Getting married

Marrying at St Mary’s

You are very welcome, whether or not you come to church. If either of you lives in the parish you have a legal right to be married here according to the rites of the Church of England.

If neither of you does, there are several other ways of qualifying — a parent or grandparent married here, having been baptised in the parish, or having lived here in the past, among them.

And if none of those is true either, there is still a way: worship with us regularly — at least once a month — for six months, and we can then begin the process. People do this, and they are welcome long before the six months are up.

The Church of England’s Your Church Wedding explains the qualifying connections better than we can.

What happens next: you get in touch, we arrange to meet, and we talk about dates, banns and the service itself. There is no charge for the conversation and no obligation.

After a civil wedding, or a civil partnership

If you have married at a register office or elsewhere, you are very welcome to come to St Mary’s for a service of prayer and dedication afterwards. It is not a second wedding — you are already married — but it is a chance to give thanks, to ask God’s blessing, and to do it among people who are glad for you.

Same-sex couples are welcome here, and we bless same-sex civil marriages. If you have been made to feel unwelcome by a church before, we are sorry, and you will not be here. Ring or write and ask for the Vicar; he will be glad to talk it through with you and there is no obligation of any kind.

Banns read here, marrying elsewhere

If you live in this parish and are being married at another church, your banns must be read here as well as there. We read them at the Sunday mass on three Sundays and then issue a certificate for you to give to the church where you are marrying.

The Vicar will need to see identity documents in person — passports or similar. It is a legal requirement rather than a parish preference, so it is worth knowing now rather than being surprised by it later.

There is a fee for reading banns and issuing the certificate, which the parish office will confirm.

Please allow plenty of time: banns are read on three Sundays, and a marriage must take place within three calendar months of the last reading or they have to be read again.