Weddings
You’re Getting Married? – Congratulations!
As Christians we believe that marriage is a gift from God and we think there is no better place to get married than in church. By marrying in church a couple makes their public declaration of their lifelong loving commitment to each other in front of God as well as family and friends.
Being married gives you a legal status as husband and wife. We believe that marriage offers an ideal place for the fulfilment of our sexuality and a secure and stable environment to bring up children.
Where Can We Get Married?
If you would like to enquire about being married at St. James or St. Peters church, then please contact one of the clergy (use the Contacts button in the sidebar)
To get married at St James’ you need to be able to demonstrate a connection to the church. The laws governing who is eligible to get married in a particular church were changed in Oct 2008 so that there are more ways you can prove a qualifying connection.
You are eligible to marry here if any of the following apply:
a) You live in the parish of Preston Plucknett. To check this click here and enter your postcode.
b) You have attended St James or St. Peters regularly for over 6 months and can therefore apply to be on the electoral roll
c) You were baptised (‘christened’) or confirmed in the parish
d) Your parents or grand-parents were married at St. James’ or St. Peter’s Church
e) You (or any of your parents during your lifetime) have lived within the parish for a period of more than 6 months
f) You or your parents have regularly worshipped within the parish (either more than 3 times a year for many years or at least once a month for 6 months)
If you do not qualify under any of the above criteria, there may be other options which would enable you to marry at here. Please contact the church office (01935 414097), who will be able to advise you on possible ways forward
You can find plenty of helpful information about organising a wedding in a Church of England church on the www.yourchurchwedding.org website. The site gives a complete guide to the service as well as answering the questions you may have. It also contains links to information about music and readings suitable for the big day.
Marriage Preparation
We believe that a strong marriage results from people investing time and energy in their relationship. In a time when there is a lot of pressure upon marriage and family life, we want to give couples the best start possible to the wonderful adventure of marriage. Lots of time and effort often goes into planning the Big Day, but it’s even more important to invest in your relationship.
The Marriage Preparation Course (http://relationshipcentral.org/marriage-preparation-course), which runs over 5 sessions in February-March, is offered to all couples who are getting married in the parish, or having their Banns read here. It covers a range of important subjects, from communication to resolving conflict, via in-laws and expectations. When we ask couples to rate the course, the average score is 9 out of 10!
For more information, please contact the Parish Office (414097)