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Church of England Weddings

Facts

All British citizens have the right to be married in a parish church in the town in which they live or in the church where they worship and are on the churches electoral roll. So long as neither partner has a former partner still living.
Couples do not have to be regular churchgoers.

They do not have to have been baptized.
Because the Church of England is an established church, Ministers can act as

Registrars.

In order to solemnize the marriage in a church you must do one of the following things:

1) Publish the banns- this is the public announcement by the church that you are to marry and is an invitation to the public to declare any reason why you may not marry.
A certificate stating that banns have been published will be issued by the church that will be holding the ceremony. This certificate must be produced to the officiating registrar before the wedding can start.
Banns are generally read out in the church on three consecutive Sundays during the three months before the wedding. If the couples reside in different parishes then the banns must be published in both parishes. The bans are valid for three months only after the date of their publication.

2) Obtain a common licence- when the marriage is to be between two foreigners or between a foreigner and a British subject. The common licence is also used for British people who no longer live in England or Wales. Also if one person lives in England but one does not have British nationality. Also when one person who is British no longer resides in Britain.

3) Get a special licence issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

4) Obtain the authority of the Superintendent Registrar's office.

* Seek advice from the minister.

What to Do?
Contact the Priest of the church you wish to be married at and arrange to meet him/her.
He/she will then arrange to read you Banns. (A fee is payable). If neither partner resides in the area in which you wish to marry, then you may have to worship in the church for a set period so that you can be placed on the church's electoral register.
Or you might try to get an Archbishops licence.

Fact:
On some circumstances it might be necessary to contact the Registrar, but normally the church will arrange the preliminaries to the marriage once they have been informed.

Publication of the Banns:-
Meet with the minister of the parish. Several meetings may be required, as the minister will stress to you the implications of your forthcoming commitment. (see 1 in the first paragraph)
Marriage in a C of E church between two foreigners or between a foreigner and British subject is by Common Licence.
Common Licence is also used in the case of people who are only living in the parish temporarily.
Common Licence is also used for British couples that no longer reside in England or Wales and is essential if one person who normally lives in England is not a British national.
Common licence is also applicable when one person of British nationality does not normally reside in England.

Legally at least, one of the couple must live at a genuine address within the parish where the marriage is to take place for at least 15 days immediately prior to the issuing of the licence. (Valid for 3 months only). The licence is issued by the authority of the Diocesan Bishop. Applications are made to the Bishop's Surrogate for Marriage Licence's. It is wise to consult the local minister as he might be the Bishop's Surrogate or he might know who is.

To be married by common licence at least one person must have been baptized.

Caution
Moving to an address in a parish for the minimum 15 days (hotel, guest house etc), for the sole purpose of qualifying for a licence can be grounds for a refusal of the licence. The licence's are issued at the discursion of the Bishop.

It is not considered enough to leave clothes and suitcase at an address in the parish or to assume residence by some other means.
The giving of false information while applying for a licence is a criminal offence.
However, once the licence is granted the minister will not refuse to perform the ceremony.

Facts about Special Licence's-
The Archbishop of Canterbury at the faculty office only approves the licence.
It is approved for the following reasons.

1) Neither person is resident in the parish in which they wish to marry.
2) Neither person is on the electoral register of the parish and thus cannot satisfy the 15-day rule of residency. (See common licence)
For a special licence there is no minimum residency- the licence is granted in emergency circumstances.

Licence applications are only approved if-
1) The minister at the church where you wish to be married agrees to perform the ceremony.
2) The said minister supports the licence application.
The licence is valid for 3 months only.

To Marry in a Parish in which you do not reside-
If it is a church in which you and your partner regularly worship and you are listed on the electoral roll of that church.
To be listed on the electoral roll of another church, one of you must attend that church for worship for at least 6 months.
That person must have been baptized in the Church of England.

What to do?
Contact the minister of the church where you wish to be married well before the date of the wedding and ask for advice. Not all ministers have the same views.

Types of service
Seek advice from the minister once you have booked the church. You will need to go and see him to discuss your marriage.

There are three ceremonies: -

1) From the book of common prayer- 1662 Solemnization of Matrimony.
2) Alternative Services, Series 1- 1966 Solemnization of Matrimony.
3) Common Worship, Services and Prayers for the C of E. - 2001 Marriage Service.
The 1662 version gives you the choice of weather you want 'promise to obey' included in the ceremony.
The 2001 version allows the bride to opt out of being 'given away. In place of that both families agree to entrust their son and daughter to each other.

Wedding Rehearsals
Takes place in the week before the wedding.
Bride, groom, best man, bridesmaids, mother and father of the bride and groom all attend.
The service is run through and all parties are shown where to stand and what to do.

The wedding day
1) Ushers are at the doors of the church before the first guests arrive- they should be aware of where the guests should be placed in relation to the bride and groom.
2) The Groom and best man arrive.
3) Mother of the bride and the bride's maids arrive.
4) The Bride arrives with father.
5) The music starts, congregation stands and the bride enters the church on her fathers arm, (or who ever she chooses to perform the duty). The procession is made up of the chief bridesmaid, bridesmaids and pages.
6) When the bride reaches the chapel steps the groom stands on her right and the Best man stands to his right, slightly behind.
7) The ceremony begins.

Facts and Tradition
Generally although the bride's father foots the bill for the wedding, it is the groom who pays for the church, the priest, the organist, the musicians (if any), and the choir.
Often this duty is left to the Best man.