Weddings
We are delighted to have the privilege of sharing their wedding day with couples and helping them to prepare for it and for their future life of mutual love. Anyone who is resident in the parish (which comprises Eaton Bray, Edlesborough, Dagnall, Northall and Wellhead) has the legal right to be married in the Parish Church after fulfilling the legal requirements of establishing publicly, as required by the laws of England, that they are free to marry.
Because of the requirements of law of the land, it is normally not possible to arrange a wedding in St Mary’s where neither of the couple is resident in the parish, but this should be discussed with the Vicar at the earliest possible stage in the wedding preparations. Anyone whose name is on the parish Electoral Roll as a non-resident parishioner has parishioner’s rights for marriage in the Parish Church, but such enrolment is possible only for a person who has worshipped regularly at St Mary’s for at least six months and continues to do so.
It is important to discuss the arrangements with the Vicar before anything is finalized, and he will arrange a series of interviews to discuss all the arrangements for the service in church, and to help prepare each couple for marriage.
The Church of England has recently relaxed its rules about the marriage of divorced persons in church, and the Vicar is happy to discuss with individual couples in this position whether it will be possible for their wedding to be solemnized in church.
The Church also offers a service of Blessing for a Civil Marriage, either immediately after that ceremony or at some later date, and this also should be discussed with the Vicar.
Anyone interested in finding out more about being married at St Mary’s (or at All Saints’, Dagnall, if they live in that District of the parish) should contact the Vicar personally.
Further Information
A free leaflet dealing with these matters in more details is available at the church.
