We love doing weddings and our simple but elegant church is a lovely setting for a church wedding. Please contact us for details.

The legal stuff

A wedding in a church is a legal ceremony. Most Church of England marriages for UK citizens will require banns to be published before the wedding can take place. The banns are an announcement of your intention to marry and they are read out in church for three consecutive Sundays within the three months before you marry. At St Mark’s Church we usually read out the banns of marriage on the first three Sundays of the month before the wedding is to take place.

If you are under 18 years old you will need your parents’ consent to marry and by law you can not be married in the UK until you are 16. To be legal the wedding must take place between 8am and 6pm. Weddings usually take place on a Saturday but Fridays are becoming more popular. Other days can be considered after discussion with Revd Karen.

If you have been married before you may be able to get married at St Mark’s Church but you will need to speak to our clergy and complete the Church of England form ‘Marriage in Church after Divorce.’

In certain circumstances such as if you are not a UK citizen, it is recommended that the licence procedure be used as the legal preliminary rather than the calling of banns. If you think this applies to you then our clergy will talk this through with you and advise the best way to proceed.

So Can We Get Married at St Mark’s Church?

If you live within the parish boundaries you can get married here.
If you do not live in the parish the law has changed recently to allow you to marry in a church where you or your family have a connection. This means that you can get married at St Mark’s if either one of you has:

  • at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
  • was baptised or prepared for confirmation at St Mark’s Church.
  • has at any time regularly attended  church services at St Mark’s for a period of at least 6 months.

In addition you can be married at St Mark’s Church if the parents or grandparents of either one of you, at any time after you were born:

  • has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
  • has regularly attended church services at St Mark’s Church.

You can be married at St Mark’s Church if one of your parents or grandparents were also married at St Mark’s.

We love doing weddings so contact us and find out if we can host your special day.

For further information regarding marriage in a Church of England church, please visit:
cofe.anglican.org/lifeevents/weddings