Wedding

A wedding is one of life’s great moments and we are delighted that you are considering getting married at St Mary’s. A marriage service is a public declaration of love and lifelong commitment to your partner. We will work and plan together with you to make it a personal and memorable day.

St Mary’s (unlike any other secular venue) has been used for marriage services for over 700 years so choosing to be married here you follow a long tradition, and on the day of your marriage you become a part of our living history.

If you don’t know the clergy the process begins with you contacting the Parish Office who will put you in touch with the Rector. There’s a bit of form filling and checking to ensure that everything is legal (as will be the case wherever you get married) then the Rector will meet with you to talk about the service and to plan for your day.

You will be able to choose music and hymns and a Bible reading, as well as including secular readings and poems if you wish. You may like to choose friends or family to read or take part.

Our organist will be happy to help you select music and hymns for your wedding.

Most things are possible so do ask – we like to be able to say yes.

The church at St Mary’s has flower arrangers who will work with you, but you might choose to have them arranged privately – our flower arrangers will work together with them to ensure you have the very best.

On your wedding day you will both make your promises before friends, family and God and receive God’s blessing upon your new life together. Choosing to be married in the medieval Church means being together with family and friends in beautiful surroundings as well as being supported by our love, prayers and very best wishes and God’s blessing for your future life together.

If one of you getting married lives in the parish then that qualifies you for your marriage at St Mary’s. Marriage Law also now allows you to marry at St Mary’s if you can show that one of you:

• has at any time lived in our parish for a period of at least 6 months or
• has at any time regularly attended church services in our parish church for a period of at least 6 months or
• was baptised in our parish or
• was prepared for confirmation in the parish or
• That one of your parents, at any time after you were born, has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
• That one of your parents or grandparents, was married in the parish.

If either of you have been married before and your previous spouse is still living it is possible to be married in church. This will be handled on an individual basis following the completion of an enquiry form and a meeting with the Rector.

If you have any questions about having your wedding at St. Mary’s please telephone the Parish Office on 01462 743922 or email on office@stmarysashwell.org.uk .

For more information about planning your church wedding you may find this website helpful: https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/  

If you need Banns (the legal preliminaries) reading in our church but are getting married elsewhere please contact the Parish Office on 01462 743922 or email on office@stmarysashwell.org.uk.

Choosing to get married at St Mary’s will make an important day even more significant and unforgettable. It will be a day that is personal and memorable for you, but that need not mean you spend a fortune.

Part of the cost will be for the legal fees, and everyone pays this wherever you get married – in a religious or civil setting. At St Mary’s there are options (Choir, bells, video permission) which you can choose or decline, according to your budget.

St Paul wrote these words,

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

You can find the passage in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13.4-7 and you can choose to have them included in your marriage service.