Marriages in Church
Marriage is a gift of God through which husband and wife may grow together in the knowledge, love and service of God. It is given that, united with one another in heart, in mind and in body, they may increase in love and trust. God joins husband and wife in life-long union as the foundation of family life (in which children are born and nurtured and) in which each member of the family, in good times and in bad, may find strength, companionship and comfort, and grow to maturity in love. Marriage enriches society and strengthens community.
from the Church in Wales order for Holy Matrimony
from the Church in Wales order for Holy Matrimony
Jesus therefore sets the greatest example of unconditional, self-sacrificial love – a model that husband and wife can seek to follow in the way they love one another, each putting the other’s needs first. At the heart of the marriage ceremony is the exchange of vows, in which a couple make a public declaration of lifelong commitment to love each other, whatever the future may bring.
Christians believe that in marriage we find the proper expression of our sexuality, a secure environment for bringing up our children, and an important element of stability for the wider community.
You have a right to be married in your local parish church. The law requires that at least one of those to be married should:
• resides in the parish where the wedding is to take place, or
• be a regular worshipper in the parish and to have your name entered on the church electoral roll, or
• have a ‘qualifying connection’. A ‘qualifying connection’ as described in the Marriage (Wales) Act 2010 is that you were baptised or confirmed in the parish, that you or a parent formally lived for at least six months in the parish, that you or a parent formerly habitually attended worship in the parish for at least six months or that a parent or grandparent had been married in the parish.
If you are under the age of eighteen, you must have your parents’ consent to marry.There are special guidelines on church marriage if you have been divorce.
The normal preliminary to getting married in the Church in Wales is by banns, the procedure of notifying people of your intention to marry. There are circumstances in which some form of licence, such as a Common Licence or Special Licence, is more appropriate. Your vicar or rector will advise you about this. More information about the various legal preliminaries to marriage is available from the Faculty Office website.
If you are thinking of a church wedding, you should contact your parish priest in the first instance. You can usually find the minister’s address and telephone number on the church notice board. You can also find the minister’s address and telephone number by searching for a church or a parish
Your Wedding Day is one of the most important days of your life! The celebrations of course last for just one day. Marriage lasts for the rest of your life! Lots of time, money and energy goes into organising a wedding, so these pages are here to help you think about Christian Marriage and what the Wedding Ceremony is all about, along with some guidance on how to get married in Church.
Marriage is described by the Church as a gift from God. The Bible teaches us that marriage is a life-long, faithful union between a man and a woman, and compares married love with the love that Jesus has for his church – a love expressed in his outstretched arms on the cross. It should only be entered upon after great thought and with great seriousness.
You will, no doubt, have a date in mind. You may even have booked venues and made various other arrangements. However, don't forget that you really need to contact the parish priest first! He will want to talk with you about what it means to get married as well as to make sure that he and the church are available for that particular day! He will also help you to plan the Marriage Service by choosing hymns, prayers and readings. So please get in touch as soon as possible!.
Banns of Marriage
Most people are married after the Publishing of Banns (where your intention to get married is read out on three Sundays) or, less frequently, by a Common or Special License. If only one of you lives in the parish where you would like to be married you will need to arrange the reading of banns in the parish in which the other lives. If neither of you live in the parish but you are able to get married at St Peter’s by fulfilling one of the qualifying connections below, then the banns must be read in the parish in which each resides and in the church where the marriage is to be celebrated.
To get married at St Peter’s one of you is required to be living within the parish or to have some ‘qualifying connection’ with the parish. The Parish Priest will explain what these are when you go to see him.
What if one of us has already been married and divorced?
At present those who have been married and divorced (and whose former spouse is still alive) are unable to be married at St Peters. However, it may be possible to be married in another parish in which one of you lives or has a qualifying connection. Or you may decide to have your marriage blest in church after the legal part has been carried out at a Registry Office. The parish priest can help you to explore this.
What if one of us is a foreign national?
You need to see the Parish priest so that the Church's legal requirements are met.
CONTACT DETAILS:
See home page.
Frequent questions
May we take Photographs/Video during the Service?
Members of the congregation are discouraged from taking photographs during the ceremony. If you are employing a professional photographer or appointing a friend for your special day then they need to see the parish priest as to what is possible.
Can we arrange the Flowers in Church?
Many people ask if they may decorate the church with flowers for their wedding. This, of course, is possible but does need to be discussed and arranged well in advance. A stand of flowers will be specially provided – you will need to see the flower arrangers about colour and flowers - there will only be an additional charge if the flowers have to be ordered.
When may we marry?
The day and time of the service is decided in consultation with the parish priest.
Will there be a Rehearsal?
The Parish priest will go through the service and all that it means and will also arrange a time for the rehearsal just before the wedding day.
How much does it cost?
There is a fee for getting married in Church. At St Peter’s we keep the fees as low as we can – at present they are about £300 but that does cover everything - Banns, Marriage licence, organist and flowers. Be assured there are no hidden charges and only a slight increase each year.
What about Hymns and Music?
The priest will want to help you choose suitable hymns, music and Scripture readings for the Wedding Service. There are options in the Revised rite and the priest will show you what they are. You can ask someone to read the first reading.
The hymns and congregation’s part in the sacrament will be provided by the church. If you decide to print a Service card be sure to consult the priest first and have him proof read it.
Christians believe that in marriage we find the proper expression of our sexuality, a secure environment for bringing up our children, and an important element of stability for the wider community.
You have a right to be married in your local parish church. The law requires that at least one of those to be married should:
• resides in the parish where the wedding is to take place, or
• be a regular worshipper in the parish and to have your name entered on the church electoral roll, or
• have a ‘qualifying connection’. A ‘qualifying connection’ as described in the Marriage (Wales) Act 2010 is that you were baptised or confirmed in the parish, that you or a parent formally lived for at least six months in the parish, that you or a parent formerly habitually attended worship in the parish for at least six months or that a parent or grandparent had been married in the parish.
If you are under the age of eighteen, you must have your parents’ consent to marry.There are special guidelines on church marriage if you have been divorce.
The normal preliminary to getting married in the Church in Wales is by banns, the procedure of notifying people of your intention to marry. There are circumstances in which some form of licence, such as a Common Licence or Special Licence, is more appropriate. Your vicar or rector will advise you about this. More information about the various legal preliminaries to marriage is available from the Faculty Office website.
If you are thinking of a church wedding, you should contact your parish priest in the first instance. You can usually find the minister’s address and telephone number on the church notice board. You can also find the minister’s address and telephone number by searching for a church or a parish
Your Wedding Day is one of the most important days of your life! The celebrations of course last for just one day. Marriage lasts for the rest of your life! Lots of time, money and energy goes into organising a wedding, so these pages are here to help you think about Christian Marriage and what the Wedding Ceremony is all about, along with some guidance on how to get married in Church.
Marriage is described by the Church as a gift from God. The Bible teaches us that marriage is a life-long, faithful union between a man and a woman, and compares married love with the love that Jesus has for his church – a love expressed in his outstretched arms on the cross. It should only be entered upon after great thought and with great seriousness.
You will, no doubt, have a date in mind. You may even have booked venues and made various other arrangements. However, don't forget that you really need to contact the parish priest first! He will want to talk with you about what it means to get married as well as to make sure that he and the church are available for that particular day! He will also help you to plan the Marriage Service by choosing hymns, prayers and readings. So please get in touch as soon as possible!.
Banns of Marriage
Most people are married after the Publishing of Banns (where your intention to get married is read out on three Sundays) or, less frequently, by a Common or Special License. If only one of you lives in the parish where you would like to be married you will need to arrange the reading of banns in the parish in which the other lives. If neither of you live in the parish but you are able to get married at St Peter’s by fulfilling one of the qualifying connections below, then the banns must be read in the parish in which each resides and in the church where the marriage is to be celebrated.
To get married at St Peter’s one of you is required to be living within the parish or to have some ‘qualifying connection’ with the parish. The Parish Priest will explain what these are when you go to see him.
What if one of us has already been married and divorced?
At present those who have been married and divorced (and whose former spouse is still alive) are unable to be married at St Peters. However, it may be possible to be married in another parish in which one of you lives or has a qualifying connection. Or you may decide to have your marriage blest in church after the legal part has been carried out at a Registry Office. The parish priest can help you to explore this.
What if one of us is a foreign national?
You need to see the Parish priest so that the Church's legal requirements are met.
CONTACT DETAILS:
See home page.
Frequent questions
May we take Photographs/Video during the Service?
Members of the congregation are discouraged from taking photographs during the ceremony. If you are employing a professional photographer or appointing a friend for your special day then they need to see the parish priest as to what is possible.
Can we arrange the Flowers in Church?
Many people ask if they may decorate the church with flowers for their wedding. This, of course, is possible but does need to be discussed and arranged well in advance. A stand of flowers will be specially provided – you will need to see the flower arrangers about colour and flowers - there will only be an additional charge if the flowers have to be ordered.
When may we marry?
The day and time of the service is decided in consultation with the parish priest.
Will there be a Rehearsal?
The Parish priest will go through the service and all that it means and will also arrange a time for the rehearsal just before the wedding day.
How much does it cost?
There is a fee for getting married in Church. At St Peter’s we keep the fees as low as we can – at present they are about £300 but that does cover everything - Banns, Marriage licence, organist and flowers. Be assured there are no hidden charges and only a slight increase each year.
What about Hymns and Music?
The priest will want to help you choose suitable hymns, music and Scripture readings for the Wedding Service. There are options in the Revised rite and the priest will show you what they are. You can ask someone to read the first reading.
The hymns and congregation’s part in the sacrament will be provided by the church. If you decide to print a Service card be sure to consult the priest first and have him proof read it.