We wish you God's blessing as you prepare for your marriage and your life together.

Where can I get Married?

You are entitled to get married in the church of the Church of England parish where one or other of you resides. (If you are an active, worshipping member of another Church of England church and are on the Electoral Roll, you can marry there.)

How can I get married?

The most usual method is by the calling of your banns of marriage in the parish church where you will marry, and the parish church where you or your partner resides. This is arranged with the minister taking your service and the minister of the parish church in which your partner resides. They are called on three Sundays not more than three months before the marriage and not less than three weeks before the marriage.

What happens if neither of us resides in the Parish?

You have several options.
A) Electoral Roll Membership
By attending church regularly for a minimum of six months one or both of you are entitled to apply for membership on the Church Electoral Roll. This entitles you to be married by banns (see above)
B) Common Licence.
This requires one of you reside in the parish for a minimum of 15 days before the issue of the Licence. Application can be made to the Diocesan Registrar or a local clergyman acting as a Surrogate for marriages.

The Diocesan Registrar
The Cube
Barrack Road
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE4 6DB
Tel: 0191 226 7878

C) Superintendent Registrar's Certificate.
This can be obtained by application to the Superintendent Registrars of the civil registration districts in which both parties reside. One of the parties must have the required seven day's residence within both the registration district and the parish in which the marriage is to take place.

(For marriages in Bassenthwaite, Isel, Setmurthy)
The Superintendent Registrar
Fairfield
Station Road,
Cockermouth
Cumbria CA13 9PT
Tel: 01900 325960

(For marriages in Boltons, Ireby, Uldale, Torpenhow, Allhallows, Plumbland)
The Registrar (Wigton District)
Council Offices
Wigton,
CumbriaCA7 9QD
Tel: 016973 42155

D) Special Licence. Application can be made to the Archbishop of Canterbury for a Special Licence. This is an exceptional means and is only advised when there are good pastoral links with the church in which you wish to marry.

What happens if I reside in Scotland?

Since the passing of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, it is not possible to be married by the calling of banns. Instead the marriage preliminaries are by common licence.

How can I marry someone whose nationality is other than British?

This has to be by common licence by application to the Diocesan Registrar. If your partner is a national of a country other than the Old Commonwealth, the European Union and the United States it is recommended that you consult your embassy and obtain a letter confirming that your marriage will be lawfully recognised in your own country.

What is the meaning of 'Residence' ?

You will have discovered that the qualification to marry in a particular church depends very much on where a you or your partner lives. This is not always easy to determine. What is clear is that the home at which one resides for the required period of time must be:
· a permanent building
· must physically stay overnight at the given address (unless valid emergency arises)
· need not be a permanent arrangement

One of us has been divorced. Can we remarry in Church?

Although divorce is not a lawful impediment to marriage the Christian principle that marriage is for life (based on Jesus' teaching) means that the House of Bishops of the Church of England discourage clergy from officiating at such marriages. Therefore we offer a Service of Prayers and Dedication following a civil marriage.

My partner is a member of another Christian Church

The Marriage Service is a Christian service conducted in a Christian Church. Being a member of another Christian church is not a lawful impediment to marriage! However, if you or your partner are practising members of another faith, you and your family (as well as the minister) will have serious reservations.

Can the Minister of another Christian church take the Marriage Service?

Yes - If they are an ordained Church of England minister. Otherwise your minister will be welcomed to take part in the service but cannot do the 'legal bits'.

What is the significance of getting married in Church?

The marriage ceremony is a public declaration of your love for each other, a life long commitment to each other and a legal recognition of your relationship as husband and wife. This gives you a new stability in which your relationship can grow and flourish.
By choosing to marry in church you are indicating that you want God to be part of your relationship. The Bible says a lot about love. Christians believe that the love you have for each other is a reflection of God's love for all his people on earth.
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 in the years ahead. You will also have the support and encouragement of the Christian Church family.
The Bible compares married love with the love Jesus has for His followers. He showed His love by being prepared to die for the people He loved (The Easter Story). This is amazing, unconditional love.
In our marriages we try to follow His example by loving our partners in a self-sacrificial way, putting their needs before our own.
We pray that as you grow in your love for one another, you will have a growing awareness of God's love for you, and yours for Him.