Weddings
Some words from our Vicar - Gary
Glad to hear you want to get married in church!
Before getting in touch with me to talk about a church wedding it may help you to have a read through what follows.
Whether you’ve never been married before, are divorced or widowed and would like to know about re-marriage in the church I’m here to help.
You can get married pretty much anywhere these days, from the local registry office to a beach in the Canary Islands. But Christian weddings happen in churches, and the majority of Christian weddings in the UK happen in the Church of England.
But you don’t have to ‘sign up’ as a Christian to feel there’s something about a church that makes it a special place to get married in. It could be because it’s a place of prayer, where people have worshipped God, often for centuries. It could be because there’s something in those ancient words ‘for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.’ that nothing else can touch. It could be because of the centuries of wisdom the Church has built up about the meaning of marriage. It could be that, for whatever reason, your wedding won’t feel right unless it has been blessed by God in a Church.
There are all sorts of reasons for getting married in Church. I would love to talk with you about them.
Why get married in 1 of our 3 churches?
We are blessed with 3 churches that are all beautiful and full of history. It may be that your family members were married at one of these churches in the past, and that makes your wedding extra special if you too are choosing to marry here.
While it’s a great occasion of joy, it’s also something to be taken seriously, and I require that couples do some marriage preparation classes with me. The preparation sessions cover not only the wedding ceremony itself and planning the service but also some teaching on what Christians believe about marriage. You can read more about marriage in the Church of England at this link: Your Church Wedding | The Church of England
Who can be married here?
Marriage in any Church of England church requires that one or both of the people wishing to marry has a qualifying connection. There are other legal matters associated with marriage in the Church of England and the easiest thing is for you to get in touch with me for a chat. You can also find out more on the Church of England website: Legal requirements | The Church of England
What if one of us is divorced?
The re-marriage of divorced persons whose former partner is still living is something that can take place in church. I fully appreciate that, sadly, things can go wrong in a marriage resulting in a divorce which may have been necessary and no easy decision to make. I am keen to help such people who wish to remarry and so I do encourage you not to assume you can’t have a church wedding but come and see me to talk about it. Having said that it’s important to remember that a church wedding is very much a Christian ceremony and the teachings of Jesus have shaped Christian belief about marriage and marriage ceremonies for nearly 2,000 years. Jesus said, ‘Those whom God has joined together, let no-one divide’ and so the Church of England’s teaching about marriage is that it is the union of one man with one woman for life – ‘Till death do us part.’ So it may be that the best way forward would be to have a service of ‘Prayer and Dedication Following Civil Marriage’.
Our present King and Queen were married in this way! The important thing is to come and talk so do get in touch.
Where should you start?
Before a wedding can be booked it is vital you speak with me first. Never try and ‘book the church’ after you’ve set a date and booked the wedding reception! If you wish to marry in any church the first thing to do is contact the vicar for a chat. I’d love to hear from you and I’m here to help so please do get in touch. Please contact me direct at gary,rev@outlook.com