Marriage
At St. Mary's we believe that Christian marriage is a gift from God. In the marriage ceremony, a couple make a public declaration of lifelong commitment to love each other, come what may.
Some frequently asked questions:
Am I eligible?
You are eligible to marry at St. Mary's if one or other of you lives in the parish or if you are on the electoral roll of the church, for example, because you worship here on a regular basis.
I/my future spouse is divorced. Can we remarry in Church?
The Church of England teaches that marriage is for life. It also recognises that, sadly, some marriages do fail and, if this should happen, it seeks to be available for all involved. The Church accepts that, in exceptional circumstances, a divorced person may marry again in church during the lifetime of a former spouse. So please contact the church office for further information.
What are the legal requirements?
You must not be married already! If you are under the age of eighteen, you must have your parent's consent to marry.
What are banns?
Banns are announcement of your intention to marry and a chance for anyone to put forward a reason why you may not lawfully do so. You must have your banns read out in church for three Sundays during the three months before the wedding.
Banns need to be read in the parish where you are to marry and in the parish where each of you lives. So if you are marrying at St. Mary's and both live in the parish, you will only need your banns read here. If one of you lives elsewhere, you will also need to have your banns read in that parish. If you are marrying elsewhere, but one or other of you lives in St. Mary's parish, you will need your banns read here too. (See below for Banns fees.)
How much will it cost?
The legal fees for a marriage are set centrally and 2007 rates are:
| Marriage service | £240 |
| Calling of banns | £ 19 (There is an additional fee of £12 for a Banns Certificate, which you need if you are marrying in another parish.) |
| Misc. church expenses | £ 20 |
| Organist (optional) | £ 50 |
| Video (optional) | £ 50 |
To book a wedding, or for any other queries, please call the Parish Office.