Weddings in our Churches
Congratulations..... We believe that marriage is a wonderful gift from God and would be delighted to welcome you to the beautiful and historic settings of any of our churches.
Please note that Snape Chapel is not licensed for weddings regularly, but if you have a special connection with Snape it may be possible for this to be arranged.
A member of the clergy team who will lead the service will help you choose suitable readings, hymns, prayers, and advice on anything else you would like included.
In the first instance, please contact us for more information and to enquire about dates
BANNS
Banns are called on a series of three Sundays, usually consecutively, in the three months before the wedding. We read the banns out at the main service in the relevant church. On these occasions, those present are asked if there is any reason why the couple should not be married.
You are welcome to come to hear your banns being read at any of the services and it will be great to welcome you but, it isn’t compulsory. If one or both of the couple live in the parish of another Church of England Church banns also need to be called there. In this case, a banns certificate from that church will need to be forwarded to the vicar, after the third calling.
Please call the Vicar to organize the dates for your Banns if you are getting married in another church. To discuss this further, call Canon David Cleeves. Further information on weddings in the Church of England is available on the Your Church Wedding website. What to do next, to discuss your wedding at any of the Masham Group of Churches, feel free to call and chat with Canon David Cleeves
The Legal Requirements for Weddings
The rules on which church you can be married have changed in recent years, giving you more choice than ever before. You can be married at a Church of England church so long as one of you have:
at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or were baptised in the parish concerned
or was prepared for confirmation in the parish or have at any time regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months
or if 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 if one of your parents or grandparents was married in the parish