INFORMATION ABOUT

Weddings

If you are thinking about getting married in St. Mary's this information should answer some of your initial questions.

Can I Actually Get Married Here?

The Church of England has rules about who can or cannot get married in a particular church so just look through these questions:

1: I’m divorced, is that a problem?

If your or your partner has been married, or in a civil partnership, before there’s no guarantee you can be married in the church here. You will need a copy of our separate leaflet: Information About Marriage After Divorce and must also talk to Revd. Giles before booking anything.

2: I’m not divorced, so can I get married in St. Mary’s?

If you can answer "yes" to anything on this list you can get married here:

• One of us was baptised at St. Mary's or The Ascension at Wall Heath
• One of us was confirmed in the Church of England and was prepared for this at St. Mary's or The Ascension
• One of us has a parent or grandparent who was married at St. Mary's or The Ascension
• One of us has lived in the Kingswinford parish for at least six months (now or in the past)
• One of our parents has lived in the Kingswinford parish for at least six months during our lifetime
• We have regularly come to services at St. Mary's or The Ascension for at least six months
• One of our parents has regularly come to services for at least six months during our lifetime.

3. How do I know if I live in the parish?

The parish of Kingswinford doesn’t include all the streets with a Kingswinford postcode. If you click on this link it will take you to a map of the parish.

4. I couldn’t answer "yes" to anything on that list, is there still a chance I could get married in St. Mary’s?

If you don't have a particular connection with St. Mary’s, and neither of you has an address here, then at least one of you must come to church regularly. The office can give you an attendance card and you will need to come to church at least three times a month and have your card signed each time. At the end of six months bring your signed card to the office and they will be able to book your wedding.

We can't book your wedding before you come to church for six months so please don't book your reception before we have given you a wedding date.

5. Is there anything else I need to know?

If either of you lives in a different parish, then the banns (the public announcement of the wedding in church) need to be read in both parish churches so you will need to ask the other parish priest to do this. If you follow this link and put in your postcode you can find contact details for that church.

6. What Day Can I Get Married?

Most people want to get married on a Saturday as that is easiest for their guests.

We cannot offer Friday or Sunday weddings but we will consider weddings on another weekday if you prefer that to Saturday.

Marriage Preparation

If you decide to get married in St. Mary’s you will be invited to a Marriage Preparation Evening a few months before your wedding. You will receive an invitation to this two weeks before, with a copy of our booklet: Your Wedding Day At St. Mary’s, Kingswinford.

At this evening you will meet other couples getting married at St. Mary’s and can discuss all the practical arrangements for your wedding with our Wedding Team. Revd. Giles will also be there.

The Rehearsal

Will usually take place the week before the wedding and the following people need to be there: the bride and groom; the person giving the bride away; the best man; ushers; any bridesmaids and/or pageboys; people you have asked to read. Other close family members may also attend.

Order of Service

The details of your service, such as your choice of hymns, readings and prayers, will be discussed with you.

If you visit the Church of England's Weddings site at: www.yourchurchwedding.org you can use their wedding planner facility. You do not need to feel limited to the choice of music they list but it can be a useful place to start.

The Vows

You will both say in turn (bridegroom first):

I (your name) take you (their name) to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day foward;for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,* till death do us part, according to God's holy law; and this is my solemn vow.

* At this point you can choose to say 'and worship' (by the bridegroom), 'and obey' (by the bride) if you wish.

Photography and Videos

If you want a record of your special day you will need to make your own arrangements for photographs and videos. If you make a recording of the service we charge a small fee to cover the organist’s copyright but this only covers the recording of the service, not editing, creating multiple copies or public performance. Copyright issues are complicated so you should check the following website to ensure you do not break the law: www.wvrl.co.uk