First of all, congratulations on becoming engaged!
We are delighted to welcome couples who wish to be married in one of our churches.
If you’d like to contact us and enquire about booking St Michael’s for a wedding, please click here.
We take pride in making your day special. We’ll help you plan the service so that you and your guests will enjoy the experience. We’ll do everything we can to help you prepare for your marriage as thoroughly and as completely as we can. We will help to make it a deeply spiritual and happy celebration. St Michael’s is a beautiful venue for a wedding. It is rich in history and tradition, but also warm and friendly. We’ll help you put together an amazing celebration. Out hi-tech resources (video screens for slide shows etc) can add a wonderful feel to the whole event.
The first step is to confirm you have the right to be married in one of our churches. So here’s the legal stuff. If one of you lives within the parish boundary, or if you are a regular worshiper and on our membership list you may be married in that church. In addition, if you or your family fulfils one of the following criteria, then you can be married in one of our Parish Churches:
- One of you was baptized or prepared for confirmation in the parish
- One of you has ever lived in the parish for six months or more
- One of you has at any time regularly attended public worship in the parish for six months or more
- One of your parents has lived in the parish for six months or more in your lifetime
- One of your parents has regularly attended public worship in the parish for six month or more in your lifetime
- Your parents or grandparents were married in the parish
For more information, the legal stuff, and more help in organizing a church wedding please visit the Church of England’s Website. contact the Church Office, or use our enquiry form here.
Once you have checked you are eligible to be married in one of our churches, (or if you’re not sure but want a chat), the next step is to contact the Church Office to make an appointment to meet with one of our clergy to talk through the date you have in mind and to start to plan your ceremony. Please do not make any firm bookings with reception venues until you have met with one of our clergy.
To ensure the marriage complies with both UK Civil and Church law, there are certain aspects of a church wedding that must be fulfilled.
You must be old enough
If you are under 18 years old you will need your parents’ consent to marry and by law you cannot be married in the UK until you are 16.
Time of wedding
To be legal the wedding must take place between 8am and 6pm on any day. We don’t hold Wedding ceremonies on a Sunday and whilst a ceremony can be on a weekday (depending on clergy/church availability) the presence of bell-ringers, cannot be guaranteed.
Guidelines for divorcees
There are special guidelines on marriage in the church if you are divorced. Please contact the Church Office to arrange to talk one of our clergy about your situation.
Reading of Banns
Banns are an announcement in church of your intention to marry and a chance for anyone to put forward a reason why the marriage may not lawfully take place. Banns need to be read in the parish where each of you lives as well as the parish church in which you are to be married, if that is somewhere else.
Fees
The price can vary, depending on which of our facilities you use (bells, audio-visual resources etc). It will normally be somewhere between £500 and £1000.
Blessing of Marriage
We can also offer a Blessing of a Civil Marriage service which may follow a Civil Marriage held locally or abroad and is planned individually with you. Please contact the Church Office for further information.
Confetti
The throwing of biodegradable confetti is permitted, but this should be at the church lych gate and not within the churchyard.
Banns of marriage
If you need us to call your banns so you can be married in another church, please use this form.
