Celebrating a Wedding

Today more than a quarter of all marriages in England take place in the traditional setting of a Church of England Parish Church.

Everyone lives in a parish and belongs to a parish church, that's the church you should usually contact for more information about getting married.

Christians believe that marriage is a gift from God to be celebrated in Church along with with family and friends. In the marriage ceremony, a couple make a public declaration of lifelong commitment to love each other, come what may.

We are pleased to be able to offer our three beautiful Churches for Weddings, Blessings of a Marriage and for services to Renew Wedding Vows.

Wedding ceremonies are arranged through the Parish Priest who is able to process the whole application in house, taking care of the legal preliminaries as well as the Christian celebration.

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Those who wish to be married at St Nicholas, Hardwicke, St John the Baptist, Elmore or St Laurence, Longney should normally either be members of the Church they wish to be married in or actually resident within that Church Parish.

However, from October 1st 2008 you can also marry in another church that has special significance for you instead of your parish church. An example might be the Church near where one of you grew up or where a parent of one of you still lives (see below for more details).

The new rules provide for a couple to have the same right to marry in the Parish Church with which one or both of them can show that he or she has a "qualifying connection" which are as follows :

• The person concerned was baptised in the parish; or has been confirmed and the confirmation has been entered in a church register book belonging to the parish; or has had his / her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months; or has habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months.
• The person's parent has at any time during the person's lifetime: had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months; or habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months.
• That person's parent or grandparent was married in the parish.

It is also sometimes possible to be married, even if not resident here, by means of a legal permission called a Licence. Please contact the Vicar for more information.

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If this is to be a marriage after divorce, there are guidelines that the Church of England has issued for the advice of couples and clergy. It may be legally possible for you to be married here but only if you are either members of the Church concerned or resident within that Church Parish.

If neither is the case, it is not presently possible to marry you here under English law since, at present, the Church of England does not readily issue licences for marriage of divorcees.

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From time to time and sadly a Wedding Ring may be lost and a replacement obtained. At such a time, some couples wish to revisit the Church where they were first married or a Church of their choice for prayers to be said recalling their Wedding Vows and blessing the new Wedding Ring.

This can take place by arrangement quite quickly if required. Please contact the Parish Priest to arrange such a ceremony.