A Guide to getting Married at St Mary'sPlease read this page so as you have all the information and then click on the links below to start an enquiry:
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If you are thinking of getting married in a church, then you've probably got lots of questions. This page is a guide to getting married at St Mary's Church. PLEASE READ THIS PAGE BEFORE MAKING AN ENQUIRY.
Why get married in Church? A marriage service, wherever it is held, is a public declaration of love and commitment to your partner. If you choose to get married in church, there is an added dimension - the assurance that God cares about your relationship and that his resources and strength are available to you. That doesn’t mean that you will avoid completely the usual ups and downs of married life, but you will know that you can look to God for help and guidance and that his love will sustain you. You will also have the support of your Church Family. Can I get married at St Mary's? In order to qualify to get married here you either need to be resident in the Parish (click here to check if you live in the Parish) or one of you needs to fulfil at least one of the criteria below:
When can I get married at St Mary's? We conduct weddings on most days of the year between 11am & 4pm with the following exceptions: We do not conduct weddings
If you choose a weekday for your wedding please note that we cannot always guarantee a Choir or Bell Ringers - but we would try our best. How much will it cost?
In 2024 our weddings begin at £734.00. This gives you everything you need to get married including a minister, organist, Banns* (at St Mary's) & the registration procedure. If you are planning to get married in October - April inclusive we recommend that you add the heating on at £40.00. Other options include the Bells at £209.00. To view full details of the fees for this year and estimates for subsequent years please click here. * if you don't live in the parish of St Mary's you will also have to pay an additional fee to your local parish church for the Publication of your Banns - currently £44.00. |
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What about Flowers, Confetti, Photos, Video & Orders of Service? We are happy for you to have all of the above! We are happy for you to have a Florist or for you to do the flowers yourselves. Confetti, absolutely, as long as it's outside the church! Photography & Videography is welcome in church as long as it's not obtrusive. We have had many of the local photographers in church and they understand working in churches. If you are having a video then you may need a Performing Rights Society licence. We would encourage you to produce an Order of Service, but it's not essential, we have an example of an Order of Service on our Wedding Resouces page. It really doesn't have to be too fancy! What if one of us is divorced? 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 it is possible in some circumstances for a divorced person to marry again in church during the lifetime of a former spouse. However, this is not always the case, so before you set a date please contact the Rector to talk this through. He will want to meet you both, before deciding whether a marriage in church is appropriate in your circumstances. Please also note that we only conduct weddings for divorced people who live in the parish. Click here to check if you live in the Ecclesiastical parish of Wistaston. You would also need supply a Decree Absolute for the wedding to take place. You must be old enough If you are under 18 years old you will need your parents’ consent to marry and by law you can not be married in the UK until you are 16. Changes to same-sex marriage legislation Although same sex-marriage legislation is now in force, it remains the case that it is not legally possible for same-sex couples to marry in the Church of England. |