Weddings

Church Weddings If it’s a religious wedding you wish for, getting married in the Church of England (or Church in Wales) is almost as simple as going to the register office because the Church of England is still the state recognised church in the UK. Your first step is to contact the vicar of the church is which you wish to be wed to arrange an appointment to meet. One of you will need to be a member of the Church of England and should live in the parish where you want to be married. The church doesn't allow remarriage in church of people who have been divorced, but individual priests may agree to it. Most priests will agree to give a blessing to a couple where one or both are divorced and have remarried in a civil ceremony. There is some flexibility on this and the best way to find out what to do is to talk to the vicar at your local church or the vicar of the church where you'd like to be married. The usual proof of your name, age, marital status, address, occupation and nationality is required. Civil ceremony Civil wedding venues - The advantage of a civil ceremony is that it can be completely tailor-made to suit your taste and personality. The only issue is that there is a lot of choice, so you'll need to be more organised than if you were simply getting married in your local church. There are many reasons why you might choose a civil wedding. Perhaps you have no religious beliefs, maybe you're getting married for the second time -- or maybe you just want to get married somewhere a bit different. Wherever it is held, a civil ceremony: • Will contain no religious elements. • Is conducted by the superintendent registrar or deputy and registered by the registrar. • Can take place in a register office or a licensed venue after 8am and before 6pm, subject to staffing arrangements. • The service can last from between 10 and 30 minutes. Civil Partnerships The Civil Partnership Act 2004 finally came into force in December 2005, paving the way for thousands of same-sex couples to begin planning for, what is increasingly becoming known as a gay wedding. A civil partnership can be formed in England and Wales at a register office or at any other approved venue, including hotels, stately homes and other places of interest. To form a civil partnership you must first give notice of your intention to become civil partners. This means that you are legally required go to your nearest register office and inform them of your wish to register your civil partnership. Your details are then made public by the registration authority for a period of fifteen days. Your notice is valid for 12 months from that date and you can arrange your ceremony or simply sign the registration schedule anytime during that year. The civil partnership notice states the following details for each person: Name and surname, date of birth, condition (marital or civil partnership status), occupation nationality and place of formation. Renewal of Vows Any married couple, of any age and married for any length of time can arrange a Renewal of Marriage Vows Ceremony. There is no restriction with regards to area and it does not matter if you do not live in the area where you would like to hold your ceremony. It could be that after many years of happy marriage, you may wish to recreate the intense emotion of your wedding day or, perhaps, that first ceremony was a quick visit to the Register office and you now wish to celebrate in a grander style. Whatever your reasons, renewing your vows can strengthen your marriage, bring back happy memories and gives you the perfect excuse for a wonderful party! For a religious ceremony, the Church offers a 'Service of Blessing'. This can be very simple, or a grand affair, complete with bridal gown, attendants and wedding bells. There is a choice of wording and, if the vicar is willing, the service can be very similar to a wedding. Of course there are many local authorities who will perform renewal ceremonies in their register offices or approved venues in which you can have a civil wedding.