Why be married in church?
A wedding is one of life’s great moments, a time of solemn commitment as well as good wishes, feasting and joy. St John tells us how Jesus shared in such an occasion at Cana, and gave there a sign of new beginnings as he turned water into wine. Marriage is intended by God to be a creative relationship, as his blessing helps husband and wife to love and support each other in good times and in bad, and to share in the care and upbringing of children.
For Christians, marriage is also an invitation to share life together in the spirit of Jesus Christ. It is based upon a solemn, public and life-long covenant between a man and a woman, declared and celebrated in the presence of God and before witnesses. On their wedding day the bride and bridegroom face each other, make their promises and receive God’s blessing. The congregation are witnesses of the marriage and express their support by their presence and their prayers.
Who can be married in the Benefice?
ALL MARRIAGE REQUESTS ARE WELCOMED!
A lot of useful information is available through the Church of England’s wedding website. Please read this to make sure you know what you need to do to get married in one of our beautiful churches.
For further information, please contact the Benefice Administrator using the contact form.
Fees
There are statutory fees set by the Church of England for the Calling of Banns (payable to each Parish in which they are read), the Marriage Service and the Marriage Certificate. These are updated every January and the latest fees can be found on the Church of England website.
There may also be fees for the verger, the organist, and the bells if they are required. Details for each church are available from the Benefice Administrator.
Fees for a Common Licence or Special Licence are payable to those who issue them. Fees for the organist, the bells and the flowers are payable to the individual people concerned. When you book your wedding, information about these fees will be given to you with directions on when and how to pay them.
Next steps
If you decide to get married in the Benefice, please contact the Benefice Administrator to fill in the Banns of Marriage Application Form as soon as possible: this will mean that the Church can be booked for your wedding.
One of the clergy team will then be in touch with you, and you will have several meeting with the priest who is conducting your wedding, during which you will be able to talk through what marriage means to you, as well as planning what readings and hymns and music you would like to have at your wedding.
If you would like some help with deciding on what you could have, the Church of England wedding website offers lots of really useful information, and our clergy are always happy to talk through ideas and suggestions with you.
