Weddings

A wedding is one of life’s great moments, a time of solemn commitment as well as good wishes, feasting and joy. John’s Gospel tells us how Jesus shared in such an occasion at Cana, and performed there His first miracle: a sign of new beginnings as he turned water into wine.

Marriage is intended by God to be a creative relationship, as His blessing enables husband and wife to love and support each other in good times and in bad, and to share in the care and upbringing of children. For Christians, marriage is an invitation to share life together in the spirit of Jesus Christ. It is based upon a solemn, public and life-long covenant between a man and a woman, declared and celebrated in the presence of God and before witnesses. As Anglo-Catholics we also believe marriage is a sacrament: that God actively blesses and strengthens a couple to love one another more perfectly, as a sign and symbol of his love for the world.

Do I need to be religious to marry in church?

All are welcome to have a Church of England wedding, even if your spiritual views are different. You are not required to have been baptised at a christening, or be a regular churchgoer, to have a church wedding. Spirituality comes from the deepest part of ourselves and can be hard to articulate. Some people have a vague sense that there is ‘something more’ than the physical universe, and others have stronger convictions, perhaps even a definite faith they can put a name to. For others, their questions and doubts are too numerous for them to claim they have any belief at all in a spiritual dimension.

The vicar understands that spiritual beliefs are complex and varied. They welcome questions about faith if you have them. Whether faith is a journey that has not yet begun for you, or whether you’re just unsure, it need not be a barrier to a church wedding if you want one. However, the service will always be a Christian one, with words that speak of Christian beliefs. These words cannot be changed and the vicar cannot omit certain words if you don’t wish to say them.

Can I get married at Holy Trinity?

Regardless of what you believe it is our privilege to welcome all who can legally marry in the parish. By law, to marry at Holy Trinity you must have a ‘qualifying connection’. Fr Godfrey can discuss this if you are unsure if you qualify, but usually it would be one of the following:

• You live within the parish boundaries (view a map of the parish)

• A parent or grandparent was married here

• Sometimes, if a couple has no connection to a church but would love to marry here, a connection can be created by attending services for a period of six months. This is the only occasion when regularly attending the church would be required

One of us is divorced. Can we get married in church?

Your church wishes you a lifetime of love that grows within God’s protection. But we recognise that some marriages do fail for all sorts of sad and painful reasons. So, in certain circumstances, the Church of England accepts that a divorced person may marry again in church. This would not normally include a situation where the new partner was involved in the break-up of the first marriage.

The first step is to make an enquiry with Fr Godfrey to talk frankly about your past and hopes for the future, who will then be able to advise you.

What provisions are there for same-sex couples?

The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 which legalised marriage in the UK also explicitly banned the Church of England from opting into this legislation. As a result, we are unable to offer wedding ceremonies for same-sex couples.