Weddings

Congratulations on your engagement

Marrying in church is personal, meaningful and spiritual, just as you want it to be. Churches are special and unique places to get married in - the prayers, promises and the whole service of celebration become part of your marriage, on the day itself and beyond.

Weddings are normally conducted in the church of your parish; however St Luke’s may have a special significance to you or your partner and therefore if St Luke’s is outside of your parish there are still options open to you.

It’s possible there are a number of churches that you can get married in legally, as a bride and groom-to-be can marry in a church away from where they live if either of them can show just one of seven connections with the parish. Those connections are listed below.

Find a Church

If you’re not sure which is your local church, try searching on www.achurchnearyou.com to find it. Enter your road name and area into the search box, wait for the address to drop-down and then select it. Click on the search arrow and your local church should be shown within its parish boundary.  You can also search using a postcode.

You can marry in a Church of England church if you can show that one of you:

  • Has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months, or
  • Was baptised (christened) in the parish concerned, or
  • Is confirmed and your confirmation was entered in the register of confirmations for a church or chapel in the parish (this will usually be the case if you were prepared for confirmation in the parish), or
  • Has at any time regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months, or
  • That one of your parents, at any time after you were born has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months, or
  • That one of your parents, at any time after you were born has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months, or
  • That one of your parents or grandparents was married in the parish

If you cannot demonstrate any of the above connections, you could create one, simply by attending St Luke’s usual services at least once a month for six consecutive months. If you decide to do this, leave enough time after your attendance for the banns to be read before your wedding too – about another two months should be enough. We look forward to meeting you!

Cost

Church of England wedding costs are fixed across the whole country at  £538 (2023)

There are a few other (optional) costs involved which are set by the PCC of St Luke’s Sway such as bells, organist, extra flowers, sound and video screen options, wedding certificate.  Please contact the church office for further details.

Other things to consider…

It is both a privilege and a duty for your vicar to join a man and a woman in marriage. The good news is that you can marry in church regardless of your beliefs, whether or not you are christened and whether or not you have been a regular churchgoer.

Because getting married gives you a whole new legal status with many benefits, there are considerations for St Luke’s to make in both UK civil and church law. There are some basic requirements but there could be complications if:

  • One or both of you is a national from a country that is outside the European Economic Area. Special procedures apply to the legal preparations for these marriages, to protect and celebrate those which are genuine and to help prevent those which are not.
  • If one or both of you has been married before. There may well be a way forward for you to be re-married in church but the vicar has certain considerations in these circumstances.
  • Although same-sex marriage legislation has changed, it remains the case that it is not legally possible for same-sex couples to marry in the Church of England.

 

Do get in touch with Vicar Jane to discuss the possibility of you marrying at St Luke's.  We would love your special occasion to happen here and pray every blessing for you both and for your preparations.  

vicar@swaychurch.com

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