WEDDINGS

You can get married in any of our churches. As well as arranging the date of the wedding, the law requires you to undertake some legal preliminaries to demonstrate that you are entitled in law to get married (for example, that you are old enough or not already married). In the church these are called banns.

Banns are an ancient legal tradition in which a public announcement is made of your intention to marry and a chance given for members of the community to put forward reasons why the marriage may not lawfully take place. Banns must be read in the parish where each of you lives as well as the church in which you’ll be married, if that’s different. They are read on three Sundays within three months of the wedding, often (but not always) on consecutive weeks. It is a joyful occasion attended by many couples, and churches often take the opportunity to pray for their upcoming marriage.

Sometimes legal preliminaries other than banns are required. If there is not enough time to read the banns, or one or both of you are British but live outside of England or Wales, you will need to arrange a Common Licence before you can married. If you are a national of a country outside the European Economic area, you will require a Superintendent Registrar’s Certificate. The church officer arranging weddings can help you identify which process you need to follow.

With all this in mind, do contact the church as soon as you can once you’ve decided on a date so that arrangements can be made in good time. It’s also a good idea to make contact with the church around the same time as your reception venue so you can synchronise dates. 

To find your local church and get details on the booking procedure, go to A Church Near You