Your Wedding
We are delighted that you are thinking of a Church wedding; the good news is that you can marry in church whether or not you go to church or have been christened, provided you meet the legal criteria and fulfill the parish residence or ‘church connection’ legal requirements. (See below for further information regarding marriage following divorce and same-sex marriage.)
What does it cost? Getting married in church does not cost as much as you may think - currently a basic church wedding costs around £600. Even with the 'optional extras' of our organist, choir and bells, the cost is just over £1,000 (if marrying after 'Banns'). The statutory fees for the service are set nationally each year; in addition there are options you may wish to include. The latest costs are included in our booklet which can be downloaded below..
At St Mary's, we do all we can to make a wedding service the very special day which all couples wish for in our beautiful church.
If you want to find out more, please contact our Benefice Office. We can indicate if the date you are interested in is free and provide you with more information. Please note that we are not usually available to take weddings on a Sunday or during Holy Week (Easter) or at / just after Christmas.
For more details, visit the Church of England Your Church Wedding.
A Service of Prayer and Dedication after a Civil Marriage
This service is for a husband and wife – already married – who wish to dedicate to God their life together. For example, where a couple have married in a civil ceremony, or have married abroad, and they wish to come to church to have their marriage 'blessed'. This can be a small service, with just the couple and some friends, or a larger service. See the Church of England website for more details. Please contact our Benefice Office if you want to discuss this.
Thanksgiving for Marriage
Where a husband and wife want to reaffirm their vows together, perhaps to celebrate an anniversary or after a time of separation or difficulty in marriage, then we can offer a service of 'Thanksgiving for Marriage'. This too can be a small service, with just the couple and some friends, or a larger service. See the Church of England website for more details. Again, please contact our Benefice Office if you want to discuss this.
The Church of England teaches that marriage is for life. It also recognizes that some marriages sadly do fail and, if this should happen, it seeks to be available for all involved. In some circumstances, a divorced person may marry again in church during the lifetime of a former spouse. If this is something you wish to explore, please contact the clergy who will arrange to discuss your particular situation.
Although same-sex marriage legislation has changed, it remains the case that it is not legally possible for same-sex couples to marry in the Church of England.