Marriage

MARRIAGE INFORMATION

Church Requirements

  • You must give a minimum of six months notice to the Church where you wish to marry
  • Begin by arranging an appointment with a priest of the parish where you wish to marry
  • If this is not where you currently reside then arrange to meet the priest of your parish as well.
  • You must book the date for Marriage only once you have made and had your appointment with the parish priest and not by phone.
  • You must attend a Marriage Preparation Course (details available below)

Documents required by the Church

  • Recent copies of Baptismal Certificate (must be issued within six months of Marriage)
  • Confirmation Certificate
  • Declaration of Freedom (Statutory Declaration of Freedom to Marry) (one for each party) to be signed before a Commissioner for Oaths or a Solicitor.  You obtain this form from the priest.

Dispensations:

  • Mixed Religions church permissions applied for in the case of a Catholic marrying a person from another Christian tradition
  • Disparity of Cult: church permission applied for in the case of a Catholic marrying a non-baptised person,
  • Convalidation: for a couple who were married civilly but now want to share the Sacrament of Marriage
  • There are other areas that may require a dispensation such as where one party has been in a previous invalid marriage,  so it is important that these matters are addressed at the earliest possible time and before a date is set.
  • There is a charge of £100 for all documents that have to be processed and then sent through the Chancery Office of the Diocese.  These include applications for dispensations and forwarding papers to another diocese.

Pre-Marriage Course
The parish does not offer a pre-marriage course, however you may complete this online at SmartLoving Engaged online . This has been fully approved by the Diocese of Westminster.

Getting Married in England:
Civil Registration: Marriage schedule 
Must be applied for by each couple from each couples respective Council Registration Office. You must make an appointment and be interviewed. It is advisable to begin the process of obtaining your Marriage schedule at least four months before your wedding. The Marriage schedule should be given to the priest as soon as you receive them. You cannot be married without them.

Getting Married Outside This Parish
If you are planning to marry outside the Archdiocese of Westminster, i.e. in another city or town in England or in another country and you have lived at your current address for more that six months, the priest of your parish is required to gather all your documents and forward them through the Chancery (Diocesan Office) who will then send them on to the diocese and church in which the marriage is to take place.

Civil Requirements for another Country
If you are getting married in another country, you must find out all that you need to do to comply with the Civil Authorities requirements for your marriage. Contact the relevant Embassy or High Commission for information.

Rehearsal
A rehearsal may be arranged for a few days before the wedding. It is important the all the main people involved should be present. Readers should also be present at the practice. This is an appropriate time to bring envelopes with the registrar’s fees and offerings for the Church and Priest.

Costs
Priests often hear the question, “How much does a wedding cost, Father?”
The answer, of course, is that there is no charge for the sacraments. The sacraments are dispensed by the Church as gifts from God to the community. There is, however a long standing custom of free will offerings made by the faithful on the occasion of certain sacraments. These offerings reflect both gratitude to God and appreciation of the ministry of priests.

Church Offering
An offering of £250 is suggested towards the cost of providing church facilities.  Cheques should be made payable to “St. Mary & St Andrew Church

Flowers
We recommend Paula’s Flowers (contact telephone 07811 179 481)

Music

Helen Blake – Organ/Piano (m 07946 533 776) 020 8933 2512

Negotiate directly regarding fee
PRACTICAL ITEMS FOR THE DAY ITSELF:

Time Keeping
You are expected to arrive on time so that the wedding can begin at the time agreed with the Church.  Lateness is very disrespectful and delays everything else that follows your wedding in the Church. It is common courtesy to arrive on time. Allow for traffic, fittings, hair styling, and above all photographs.  Please warn your photographer that he must not delay the beginning of your wedding ceremony.

Recording and Photography in Church
Only the official photographer should move around the Church during your wedding and then only with extreme care and with the prior agreement of the priest conducting the wedding.

Confetti
NO confetti may be used inside or outside the church.