Weddings

Can we get married in church?

For most people, the answer is a very straightforward “yes”. However, because getting married gives you a whole new legal status with many benefits, there are considerations for the vicar to make in both UK civil and church law. There are some basic requirements but there could be complications if:

• one or both of you is not a British national. Special procedures apply to the legal preparations for these marriages, to protect and celebrate those which are genuine and to help prevent those which are not.
• one or both of you has been married before. There may well be a way forward for you to be re-married in church but the vicar has certain considerations in these circumstances. 

Can we get married in the church of our choosing?

To get married in a particular church, one of you (bride or groom) has to be able to demonstrate a “qualifying connection”.  This means establishing a link between you and the church. The most obvious link is that you live in the parish where the church is situated. If you’re not sure whether you live in the parish, go to www.achurchnearyou.com and enter your postcode. 

However, you can also marry in a Church of England church if you can show that one of you:

• has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months, or
• was baptised (christened) in the parish concerned, or
• is confirmed and your confirmation was entered in the register of confirmations for a church or chapel in the parish (this will usually be the case if you were prepared for confirmation in the parish), or
• has at any time regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months

OR That one of your parents, at any time after you were born:

• has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months, or
• has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months

OR That one of your parents or grandparents:

• was married in the parish.

We will need to see proof of your qualifying connection but will also help you to establish which of these connections is right for you.

Can we pick any date and time?

Within reason, we will try to work to your preferred date and time. However, we can’t do Sunday mornings due to other church services, and other dates may not be available for a range of reasons.  Also, by law, any wedding must be completed by 6:00pm, so you can’t have an evening service.

To avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend that you check that the church is available first and confirm your booking with a deposit (see below) before booking any other venues.

How much is a church wedding?

That depends on what you want. The standard fees are set by law, but there are additional costs if you want us to provide musicians and other technology, or if we will need to use the heating. The best thing is to have a discussion with us, so that we know what you’re looking for.

What’s the first stage in the process of booking our wedding?

You will need to arrange a meeting with our church administrator, who will need to see proof of identity, nationality, age and address. Copies of these documents will be taken and kept securely by us until 3 years after the date of your wedding.  When you arrange the meeting with us, we will provide you with details of the documents you’ll need to provide.

Do we need to pay a deposit? And when is the final payment due?

Yes, in order to book and confirm the date/time of your wedding, you will need to pay a deposit of £100. We will tell you to whom you should make the cheque payable or how you can pay by direct bank transfer.

Your final payment will need to be paid at least seven days before your wedding.

What happens after that?

We will arrange some simple marriage preparation which you are expected to attend – this may be arranged as a morning with other couples who are getting married.  Some of this will include a guide to the ways in which you can personalise your marriage service.

About 6 weeks before your wedding day, you will meet with the minister leading the service to finalise the arrangements (choice of hymns, readings, etc). There will also be a wedding rehearsal, usually in the week before your wedding. 

At any point, you’ll be able to contact us for help and advice – we want to make your wedding day one to remember for all the right reasons!

Something to bear in mind

Although our church is a modern building, there are occasions when it requires upkeep. There is always the chance that we will have a building project, too.  Because of this, we can’t guarantee that there won’t be scaffolding or other signs of work on your wedding day.  Where possible, we will try to keep you informed of upcoming work that might affect your plans.

Where can we find more information?

The Church of England has produced an excellent website which can help with all sorts of questions you might have about your wedding, such as picking readings and choosing hymns: www.yourchurchwedding.org