Baptisms and Weddings

WEDDINGS , BAPTISMS/CHRISTENINGSAND CONFIRMATION

We are delighted to offer our services to conduct Marriage and Baptism. Please do get in touch with our Vicar’s administrator, Mrs Sue Grime, for booking and enquiries on 01254 580986 or email [email protected]

WEDDINGS:

Please note the following guidelines:

You can get married at St Stephen’s, if you can show that one of you:

• has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or

• was baptised in the parish or

• was prepared for confirmation in the parish or

• has at any time regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months or

that one of your parents, at any time after you were born:

• has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or

• has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months or

that one of your parents or grandparents:

• was married in the parish

If this is you then please get in contact with Mrs Sue Grime

Please note in order to book a wedding we will need to see proof of identity e.g. passport, and proof of address e.g. a recent bank statement or utility bill, for each partner. A deposit of £100 is also required to be later subtracted from the total cost of the wedding.

How much does it cost? A wedding currently costs £736. Please contact the vicar on 01254 580986 if you would like a church wedding but are working to a very tight budget.

I’ve been married before. Can I get married at St Stephen's? We will conduct weddings where one or both partners have been married once before. We will need to see an original copy of your decree absolute.

If you have been married more than once then we may be able to marry you. Please contact the vicar.

If one or both of you are foreign nationals, including EU passport holders, please contact the vicar.

You may also like to visit yourchurchwedding.org (https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/ ) for more information.

Changes in the Marriage Registration

From 4th May 2021 the system for registering marriages have changes. The changes include

· Marriage registration online

· No longer a requirement to complete a paper-based formal register for marriage,

· The legal marriage certificate will not be issued at the time of marriage. The marriage certificates will be issues by the registry.

BANNS OF MARRIAGE WHEN YOU ARE MARRYING IN ANOTHER CHURCH

If you are getting married in another church, but one or both of you live in this parish, we will need to call your Banns of Marriage. The vicar marrying you will advise you of this. To have your Banns called at St Stephen's please contact the parish administrator.

We will need to see proof of identity e.g. passport, and proof of address: e.g. recent bank statement or utility bill, for each partner. Both people need to come and sign the form. A fee of £36 for reading the banns and £18 for the certificate is payable once the Banns have been called and we issue you with a certificate.

BAPTISMS/CHRISTENINGS

We will baptise any children who live in the parish, or whose parent(s) fulfil the wedding criteria above to do with family links with this church. Please contact the Vicar’s administrator on 01254 580986 phone or email [email protected]

For more information visit www.churchofenglandchristenings.org (https://churchofenglandchristenings.org/) for:

• Parents guide

• A guide for Godparents

• A welcome for guests

CONFIRMATION

Confirmation is an important part of our faith journey. We do arrange Confirmation preparation sessions for young people and adults who are interested in being confirmed. Please speak to the vicar on 01254 580986 For more information, please visit https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/confirmation