Why get married in Church?

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 but also some teaching on what Christians believe about marriage and your future life together.

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?

Given that Jesus said, ‘Those whom God has joined together, let no-one divide’ and that the Church of England’s understanding of marriage is that it is the life-long union of one man with one woman to the exclusion of all others, I believe marriage is for life. At the same time, I recognise that sadly some marriages do fail. Marriage of divorced persons whose former spouse is still living is possible in the churches here but I do encourage couples where one or both are divorced to consider having a service of Prayer and Dedication After Civil Marriage. This helps me and the members of the churches here to maintain and uphold the teachings of Jesus about marriage whilst providing the couple with an opportunity to begin their new married life together with a service in church. The best thing is to book an appointment with me to talk this through.

Where should I 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 minister in charge 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 or contact our Administrator, Clare at  office.mwwp@gmail.com