Weddings at St Paul's and St Mary's
Celebrate your special day with us
It's a great privilege and pleasure to be able to help couples as they come together in marriage. We offer weddings in both our church buildings: St Paul's seats lots of people, and is easy to find with good local parking; and St Mary's is very pretty, with less seating but a more intimate atmosphere.
We would love to chat with you about your big day, so why not ring the office on 01279 434 243, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.to find out more. You can also find lots of help on the official Church of England wedding site, by clicking here.
We know that your wedding is a great occasion, and it can be stressful as you plan. We're here to answer your questions: and here are some we're commonly asked to help you get started.
Can we get married in church?
As long as there are no legal difficulties, we would love for you to marry in one of our churches. We don't mind whether you're a Christian or not, or whether you're a regular churchgoer. Ring us to chat things through!
How will you help us prepare?
We will arrange to see you at several points during your planning, and we'll talk you through everything you need to know. There are many legal aspects to a wedding, and we'll help you to navigate these. We'll also offer you friendship, support, and prayer as you get ready for your big day, and we'll be there for you after you're married too.
What paperwork will I need?
We will need to be satisfied that you're entitled to marry in the UK - normally this will mean that we need to see your passports. If you don't have these, or if there's a problem of some kind, we'll talk you through what needs to happen instead. You'll also need to give us evidence that you're legally allowed to marry in one of our churches: this means proving that you have a 'qualifying connection.'
What is a qualifying connection?
People don't always want to get married in their local church, often because they have a family connection somewhere else. We can marry you if you have a connection to the church, either because you've been coming along regularly, or through another link. This link could be that you either live in the parish, or have lived here in the past, or were baptised here. We can also marry you if one of your parents has lived in the parish since you were born, or has regularly gone to services here, or if your parents were married here. There are lots of ways to qualify - you can find the small print and more details by clicking here. You can find your parish church by clicking here and typing in your post code.
Can our children be part of the service?
Yes! Jesus loved children, and we do too - and it's especially good when they are able to join in with family celebrations.
What about same-sex marriage?
The law prevents Church of England ministers from conducting same-sex marriages, so we are unable to marry you. However, we'd love to pray with you and welcome you to the church - please do get in touch.
Remember, if you have any other questions, you can contact us on 01279 434 243, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We'd love to chat with you about your big day.