ENGLISH CHURCHES FEATURED IN HOLLYWOOD FILMS

Dearly beloved, we have been gathered here today to bear witness to the union of these two strange bedfellows, movies and churches. So if any of you know of any just cause as to why they shouldn’t be joined together in holy matrimony, please speak now, or else check out the following list of English churches featured on the silver screen. You may now kiss my ass. Amen.





Love Actually (2003)
The Grosvenor Chapel (Anglican Church), based in Mayfair, London. 

What do you get when you take Keira Knightley, a Beatles song, plus a fairly lively Nubian choir, and then decide to mix them all together in a grand and palatial church? I mean, do you get a bowl of sick and blood that looks and sounds pretty? Or do you get a very famous wedding scene directed by Richard Curtis, hailed as an instant classic among rom-com fans around the world? Put your hands up if you choose the sick option!


Notting Hill (1999)
The Zen Garden (Buddhist), located in Hempel, Craven Hill Gardens, Bayswater, London.

Recently voted as one of the most romantic films of all time, Blllurrrrggg, Notting Hill tells the story of a fluffy-haired-git who falls in love with some American-bint. So come on, what are you waiting for? Take a stroll along the beautiful Zen Gardens where these two pale-faced lovebirds decided to escape the hustle and bustle of the big smoke.


Bend it like Beckham (2002)
Central Gurdwara (Sikh), situated at 62 Queensdale Road, Notting Hill, London.

Oh, and while we’re talking about Notting Hill, spit, be sure to pay a visit to Central Gurdwara, because that’s where they shot the wedding scene featured in the pro-choice, pro-soccer, pro-women's lib pic, Bend It Like Beckham. You may have noticed this place of worship during that part of the film where the bride’s sister, Jesminder, fulfills her duty, by getting married, before dashing across town to, you know, kick a bouncy rubber ball into a square net or something... zzzzz.


Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great (CofE), based in Smithfield, East London.

In this subsequent Richard Curtis rom-com classic, Four Weddings and a Funeral, we see four stunning wedding venues based in the UK. This time, though, I’ve decided to showcase the central London church where they filmed a number of other films. This includes Guy Richie’s version of Sherlock Holmes; the period drama, The Other Boleyn Girl; the royal biopic, Elizabeth: The Golden Age; as well as -- yes, you guessed it -- that scene where Hugh does a runner on his bride to be. Lovely.


Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016)
Saint Lawrence Church (CofE), located on West Wycombe Hill, High Wycombe.

Let’s be fair, Bridget Jones is generally known to be a bit of a loose woman. Well, she used to be loose until the final film of the trilogy where she manages to get her act together and settle down with the man of her dreams, namely, Mister Mark Darcy. Now the church where they both wed is located in the rolling countryside of Wycombe Hill, which was also used as a location for two other feminine flicks: The Duchess, also starring Keira Knightley; and What a Girl Wants, also starring Colin Firth.


Sense & Sensibility (1995)
Berry Pomeroy Church (CofE), is based in Totnes, Devon.

Jane Austen enthusiasts need to look no further than the aforementioned Devonshire church to see yet another adaptation of her 1811 novel, Sense & Sensibility. Starring Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, and Hugh Grant, this film sees all four of them getting hitched under the roof of a stunning fifteenth-century village church, located in the picturesque village of Totnes, Devon.

So there you have it, folks. Me being skeptical about love, romance, and marriage, all wrapped up in an article showcasing films featuring churches based in the UK. If you have any others you'd like to suggest please feel free to add them to the comment section below. Amen.