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Q. Can I get married at
St George's?
A. You can be married at St George's
if one or both of you live in the parish. For a list of streets in St George's parish click here If one of you lives in a different
parish you will have to have banns called there.
If neither of you lives in the parish you can be married at St George's:
- if you and/or your partner is a regular
worshipper and on our electoral roll. To qualify for the electoral roll
you will be expected to regularly attend the church services for at
least six months.
- If you or your partner have a qualifying
connection (see below).
If nyou do not meet any of these criteria it is possible to
get married in a Registry Office then come on to St George's for a service of blessing. This
will be like the marriage service without the registration and you may still
make vows before God.
Q. What is a qualifying
connection?
New
legislation came into force in 2008 to meet the needs of people who would
like to marry in a church because it has special significance for them, even
though it is not where they live. A qualifiying connection is where at least
one of them:
- was baptised in the parish;
or
- has been confirmed and the
confirmation has been entered in a church register book belonging to the
parish, having been prepared for confirmation in the parish; or
- has at any time had their
usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months; or
- has at any time habitually
attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months;
or that
a parent of at least one of them has at any time during the lifetime of the
applicant
- had his or her usual place
of residence in the parish for at least 6 months; or
- habitually attended public
worship in the parish for at least 6 months
or that
a parent or grandparent of at least one of them was married in the parish.
Q. How do I book the
church?
A. As soon as you have decided you would like to get married St George's or
have a service of blessing after your civil marriage, get in touch with the Vicar (0161 338 2368) to see whether
the church is free on your preferred date. The Vicar will arrange to meet
with you in person to discuss your plans.
Q. What are the legal
requirements?
A. Marriage in a parish church is by banns (from an old word meaning 'to
announce' - similar to banner). Banns are an announcement of your intention
to marry and a chance for anyone to put forward a reason why your marriage
may not lawfully take place. You must have your banns read out in church for
three Sundays during the three months before the wedding. They need to be
read in St George's
and, if your partner lives in another parish, also in that parish church.
This also applies in situations where couples are marrying through a
qualifying connection.
If you are under the age of eighteen, you must have your
parents' consent to marry.
Q. What if one or both
of us is divorced?
A. At St George's we affirm that marriage is for life. We also recognize that
some marriages fail and accept, therefore, that divorced persons may marry
again.
As part of your preparation for your new marriage and what it
means to you, you will want to consider:
* What have you learned from your previous marriage?
* Has there been healing of past hurts?
* If you have children, how are they being looked after?
* What do others think of your marriage plans?
Q. How much will it
cost?
A. The legal fees for a marriage cover the publication of the banns,
certificate of banns (if necessary), the marriage service and a certificate
of marriage. These fees are fixed nationally. St George's also charges some local fees,
for the organist, verger, heating, video recording etc. The full fees for the
current year are available here.
Q. Can I choose what
kind of service I want?
A. The services is outlined here or in a simple leaflet. You can choose to have a modern
language service or one in more traditional language . Talk over the options
with the officiating minister. There are usually one or more readings from
the Bible or other readings or poetry - we can help you select the most
appropriate. There will also be some prayers, which you may help to choose,
or you may write your own. You may also decide to have someone other than the
minister leading the readings and prayers. You may have friends or family
members you would like to involve in the service, for example by doing a
reading or playing a musical instrument.
The minister will probably give a brief talk.
Q. Which hymns and
songs can I have?
A. The officiating minister and the Director of Music can advise on suitable
hymns and songs, as well as music for coming in, going out and during the
signing of the register. If you want to set out the words and/or music on a
printed service sheet, you will need to comply with the copyright laws - you
should consult the officiating minister about this. For some popular choices click here
Q. Should we have one
or two rings?
A. A wedding ring is a symbol of unending love and faithfulness, and of the
commitment you are making to each other. It is entirely up to you whether you
have one ring or two.
Q. Can we have a video
recording of the service?
A. Yes, this is possible but there is a fee to pay to cover copyright costs..
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