Wedding enquiries and preparation

Congratulations!  Deciding to get married is one of the most significant steps of your life.  For the church, marriage is a way of life which God commended in the Bible (Genesis 2) and has been blessed by the presence of his Son Jesus at a wedding in Cana of Galilee (John 2)

Many couples choose to be married in church because they wish to show before God that they are serious about the vows they are taking.  When we invite God to be a part of this special day, we are asking for his blessing and strength to help us live out our promises.  Holding the service in Church enables other Christians to be part of the commitment the bride and groom are making, and during the service they too pledge their support and prayer for the couple. 

If you would like to get married in one of our churches, you will need a legal connection:

  1. Either of you has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months
  2. Either of you was baptised (christened) in the parish
  3. Either of you was confirmed here and your confirmation is entered in a register in the parish
  4. Either of your parents or grandparents were married in the parish
  5. Either of your parents had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least six months during your lifetime
  6. Either of your parents has regularly attended public worship in the parish for at least six months during your lifetime
  7. If none of the above apply, we would still be delighted for you to get married here but you would need to come and worship with us regularly for six months before your wedding.

If either one of the couple has been divorced we would need to discuss your situation before we are able to agree to conduct the service.

Once we have established that you have a legal connection, we will send you the forms to complete, ask for a booking fee and agree the date and time for your marriage.  About 3 or 4 months before your wedding you will meet the vicar to plan the details for your wedding, explore your reasons for wanting to get married in church and to go through the service.  A date for the wedding rehearsal will also be agreed – usually the day before the wedding. 

Preparation for marriage

There is more to getting married than making the great day run smoothly.  A key reason for being married in church is to offer pastoral support for your marriage and we will take time preparing you for the wedding day, and encourage you to think positively about how you can make the best of marriage.  We will invite you to join a marriage preparation course.  This is run for all couples getting married in the Southam area churches.  While based on Christian principles, this course is relevant and helpful for any engaged couple with or without a Christian faith or church background.  It is designed for those who want to develop foundations for a healthy marriage that will last a lifetime.  You are encouraged to join us for this day and the cost of this is included in your booking fee. 

We also hope you will be able to come along to our church services occasionally so we can get to know each other.  Being familiar with the church will help you make the most of your big day - to feel more at ease and part of our church family.

The Church of England has a website to help you plan your wedding.

To arrange for or to find out more about a Wedding or service of Thanksgiving, then please phone to leave a message on 01926 812383 or email admin@thebridgesgroup.org.uk for details.