We are often asked, “Can we get married in St Cyr's Church” and we hope it will be helpful if we set out a summary of the legal rules involved. We are always happy to discuss things further if there are particular questions or problems.

Any couple who wishes to go through a Church of England ceremony of marriage are entitled to do so in their Parish Church, subject to any legal constraints.

It may happen that a couple not living in the parish of Stonehouse wish to be married at St Cyr's Church, the common reason for this being the availability of nearby reception venues. We would encourage anyone considering this step first to consider their relationship with their own Parish Church. That community will always offer a warm welcome to those planning to get married. If you continue to want your marriage at St Cyr's Church, the law requires that you must have a “Qualifying Connection” with the parish of Stonehouse. It may be that you already have such a connection or that you need to establish that connection in the next six months before a marriage can legally take place.

A qualifying connection includes whether either of you or your parents have ever lived in the parish of Stonehouse for a period of at least 6 months, whether any one of your parents lived in Stonehouse during your lifetime for at least 6 months, whether either of you had a baptism or confirmation registered by the Church of England in the parish of Stonehouse, whether any of your parents or grandparents have been married at St Cyr's Church, whether either of you or your parents have attended worship at St Cyr's Church “habitually” over any period of 6 months.

If any of those apply, you have a right to be married in the Parish Church of Stonehouse. We will need to arrange a meeting to fix a date and a time and to get forms filled in. Please get in touch to do so.

If not, you can still “qualify” by attending worship “habitually” at St Cyr's Church over a period of 6 months before the wedding. So come along as soon as you can, and we can talk through things then. Please see our calendar for details of services.