Wedding

The celebration of love is one of the greatest joys of family life. Marriage, as understood by the Church of England, is the Sacrament by which a man and a woman are joined together, in the presence of God, in faithfulness and love. By the outward signs of joining hands and giving and receiving rings, the couple are joined together in lifelong commitment to one another.

Getting married in church comes with a sense of history and occasion, and it also comes with a sense of support and prayer from the community that worships God in this holy place.

Following recent changes to Church Law, it is even easier to get married in church. The basic requirement is still residency in the ecclesiastical parish but in addition, if a couple lives outside the boundary of the parish they have the option of using a qualifying connection. These connections are various but need to be discussed with the Vicar upon application.

The the re-marriage of those who have been previously married is possible, but this must be discussed with the Vicar.

The Church of England is not yet permitted to conduct the marriage of same-sex couples. We recognise that this can be a source of great pain. Pastoral support is available, so please do get in touch with the Vicar or Curate.

Although Saturday is the traditional day for a wedding, many couples are now choosing other days of the week in a bid to reduce costs at the reception venue and avoid a long wait. Weddings can often be arranged for most days of the week depending on the availability of the clergy. Some of the costs of the wedding are set by the Church of England and apply to all parish churches. Other costs are set locally. For further details please get in touch. All couples who are getting married in either church are invited to meet with the Vicar or Curate to help them prepare for their new life together. These meetings will be arranged around your regular commitments and will help you understand the depth and fullness of Christian marriage and prepare you to celebrate this joyous event.

Although important elements of the marriage service are fixed there is much that can be chosen by the couple, with the agreement of the Vicar, to personalise the whole occasion. This will include the music and the hymns as well as the choice of readings and option of celebrating the Eucharist as part of the service.