WEDDINGS

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7)

CHURCH WEDDING

Congratulations on your engagement!

If you are hoping to get married in church and would like to find out more about what it involves, please contact our vicar Petra and book an initial conversation with her. She will meet with you and explain what steps you need to take to get married in church, the details of Marriage Service and the Christian significance of Marriage.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Being married in church is special – in coming to church you are asking God to be involved in your marriage.

Here are some general information on Wedding in church.

Couples are eligible to be married in the Parish if one or both parties meet one of the following requirements:

Bride or groom was baptised or confirmed in the Parish
Bride, groom, or parent has at any time resided in the Parish for at least 6 months
Bride, groom, or parent has at any time habitually attended public worship in the Parish for at least 6 months
A parent or grandparent was married in the Parish
If you are not eligible through one of the above, we still may be able to help you. You can, by attending church regularly, establish a qualifying connection. For more information, please take a look at the Church of England Wedding Website

DOCUMENTS YOU WILL 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.

You will also be asked to provide evidence of your current address and also documents showing 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.

YOUR FIRST STEPS

Please complete the Wedding Welcome Form and return it to our vicar, Rev Petra Elsmore. Once we receive your enquiry form, we will contact you and arrange to meet in person. It will be necessary to meet several times in preparation for your wedding day and during those meetings, we will discuss the following:

What it means to get married in church, the Christian significance of marriage, and the benefits of God’s blessing on your special day.
Planning your Wedding service, putting order of service together, talking about readings, hymns and music.
Confirming any additional information concerning flower arrangements, photography and any other plans for your ceremony.

THE BANNS OF MARRIAGE

The Banns are a legal requirement enabling you to be married in church. They will be read in the church in which you are to marry. You are not required to be present when your Banns are read but most couples come at least once. If one, or both of you, currently lives outside the Parish you will also need to arrange for Banns to be read in your parish of residence and obtain a Banns certificate from the local vicar. Without this certificate your marriage cannot take place

THE MARRIAGE DOCUMENT

The Marriage Document is the preliminary document prepared by the clergy for couples to sign on the wedding day at the point in the service when they would have signed the Marriage Register. Since 4th May 2021 the Marriage Document replaces the signing of the Register. Clergy are required to ensure the Marriage Document goes to the local register office – usually this will be by post.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?

For further information please take a look at the Church of England Wedding Website Page where you can see many tips about organising your Wedding in Church

THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE

The couple needs to contact the local register office or the General Register Office directly to purchase a Marriage Certificate. The registration by the register office will be made by the 7th day after the Marriage Document is received at the register office. A certificate will be available after this time, through local arrangements.

The contact details for the Registration Office dealing with registering marriages is:

Beaconsfield Old Town Registration Office

29 Windsor End

Beaconsfield

HP9 2JJ

Telephone: 01494 475 205

Email: registrars@buckinghamshire.gov.uk

RE-MARRIAGE AFTER DIVORCE

We welcome enquiries from couples wishing to remarry after divorce. More information about marriage after divorce can be found here: Marriage in Church after Divorce. If either or both of you are divorced, you will need to bring your decree absolute for the vicar to see.

WEDDING FEES

The statutory wedding fee is £512 (2022) which does include calling of banns but not any optional extras e.g. verger, organist, bells. Please contact our vicar, Rev Petra Elsmore for further information regarding Wedding Fees in our Church.

It is a privilege and a joy to welcome couples and witness them make their vows to each other in the stillness and beauty of our church. If you would like a church wedding, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch. Wherever you decide to marry, may you know God’s blessing on your wedding day and throughout the whole of your life together.

Get in Touch

If you would like to talk to us about arranging a wedding in one of our churches or if you need your banns to be read, please fill in the form and we will get back to you.