{"id":8943,"date":"2022-02-19T16:50:24","date_gmt":"2022-02-19T16:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christchurchswindon.co.uk\/blog\/?page_id=8943"},"modified":"2025-12-01T13:00:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T13:00:07","slug":"weddings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.christchurchswindon.co.uk\/blog\/weddings\/","title":{"rendered":"Weddings"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Your Wedding<\/h5>\n

You\u2019re welcome to marry in the Church of England whatever your beliefs, whether or not you are christened and regardless of whether you go to church or not. It\u2019s your church and we welcome you! We are here to help you prepare your wedding day. Christ Church with St. Mary\u2019s is a worshipping community where, for over 170 years, couples have come to have their love for each other blessed by God and to make solemn vows of lifelong commitment in front of God and His people.<\/p>\n

Couples often describe how a church wedding feels \u201cmore proper\u201d. It is God\u2019s blessing that makes it proper and everyone is welcome to receive that blessing, even if you are not a regular churchgoer. If you live within the Parish of Christ Church with St. Mary\u2019s, Old Town, Swindon you are able to get married here. The first thing to do is to call or email the Parish Office and make an appointment with our Parish Clerk. There are contact details below.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Download the Wedding Leaflet<\/span><\/a><\/div>
<\/div><\/div>
Download the Wedding Fees Information<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
First Contact<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"\"When you contact Carol, our Parish Administrator, she will explain the process to you, she will then agree a time to meet you so she can deal with the administration\/legalities. Carol is usually in the office Monday-Friday 9am – 5pm (early evening\/Sat am appointments can be available by prior arrangement)<\/p>\n

You can contact her via parishoffice@christchurchswindon.co.uk<\/a> or 01793 522832<\/p>\n

Space to Think<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Early each year, we hold a group session for all our prospective couples entitled \u201cMarriage by Design\u201d. It provides you with the opportunity to take some time out from planning the wedding to focus on your relationship. Our couples always find these sessions great fun, full of practical wisdom that helps set the foundations for a long and fulfilling marriage.<\/p>\n

Meeting with the vicar & planning the service<\/strong><\/h5>\n

About 3 \u2013 4 months before your wedding, you will both meet with the vicar who is taking your wedding ceremony. This will be an opportunity to think about the vows you will make to each other before God and also discuss and plan the music and readings for the service.<\/p>\n

Banns<\/strong><\/h5>\n

We will invite you to hear your banns being called at the morning church service on three consecutive Sundays before your wedding.<\/p>\n

Rehearsal<\/strong><\/h5>\n

To make sure everyone involved in the ceremony is comfortable, we also like to hold a short rehearsal one evening in the week before your wedding.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Marriage in church after divorce<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The Church teaches that marriage is a lifelong commitment. However we recognise that for a number of reasons some marriages do not survive. Since 2002 the Church has made it possible, in some circumstances, for there to be a subsequent marriage after divorce. If either of you has been married before please mention when you first contact us. There will need to be a frank and open conversation about the previous relationship.<\/p>\n<\/div>

The Legal Side<\/h5>\n

We try to welcome everyone who wishes be married in church, however as marriage is both a religious and legal ceremony, it is important that we follow the correct legal procedures. The normal legal process is for banns of marriage to be published in church. Banns may be published for:<\/p>\n