Baptisms, weddings and funerals
The church is available for these “life events” for all who live in our parish, and indeed for those who live outside the parish but who have some connection with it, whether or not a person regularly worships with us.The qualifying rules for getting married in a particular parish were greatly broadened a few years ago and now a variety of historic connections (set out below) provide an entitlement to be married in our church.
It is generally preferable for children to be baptised in the places where they live, but baptisms can take place here, with consent of vicar of parish of residence.
We can be pretty flexible about hosting a funeral for anyone associated with the parish – though the space in the churchyard means we can normally bury only those resident in the parish at the time of death.
Do not hesitate to contact us, via the links on this site, if you want to enquire about any of these “life events.” You may also want to look at the useful information about these events published on the Church of England website – click on The Church of England tab above and go to “life events.”
Qualifying rules for marrying in the parish church
A person can marry in our church if either the bride or groom can show that he or she satisfies any one of the following conditions:
1) Lives in the parish;
2) Is on the church electoral roll*;
3) Can provide details to demonstrate any one of the following “qualifying connections”:
a) He/she has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months, or
b) He/she was baptised (christened) in the parish concerned, or
c) He/she has been confirmed and the confirmation was entered in the register of confirmations for a church or chapel in the parish (this will usually be the case if the person was prepared for confirmation in the parish), or
d) He/she has at any time regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months; or
e) one of the person’s parents, at any time after the person was born:
i) has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months, or
ii) has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months; or
f) one of the person’s parents or grandparents was married in the parish.
Please note that all references to church services (i.e. going to normal church services, or baptism, confirmation or marriage), mean only services of the Church of England.
The clergy would be very happy to discuss any queries about these qualifying criteria – do not hesitate to get in touch via the links on this site.
* It is possible to create this connection by attending the church’s usual services regularly (in principle at least once a month) for six consecutive months (but starting at least eight months before a proposed wedding date to allow time for the banns to be read).
NB: The Church of England teaches that marriage is for life, but recognizes that some marriages sadly fail, and accepts that in certain circumstances a divorced person may be permitted to marry again in church during the lifetime of a former spouse. Parish priests are not obliged to conduct weddings of divorced persons (nor are they obliged to permit their churches to be used for such weddings), but it is the current practice in the Uffington Group of Churches to hold such weddings if the Rector is satisfied that certain guidelines have been satisfied. Anyone in such a position should discuss the matter with the clergy well before choosing a date for a wedding. (See also the Church of England website: https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/article/marriage-after-divorce).