You are thinking of getting married? Congratulations!

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Here is a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which we hope will help you.

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Can I get married at St Anne’s?
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Can you answer ‘yes’ to one of these questions?



• I live in the parish (check "A Church Near You")

• My fiancé(e) lives in the parish

• I or my fiancé(e) worships regularly at St Anne’s and is on the Electoral Roll

• I think of this as "my Church"​ (see below)





My family has a long term connection with St Anne’s. I no longer live around here. Can I still get married here?

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You can if one of the following applies to either you or your fiancé:



• One of you were baptised in the parish

• One of you were prepared for confirmation in the parish

• One of you has at any time lived in the parish for at least six months

• One of you has at any time regularly attended normal church services for at least six months

• One of your parents has lived in the parish for a least six months [during the bride/groom’s lifetime]

• One of your parents has regularly attended normal church services for at least six months [during the bride/groom’s lifetime]

• One of your parents or grandparents was married in the parish

These are called ‘qualifying connections’. The church realises that families move around much more than they used to. If one of these is true for you, please come and have a conversation with us. It is slightly complicated in that you need to be able to prove the qualifying connection. You can find more about this by clicking here to visit the Church of England's wedding guidelines.
 



I am divorced, or my fiancé is.​

 

Some churches simply say ‘no’ at this point. St Anne’s deeply believes in the welcome of Jesus. Before going further we ask you to make contact with the clergy and explore with them the possibilities of being married in our church. You still need to answer “yes” either to one of the questions above or have a qualifying connection.

 

 

What do I do next?​

 

We ask you to come to join us for worship on a Sunday morning at 10.00am.  At the end of the service catch one of the clergy (Alison or Olwyn) and ask for a Wedding Application Form. Then phone or email Alison or Olwyn when you're ready to return it and arrange a time with them to progress it. You will need to bring a Passport for each person and also proof of address (utility bill, bank balance) before we can process this.

 

What happens after this?
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We do ‘Marriage Preparation’ in the winter of the year you are to be married. We send out invitations to this event along with a CD which is full of what we like to think of as useful texts and web addresses. After you have attended this session we arrange meetings for you with the particular clergy person who is to take your wedding.

 

How far in advance can I book?
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We recognise that couples are very organised and often book their receptions well in advance. However, due to the diary system we use, we cannot book any wedding more than a year in advance. For example, if you wish to be married in 2019, the first opportunity to book your preferred date and time would be on the first Sunday of 2018.

 

I have been asked to have my Banns read at St Anne’s. How do I arrange that?
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Firstly, you need to check that you live in St Anne’s Parish.  You can check "A Church Near You" and enter location Sale St Anne to choose the page showing for the exact boundaries.  You will need to catch one of the clergy (Alison or Olwyn) after one of the Sunday services and they will take your details and arrange for your banns to be called.  Banns can only be read three months before the Wedding and take three weeks to read. We encourage you to come about four months before your wedding. You do need to bring a Passport for each person and also proof of address (utility bill, bank balance) before we can process this.