You’re Getting Married? – Congratulations!
As Christians we believe that marriage is a gift from God and we think there is no better place to get married than in church. By marrying in church a couple makes their public declaration of their lifelong loving commitment to each other in front of God as well as family and friends.
Being married gives you a legal status as husband and wife. We believe that marriage offers an ideal place for the fulfilment of our sexuality and a secure and stable environment to bring up children.
Marriage is good for you! Here’s a short summary of the benefits that marriage brings, both for you and your partner, and for any children you have together.
Where Can We Get Married?
If you would like to enquire about being married at St James’ or St Peter’s church, please come along to one of our Sunday services and have a chat with one of the clergy.
To get married at St James’ or St Peter’s you need to be able to demonstrate a connection to the church. The laws governing who is eligible to get married in a particular church were changed in Oct 2008 so that there are more ways you can prove a qualifying connection.
You are eligible to marry here if any of the following apply:
a) You live in the parish of Preston Plucknett. To check this click here and enter your postcode.
b) You have attended St James’ or St Peter’s regularly for over 6 months and can therefore apply to be on the electoral roll.
c) You were baptised (‘christened’) or confirmed in the parish.
d) Your parents or grand-parents were married at St James’ or St Peter’s Church.
e) You (or any of your parents during your lifetime) have lived within the parish for a period of more than 6 months
f) You or your parents have regularly worshipped within the parish (either more than 3 times a year for many years or at least once a month for 6 months).
If you do not qualify under any of the above criteria, there may be other options which would enable you to marry at here. Please contact the church office (01935 414097), who will be able to advise you on possible ways forward.
Marriage Preparation
You can find plenty of helpful information about organising a wedding in a Church of England church on the www.yourchurchwedding.org website. The site gives a complete guide to the service as well as answering the questions you may have. It also contains links to information about music and readings suitable for the big day.
We believe that a strong marriage results from people investing time and energy in their relationship. In a time when there is a lot of pressure upon marriage and family life, we want to give couples the best start possible to the wonderful adventure of marriage. Lots of time and effort often goes into planning the Big Day, but it’s even more important to invest in your relationship.
The Marriage Preparation Course (http://relationshipcentral.org/marriage-preparation-course), which runs over 5 sessions in January-March, is offered to all couples who are getting married in the parish, or having their Banns read here. It covers a range of important subjects, from communication to resolving conflict, via in-laws and expectations. When we ask couples to rate the course, the average score is 9 out of 10! This short promo gives an idea of what the course covers, and why it’s important.
For more information, please contact the Parish Office (414097)
Fees
Please find below a guide to the current fees for a wedding at St James’ or St Peter’s. Please note that the fees are set in January of each year for the year ahead.
Statutory fees (set by the Church of England)
Service £505.00
Publication of Banns £34.00
Banns Certificate (if required) £ 17.00
Additional fees (set by Preston Plucknett PCC)
Verger £ 35.00
Organist Please contact the organist direct.
Heating (Oct-May) £ 50.00