Weddings

in the Benefice of Badsey with Aldington, Offenham and Bretforton

Marriages take place in all three churches in the Benefice according to the rights and traditions of the Church of England.

A marriage service, wherever it is held, is a public declaration of love and commitment to your partner.  If you choose to get married in a Church of England church, there is an added dimension - the assurance that God cares about your relationship and that his resources and strength are available to help you. Including God in your marriage doesn’t mean that you will avoid all the usual ups and downs, but you will know that you can look to God for help and guidance, and that his love will sustain you. You will also have the support and encouragement of the wider Christian Church family.

Marriage, the Bible tells us, is a gift of God in creation and a means of his grace, a holy mystery in which man and woman become one flesh. It is God's purpose that, as husband and wife give themselves to each other in love throughout their lives, they are united in that love, just as Christ is united in love with his Church.

The words from the Pastoral Introduction to the Marriage Service in Common Worship tell us: Marriage is intended by God to be a creative relationship, as his blessing enables husband and wife to love and support each other in good times and in bad, and to share in the care and upbringing of children. For Christians, marriage is also an invitation to share life together in the spirit of Jesus Christ. It is based upon a solemn, public and life-long covenant between a man and a woman, declared and celebrated in the presence of God and before witnesses.

This is, of course, the ideal and no true lovers hope for anything less. The church holds firmly to Christ's teaching that marriage is a lifelong commitment.

Legal Notes

The following notes outline a few of the requirements for weddings within the Church of England. They are not exhaustive and offer only a brief outline of the legalities that must be satisfied in order for a wedding ceremony to take place in church. More detailed information is available on the Church of England website www.cofe.anglican.org/ lifeevents/weddings

·       Church of England weddings in this country are governed by the 1949 Marriage Act and may only be solemnised inside a building licensed for the purpose and between the hours of 8.00am and 6.00pm

·        Both Bride and Groom normally have to be at least eighteen years old, though with the consent of their parents people can get married from the age of sixteen.

·        Either the Bride or the Groom has to live within the parish boundaries one of the Parishes in the Benefice, or be on the electoral roll of the church. To join the electoral roll you have to be baptised and a regular worshipper at church for six months.

Assuming that you fulfil the conditions above, you have the legal right to be married in church unless either of you has been married before and has a partner still living. Under these circumstances, the decision on whether or not to marry you rests with the clergy concerned. Although the answer is often 'yes', you should not take this for granted and must discuss it with them before making any arrangements.

Except in special cases, the legal preliminary to marriage in church is for banns to be published. Banns are the public announcement that two people wish to marry, and an invitation to anybody who knows just cause or impediment to the union to declare it. On three Sundays prior to the wedding, the banns are read out in the parish church(es) of the future bride and groom, and are effective for three months afterwards. Banns must be called in both the church where the wedding is to be held, as well as the parish church(es) of the bride and groom (from which certificate(s) of banns must be obtained)  (Other requirements apply if one partner is from outside the European Union, Old Commonwealth, or USA).

If you live outside the benefice but you have a special connection with the church, you may be able to apply for a Special Licence if this is the case please contact the vicar. (email: vicarage@ourbenefice.org.uk)

More information including other links and FAQ’s can be found at http://www.cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents/weddings

click here  for a downloadable version of this information is available in Adobe Acrobat format.