Weddings
We're glad you are considering
getting married at Whittington Church. We will do all we can to make your day a holy celebration of your love.
The Happy Couple
A marriage service, wherever it is held, is a public declaration of love and commitment to your partner.
If you choose to get married in a Church of England church, there is an added dimension - the assurance that God cares about your relationship and that his resources and strength are available to help you. Including God in your marriage doesn’t mean that you will avoid all the usual ups and downs, but you will know that you can look to God for help and guidance, and that his love will sustain you. You will also have the support and encouragement of the wider Christian Church family.
Having decided you want a church wedding, the first thing to do is to talk to the vicar. As the established church, the Church of England gives everyone, with no former partner still living, the right to get married in their or their partner's parish church. Call the Parish Office and speak to the Parish Administrator on 01905 358083 to make an appointment.
Whittington is a lovely church in which to get married. It can comfortably seat up to 80 guests yet is small enough for intimate, family occasions. At the front of the building is a large, well kept lawn, perfect for videos and photographs.
Marriage, the Bible tells us, is a gift of God in creation and a means of his grace, a holy mystery in which man and woman become one flesh. It is God's purpose that, as husband and wife give themselves to each other in love throughout their lives, they are united in that love, just as Christ is united in love with his Church.
If you've chosen a church wedding, we would love to help you create a service which is meaningful and personal to you. You can talk about the music with our organist Liz Chestney on 01905 359708
Further information and guidance on the marriage service itself is available here. A guide to the costs of getting married can be found here.
Thinking about a church wedding?
Read our frequently asked questions to
find out more:
Q/
What do Christians believe about marriage?
A/ Christians believe that marriage is
a gift from God. In the marriage ceremony, a couple make a public declaration
of lifelong commitment to love each other, come what may.
More...
Q/
Where can I get married?
A/ Everyone lives in a parish and
belongs to a parish church. That’s the church you should contact for more
information about getting married. In your case, that's probably
Whittington,
although we have an arrangement with the churches on this side of the city
that allows you to be married in St. Martin's London Road, St.
Mark’s in the Cherry Orchard or St. Matthews and Holy Trinity Ronkswood,
regardless of which of the four parishes you actually live in.
Q/
I’m not baptised. I don’t go to church. Can I still get married in church?
A/ Yes! If you live in the parish of
the church you want to marry in.
Q/
How do I book the church?
A/ Get in touch with the
Team Office
in the first place.
Duncan will almost certainly wish to
meet with you in person to discuss your plans.
Q/
What if I want to be married in a different church?
A/ If you are a regular worshipper
in that church, it is usually possible to be married there. Just speak to
your minister.
If
you are not a regular worshipper
why not start attending? You will normally be expected to attend services for
some time before becoming eligible to be married there.
If you have a special connection with
the church, you can apply for a
Special Licence. To apply or find out more contact
The Faculty Office, 1 The Sanctuary, Westminster, London SW1P 3JT tel:
020 7222 5381.
Q/
We’ve decided to get married abroad but we would like a church blessing. Is
that possible?
A/ There is no reason why you
shouldn’t do this. There is a service of prayer and dedication after a civil
ceremony and this can be adapted. There are no legal requirements.
Q/
I’m divorced. Can I still get married in church?
The Church of England believes that
marriage is for life. But it recognises that sadly, some marriages do fail.
In some circumstances, the Church accepts that a divorced person may marry
again.
Speak to Duncan, your parish priest.
He will want to talk to you frankly about your past and your hopes for the
future.
Marriage in church after divorce, is available or can be ordered from
Church House Bookshop, tel: 020 7898 1300
Q/
I’m Church of England and he’s a Catholic. Does that matter?
A/ People of all denominations have a
right to be married in their parish church. So it doesn’t matter from the
Church of England’s perspective.
More...
Q/
Why do we need marriage preparation?
You have probably invested a lot of
time planning your wedding. The day is important but your marriage should
last for the rest of your life. However much you think you know each other,
you are still two separate individuals with different backgrounds,
personalities, experiences, hopes and fears. The Worcester South East team
offers an opportunity to talk through these issues, sometimes on your own, and
sometimes as a group with other couples. This day course usually takes place
sometime in March or April.
Q/
What are the legal requirements?
A/ The normal preliminary to getting
married in the Church of England is by
banns.
If you are under the age of eighteen,
you must have your parents’ consent to marry.
There are circumstances where some
form of licence, such as a common licence or special licence, is more
appropriate. If this is appropriate, Duncan will discuss with you what you
need to do.
There are special guidelines on church
marriage if you have been divorced (See question above).
Q/
How much will it cost? A/ The
legal fees for a marriage cover the publication of the banns, the marriage
service and a certificate of marriage. These fees are fixed centrally and can
be found
here.
These fees do not cover any extras you
may wish to have for the service, such as a choir, organist, special lighting,
fees for video recording and so on.
Q/
Can we be involved in planning the service?
A/ Yes. You can choose to have a
modern language service or one in
more traditional language including the Book of Common Prayer service.
For some ideas about hymns and
readings,
click here.
More…
Q/
Can I marry in any other colour than white?
A/ Yes
Q/ Can we have a video recording of the service? A/ You will need to ask permission from the Church and there will be a small fee as we need to pay for a performing rights certificate to cover copyright. Speak to Duncan about this.
Q/ Do
you have rehearsals?
A/ The minister taking your service
will probably want to meet you and the other people taking part in the service
before the wedding, in the church, to talk to you all about what to expect.
Q/
What about flowers in church?
Whittington church can provide these
for you at a reasonable charge and the flower arranger will be happy to
discuss what you want. Two arrangements are included in the fees. You can also
do your own or engage your own florist.
Q/
May we marry on a Sunday?
A /Although you have the right to get
married in a church, the time of the service is decided by negotiation with
your minister. It must be between 8am and 6pm and not clash with other
services. Therefore you could get married on a Sunday provided it was not at a
time of the normal Sunday services and the minister was willing to do it.
There may be an extra fee if a cover minister has to take the wedding.
Q/What happens if one of us lives abroad?
A/ Marriage by Common Licence can take
place on the basis of one of the couple living in the parish or regularly
attending the church without any action being necessary where the other party
lives. Your vicar will know how to apply for a Common Licence. However,
because most clergy or churches like to offer marriage preparation, we would
like to see you both.
Q/ What happens if one of us is a
foreign national?
A/
If one is a national of a country
outside Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the EU or USA
The Church has a responsibility to conduct marriages which will be recognised
in the country the bride or groom comes from. This is done for the couple’s
benefit not just for bureaucracy. Therefore, the Faculty Office strongly
recommends that these marriages should be done by Common Licence rather than
banns and some dioceses ask the person to obtain from the relevant embassy or
consulate a letter saying their marriage will be recognised. There are now
stricter rules applied by the Civil registry office to prevent ‘sham’
marriages. More...