If you’re visiting our website to explore getting married, we would be delighted if you’re thinking of a wedding ceremony in one of our member churches. A wedding is one of life’s most significant events, and we’d love to help you make it a day to remember. In addition, we warmly welcome enquiries from any couple considering a church service after marriage in a Registry Office. We’re here to help, so don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Whatever it is you’re looking for, please contact our secretary in the first instance. Our secretary will answer your immediate questions and guide you through the process, before passing on any queries to the Ministry team.
You will be pleased to know that the Church of England relaxed its rules a few years ago about where it’s possible for you to marry, and this usually means that a wedding in the church of your choice is much easier to contemplate. You’ll find detailed information regarding the qualifying criteria here, at Your Church Wedding.
Added to this, the Your Church Wedding website contains a mine of useful information offering advice on every aspect of planning your wedding from the legal aspects, planning your reception, choosing hymns, poems and readings, to the wedding service itself. It’s well worth a look.
Remember, you’re not on your own; we’re here to help make your wedding day really special, and through drawing on our experience help you create a service that reflects your love for one another.
There is also lots of useful information and ideas available upon request.
Legal Requirements
In marriage you take on a whole new legal status. The vicar knows how to advise and prepare you for your wedding day and everything must comply with all relevant UK and Church of England laws. These are the main legal points to consider before you begin planning:-
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 varies between the different denominations, at Caversham Park being an ecumenical church we can accommodate both conventional and same-sex marriages. Our Church of England ministry staff will not be able to conduct same-sex service’s at the moment but our non-Anglican ministry staff can. Please contact us for a detailed discussion.
Marrying away from where you live
It’s possible to get married in a church that’s away from where you live if you have a certain kind of connection with it. You may be legally connected to a number of churches in different ways.
Time of wedding
We are limited to a Saturday or Sunday and the wedding must take place between 8am and 6pm on any of these day’s.
Guidelines for divorcees
There are special guidelines on marriage in the church if you are divorced. There may well be a way forward, but you will need to talk your Vicar about your situation to explore the possibilities for you. Read more about it here.
Reading of Banns
Most Church of England marriages will require banns to be published before the wedding can take place. You won’t need to arrange banns until about four months before your wedding date. Read more about what’s special and important about banns.
If there is not enough notice given for the banns to be read before the marriage is due to take place, or in the case of the marriage of people who are not nationals of a country within the European Economic Area, or if one or both of you does not live in England or Wales, it is recommended that the Licence procedure be used rather than banns.
Licences
There are some circumstances in which you may need a Special Licence, Common Licence or a Superintendent Registrar’s Certificate to marry in church. Our ministry team will let you know if these apply to you.
Documents you’ll need
All couples will need to show the vicar their passport as proof of nationality. If you don’t have a passport, there are other documents which would be acceptable, so ask your vicar about this.
If either or both of you are divorced, you will need to bring your decree absolute for the ministry team to see.
You may also be asked to provide evidence of your connection to the church, such as utility bills which show you live or have lived in the parish, or your parents’ marriage certificate if they were married there, for example. Our ministry team will guide you on acceptable documents for your particular connection.
This page is currently being updated