Parish of St Thomas the Martyr - In the Open Episcopal Church

Ministering to places other Churches  cannot reach.

Introduction

By way of introduction, it is important to point out that by the term “Marriage” we encompass ALL committed, monogamous unions between two people – this includes Civil Partnerships.

The joining of two people in a life-long commitment together is a wonderful occasion for the couple themselves and also for those who are witnessing the marriage with them. There are now so many more  options available to couples wishing to celebrate their marriage in a unique and personal way than there were only a few years ago. Fr Christopher will work with you to create something unique and personal. A day to remember forever.

The legal stuff.

The legal situation regarding marriage celebrations can seem complicated although it is not and we can help you to understand what the various options are. Essentially in order to be legally married, certain fixed vows need to be made before a legally appointed Registrar and a number of witnesses. Before doing this a couple have to satisfy the registrar that they are legally free to contract a legal partnership known in law as either a Marriage or a Civil Partnership. The law is very specific with regard to marriages in Church and in essence in a Church of England marriage, for example, two ceremonies take place within the service – the legal ceremony and the religious one. Whilst the Church of England is more liberal in its approach to marriage than it used to be, there are quite a number of instances when a minister can and will refuse to conduct the marriage – and the church of England is unwilling to offer a service for those who have contracted a Civil Partnership. Many other denominations take the same stance.

The law is also quite specific about where a legal marriage can take place, and whether it can therefore have a religious content.

More and more couples are now choosing to separate the Legal Registration of their partnership from the actual ceremony itself. This is of course the norm on the continent.  There are a number of ways that this can be done, and Fr Christopher can advise you on this. The advantage of doing so is that the actual ceremony that you have dreamed of can take place where you want it to and in the form that you would like. You can write the service yourself, include the vows that you would like to make and make the occasion yours, rather than slotting in what you would like (should the minister or registrar allow) around the fixed ceremony. You can therefore celebrate your special day with family and friends almost anywhere.

Whilst this is the current legal situation, things may change in the not to distant future. PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE RULES APPLY IN ENGLAND AND WALES ONLY, THERE ARE DIFFERENT RULES IN SCOTLAND.

I have been Married or in a Civil Partnership before – will this be a problem?

The simple, and unequivocal answer is No. Fr Christopher is not interested in what has gone wrong in the past. He knows that even with the best intentions things can go wrong, he is not going to say anything other than YES. The Church believes that a marriage is a lifelong commitment, but sometimes things can and will go wrong. Jesus, showed and taught unconditional love to all without exception, and that included giving them another chance – and another if necessary. We simply want to know that you are ready to make a commitment to each other and that you want us to bless and join that commitment before God.

What type of ceremony do you offer?

This is a hard question to answer – perhaps a better question is to ask you the couple what type of ceremony do you want? If you have a grain of an idea but need help , we can work with you to expand that idea and put it all together. If you have a “grand plan” worked out already – we can work with that too – its your day ! It can have as much or as little Christian content as you wish. Whilst Fr Christopher is a Christian Priest, his Ministry is one that extends to all and he is happy to officiate at a ceremony that has little or no Christian or religious content at all, as well as one which is very clearly Christian. Once the ceremony is over , each couple are given a certificate stating that their marriage has been celebrated on that day and at the place they have chosen. Whilst this is not a legal document – it is an important part of the documentation relating to your life – also your ceremony will be entered into our parish register as a record that it has taken place.

How do we enquire about Marriage?

Very easily, please make contact with Fr Christopher using the details , below, and we will arrange either to meet, if that is practical, or to have a telephone conversation – we can even make the arrangements via email, although Fr Christopher does like to meet with couples at least once unless distance or practicalities prevent that from happening.

Finally – what does it cost?

Each wedding is different. Fr Christopher does NOT charge for these services, but does ask for a donation towards his work and of course his travel costs to the venue of your choice. For more details , please see the fees and donations page.