It gives us great pleasure to support couples in making the big commitment of getting married!
If you are considering this, the first step is to contact
our verger, George Wilson, who will arrange to see you and make firm
arrangements. He can be contacted on 0115 926 7286.
All those who are getting married at St Mary's are invited to attend
two Marriage Preparation Sessions. We have a small team of couples who
run these mornings, which look at important issues to do with marriage
itself and practical ones like music, the format of the service etc.
The sessions are light-hearted, non-threatening and user-friendly (
we hope!), and couples seem to enjoy them and find them helpful.
Recent changes to the rules and regulations on marriages in the Church of England
Thousands of couples dreaming of a church wedding will
find more churches to choose from as of 1 st October 2008 -the day when
the new Church of , England Marriage Measure comes into effect. It means
that the Church of England's network of 16,000 churches -ancient or
modern, intimate or grand, simple or spectacular -can offer a wider
wedding welcome than at any time in the Church's history.
The Marriage Measure completed its parliamentary process this summer
(2008). Up until now, the law established the right for a couple to
marry in the parish church where one or both of them live, whether they
are baptised or not, and whether they are churchgoers are not. To marry
in any other parish required - special licence or six months of regular
attendance followed by entry on the local church electoral roll.
But the new laws, initiated by the Church of England and now approved
by Parliament, have added to this right of residency, making it just
as easy for couples to marry in a church where they have a family or
other special connection, even if they don't live there.
The General Synod decided that the existing laws were too restrictive
in a mobile society and took the initiative to change them last July.
Synod wanted churches all over England to be free to celebrate more
weddings and support more marriages. The changes will mean an engaged
couple are welcome to be married in church in a parish if just one of
these applies:
-
One of them was baptised or prepared for confirmation in the parish;
-
One of them has ever lived in the parish for six months or more;
-
One of them has at any time regularly attended public worship in the parish for six months or more;
-
One of their parents has lived in the parish for six months or more in their child's lifetime;
-
One of their parents has regularly attended public worship there for six months or more in their child's lifetime; their parents or grandparents were married in the parish.
