Marriage at St Michael's

Thinking of getting married, or celebrating a special anniversary?

St Michael's is a popular church for weddings. Many couples nowadays are also choosing to celebrate an anniversary, such as the tenth or fortieth, with a service of Thanksgiving and Renewal of Vows.

In addition to the beauty of the building and its setting, we aim to give every couple a personal welcome and help you in every way as you plan your wedding and your future life together. Many couples have commented on how well they were treated and how meaningful the ceremony was. We will give you help with choosing music and readings, and how to involve members of your family and friends. Every couple will have a minumum of 2 meetings with a priest to talk about their plans, plus (for getting married) an invitation to a short preparation course and a rehearsal a few days before the service.

Can we get married at St Michael's?

If one or both of you lives within the parish boundaries of St Michael's, the answer is normally “Yes”. L ike all Church of England churches, we are governed by the national marriage law. At the moment, this says that one of the partners has to reside within the parish , or be on the membership roll of that church, in order to qualify. (Just putting a relative’s address on the form is not sufficient.) If this is likely to cause a difficulty, or you are not sure if you qualify, please discuss this as soon as possible with the Parish Office (01252 873030) or the Rector. If you don’t live within the parish and wish to join the membership roll, you must have attended worship at St Michael’s regularly for at least 6 months.

In some circumstances, someone who doesn't live in the parish but has a long-standing relationship with the parish church can apply for a Special Licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury. A member of the clergy can discuss with you whether you would be likely to qualify.

What if one of us has been married before?

A number of couples have begun their second marriage at our church, and we treat each situation on an individual basis and with sensitivity. If your former spouse is still alive, you need to meet with a member of the parish clergy first of all to discuss your situation. The teaching of the Church of England is that marriage is for life. At the same time, it is recognised that there are some cases where it is appropriate to help someone make a new start through a second marriage. You can be assured that the member of the clergy will listen to your story sympathetically and in complete confidence.

Marriage preparation

“A Wedding is for a day; a Marriage is for life.” And yet many marriages sadly do not live up to the expectations of the partners. We at St Michael’s feel a sense of responsibility to help you make your marriage a success. We therefore have a short marriage preparation course of two evenings called “Beyond the Honeymoon” to help you to think beyond the pressures of wedding preparations to your future life together.

What does it cost?

A wedding can be a very expensive day, but the church fees represent a very small proportion of what most couples spend on a day. Some of the fees (for the service and the minister) are set nationally, others (e.g. for the organist and choir) are set by St Michael's Church Council. The Parish Office will be able to give you full details.

Practicalities

We have the use of St Michael’s School car park (next to the church). Toiletsare available in the Pastoral Centre near the church. T here is wheelchair access to the church and Pastoral Centre, and a loop system is installed in the church for those with hearing aids.

What's the next step ?

If you would like to discuss the possibility of getting married, or having a service of Thanksgiving at St Michael's, please contact the Parish Office during a weekday morning.