Congratulations. You are planning your wedding!

Christian marriage is a religious and family celebration. It is also a public bond governed by the laws of the land. This means that everyone has the right to be married in the parish where they live or regularly attend worship. It is also possible for couples to marry in a parish with which they have a historic ‘qualifying connection’.

A church wedding is not just about a beautiful venue – it’s about making a lifelong commitment to another person in the sight and presence of God and wider community. For many couples they sense or feel God even if they are not followers of Jesus or members of a local church – but if you engage with the real meaning of a church wedding then you will probably find the experience a deeply moving occasion (as well as a fun, exciting and joyous one).

Can you get married in one of our churches?

The three churches in our benefice are all suitable for weddings, though Little Ness could only fit 70 people or so. Changes in recent years to marriage legislation mean that marriage in a particular Church of England parish church is now possible on the basis of a wider range of connections. The rules are as follows:

That one of you:

• has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
  was baptised in the parish concerned, or
• was 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
• 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