Marriage at St Gabriel’s

Weddings are governed by the law of the land and Church law. You need to check that

• neither you nor the person you hope to marry are subject to immigration controls and / or have overstayed your visa; and

• one of you is ‘connected’ to the parish according to the rules of the Church of England

If one of these criteria seems to be a problem in your case, don’t panic. Read the information below and feel free to contact us if you need to know more. We will require documentary proof of these things and may have to refer you to other agencies or authorities (such as the Registrar or the Home Office) in case of doubt, particularly with regard to immigration status.

You can marry in a Church of England church such as St Gabriel’s if you can show that one of you:

• has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least six months or

• was Baptized in the parish concerned or

• was prepared for Confirmation in the parish or

• has at any time gone to normal church services in the parish church at least once a month for a period of at least six months or

• that one of your parents, at any time after you were born:

• has lived in the parish for a period of at least six months or

• has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least six months

• that one of your parents or grandparents:

• was married in the parish

Yes. In certain circumstances a Special Licence may be granted for couples who cannot attend the church on a regular basis.

Yes. If either of you has a divorced partner still living, then you will not be able to married at St Gabriel’s.

Each Church of England church serves an area called a parish. It has fixed boundaries and you can check which parish you live in by visiting http://www.achurchnearyou.com/ and searching with your postcode. Because of the variety in size and shape of parishes, the Church of England church you are nearest may not be your parish church, especially in large cities.

Please click below for the table of fees.

Fees table 2023 – Click here

Banns of marriage must be read if you are married in church. They are an opportunity for someone to raise legal objections to a marriage, e.g., one of the couple is too young. If you wish to marry at St Gabriel’s or you live in the parish but are getting married elsewhere in most cases you will be required have your Banns ‘read’ at St Gabriel’s. Please contact us to arrange an appointment to do the necessary paperwork.

Contact Julie for a Banns of Marriage application form.

The Church of England is obliged to uphold the law as to who can marry in the UK, which includes the visa status of non-E.U. citizens and the Immigration Act 2004 as amended. People who enter the UK on a visa and wish to marry an E.U. citizen must have permission to do so as part of their visa, and their visa must be current. Marrying in the Church of England is not a way of evading the requirements of the law or the consequences of having overstayed a visa, because the legal requirements must be satisfied before the marriage can take place.

We advise anyone who wishes to seek to get married at St Gabriel’s, or any other Church of England parish church to resolve any immigration and other visa issues before approaching us. You may have to be referred to the Superintendent Registrar or the Home Office to obtain the correct paperwork and permissions.

Marriage is a wonderful and important part of your life. If you want to be married at St Gabriel’s you will be asked to make a commitment to regular worship as part of your preparation for Christian Marriage. You will be shown how the service works and how to prepare a service booklet. There will also be a full rehearsal in the week before your wedding.