of same-sex marriages and partnerships into the Book of Common Prayer.

The measure needed a two thirds majority of each of the Orders which comprise the Governing Body: Bishops, Clergy and Laity. All five Bishops voted in favour. The clergy voted 32 – 7 in favour, with 5 abstentions, and the laity 48 - 8 in favour, with 2 abstentions.

The Church in Wales does still not have provision to marry same-sex couples. However, in November 2025, the Bishops of the Church issued a pastoral letter noting that the process had shown a majority “in favour of the view that the time is right to offer equal marriage.”

Further proposals will be brought forward in April 2027 to allow the law of the state and of the Church to be changed to permit equal marriage in the Church in Wales.

The Most Revd Cherry Vann, Archbishop of Wales, said: “I want to thank everyone for the ways in which this debate was conducted – calmly, and with mutual respect.

“The Bench of Bishops and I recognise that this is an issue about which people hold strong convictions.

“We want everybody to be able to hold their views with integrity whilst not losing sight of the image of God that resides in all of us.”