Weddings
Introduction
Church weddings are extra special as they include a spiritual dimension which is prohibited in secular ceremonies. The ceremony includes God and looks to him for help and guidance. God’s blessing is the main attraction for many couples, whatever their beliefs. At St. Oswald’s we love weddings and all sorts of people – many of them volunteers – will be working to make your wedding a wonderful occasion.
A church wedding is also much more personal than a commercial, secular wedding. This includes
- A visit from the Vicar so that she gets to know you and can reflect you in the service.
- A rehearsal so that you have walked through the service and know what to expect – this will enable you to relax and enjoy yourself on the big day .
- The opportunity to hear you Banns of Marriage read in a Sunday morning service.
- We will do our utmost to meet your needs and to make your wedding day special.
Also, we are always here for you if you need any kind of help or if you just need to talk. Who knows, you may decide to bring your children to be baptised as well!
Who can get married at St Oswald’s?
You can get married at St. Oswalds
- If either of you has lived in the parish for more than 6 months.
- If either of you has worshipped regularly at St. Oswald’s for more than 6 months and is on the church electoral role (this is not the same as the electoral register for voting in elections)
- If either of you has been baptised at St. Oswald’s
- If any parents have lived in the parish for more than six months during your lifetime
- If any parents have attended St. Oswald’s regularly during your lifetime
- If your parents or grandparents were married at St. Oswald’s.
We conduct weddings for divorcees, but if either of you has been married before, this needs to be discussed with the Vicar who has to seek the Bishop’s guidance on whether or not a wedding can take place.
You do not have to have been christened (baptised) to be married in church although we would be delighted to arrange this for you as well!
Sadly we are not allowed to marry same-sex couples at the moment. This is a matter of regret to the Vicar.
How to book a wedding
To book a wedding please contact the Vicar on revannemorris@gmail.com. You both need to fill in a booking form and make a non-refundable deposit of £100. You need to show proof of your identity (passport, photo driving license etc) and proof of your address (utility bill, bank statement etc).
How much does it cost to get married at St. Oswald’s?
The basic cost of a wedding is approximately £490. You can add extras such as flowers, an organist, and heating (important if your wedding is not in the summer). These can all be discussed when you book and changed later if necessary, although once an organist is booked the this fee is non-refundable. If you would like to get married at St. Oswald’s and can’t afford this please come and talk to us anyway – we’ll try to help.
Other questions
You may have other questions to ask. There is a lot of information at the Church of England weddings website: https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/article/why-marry-in-church/
Otherwise please contact the Vicar at revannemorris@gmail.com or leave a message for me on the church phone and I’ll get back to you.
Adam and Julie Butterworth. What a lovely wedding. Wish I had been selling tissues…I would have been quite well off by the end of the day! This was a very simple wedding – the bride and groom walked down the aisle together. The simplicity made for a very special occasion with a focus on this lovely couple who found each other after years apart – the focus was on them, their love and gratitude. Simple weddings are often the most profound.
Here are some lovely pictures which were taken at the wedding of Robert and Kelly, Mr and Mrs Goddard. What great pictures!
