Resources
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Applying
Guidance for Marriage in Church after Divorce
Planning
Weddings
Congratulations on your engagement and we pray you will enjoy planning your wedding day. If you are considering a service at Saltwood Church then you are strongly encouraged to contact the Priest-in-Charge at the outset. Planning a wedding is not a simple task. We are here to help and would be delighted to meet with you to check the legal preliminaries, but more importantly to encourage and support you as you prepare not just for the 'Big Day' but for the rest of your lives together.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of one’s house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.
Song of Solomon 8:7
Since October 2008, a change in the Law has made it easier for couples to get married in the church of their choice. You can be married at St. Peter and St. Paul if either of you:
- normally live in the Parish, (see the streets in the parish)
OR - can demonstrate a 'Qualifying Connection', (see below)
OR - can satisfy the requirements for the Archbishop of Canterbury's Special Licence (see the Faculty Office).
You have a Qualifying Connection to the Parish if any one of the following applies for either one of you:
- you were baptised or prepared for confirmation in the parish;
- you have, at any time, lived in the parish for six months or more;
- you have, at any time, regularly attended public worship in the parish for six months or more;
- one of your parents has lived in the parish for six months or more in your lifetime;
- one of your parents has regularly attended public worship there for six months or more in your lifetime;
- your parents or grandparents were married in the parish.
(Notes: all of these refer to Church of England services. The term "parent" includes an adoptive parent and any other person who has undertaken the care and upbringing of the person seeking to establish a qualifying connection and "grandparent" shall be construed accordingly.)
The Priest-in-Charge will consider marrying couples where one or both partners are divorced and a previous partner is still living. However, this is not a light undertaking and the House of Bishops has issued guidance for their clergy. You are advised to read and complete the form alongside. You should be aware that the process can take some time and cannot be rushed. Couples where either partner is divorced, or where either partner is not a British Citizen are advised to contact the priest well in advance of the proposed wedding date.
