The Rectory, Uffington

Dear All
I seem to have had quite a few conversations lately about weddings, as people come in to book for next year, or just start thinking about whether a church wedding is right for them. I wrote last year about the new rules which make it easier for people who no longer live in the parish to come home for their wedding, but judging by the questions I’ve been getting lately, I thought it was worth writing about it again – it always takes a while before news of a change in the rules spreads.
Under the old rules, you could get married in a parish if you lived there, or if you were on the electoral roll because you went to church there. That’s still the same, but now many people who in the past had to get a special licence have a ‘qualifying connection’, so that banns can be called. This makes life much simpler – I can say straight away that you’re entitled to be married, rather than having to wait for the Faculty Office to make a decision – and also much cheaper, as banns cost a lot less than licences.
So who can get married in church? Well, you can now get married in a parish where you have lived for at least six months at any time in your life, so if your childhood was here, but you’ve moved away as an adult, you qualify. You also qualify if your parents have lived here for at least six months during your lifetime, even if you didn’t live with them, so you can come here for a wedding if your parents have moved here since you left home. You can get married here if you were baptised here or your confirmation is recorded in our registers (that allows for people who did their preparation here, but were confirmed at a deanery service elsewhere, or at the Cathedral), or if you or one of your parents were an ‘habitual worshipper’ for at least six months during your lifetime (a bit longer if you didn’t come to church very often!). And finally, you qualify to get married in a parish if either your parents or your grandparents had a church wedding in that parish. It’s also worth noting that the rules are fairly generous about the definition of ‘parent’ – if you were brought up by an aunt or a guardian, for example, they will count, and so will a birth parent who didn’t bring you up.
That list certainly covers most of the people who’ve got married by special licence in the group over the last few years. The main gap that I’ve noticed is there’s no qualifying connection if you work in the parish but live elsewhere – you’d either have to come to church, or apply for a special licence, the same as before. The other thing to note is that, if you’re divorced, the new rules about connections do apply, but a church wedding is still not automatic – those rules haven’t changed, so if you’re in that position, the first thing to do is to come and talk to me, to see whether it’s going to be possible (it usually is, but there are guidelines).
And don’t forget, there are also services for blessing a marriage which have no rules about where you live or go to church, and which can be used if you had a civil weddding service but now feel you’d like a church service, whether you’ve been married for weeks, months or years – and, of course, we have services of renewal of vows for people who were married in church and would like to renew their commitment to one another, perhaps for a special anniversary. Why not come and celebrate your marriage with us?
Yours in Christ, Carolyn Kennedy.

The next Four O’Clock Service will be on Sunday, 11th October at 4pm in Greatford Village Hall - Pet Blessing Service
This service is very different – we’re going to have a pet blessing service. Bring your pets with you: well-behaved dogs on leads, other animals in travel containers – and if you don’t have a container (or don’t think they’ll behave!) bring a picture of your pet, and we’ll bless the picture. If you don’t have a pet, come and enjoy meeting other people’s pets, as we celebrate the riches of God’s creation – and you can always bring your teddy.