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Weddings at St Bartholomew's Church
It would be our pleasure to have your wedding here at St Bart's. Here is some information for you to read which answers many Frequently Asked Questions. You are welcome to Contact Us for more information. We normally take wedding bookings on Sunday mornings in the church after the 10 am service. However, on some Sundays Fr Mark has to conduct a service at another church. So, please complete the form on the Contact Us page and ask the vicar when you would need to visit the church to pay.
To get married here (legally!) we have to show a “qualifying connection”. So you need to show one of the following is true (for either bride or groom):
1) You live in the parish. The parish boundaries are a bit strange and lots of people who think they live in St Bart's parish actually live in another parish. Living in Wednesbury does not guarantee that you live in the parish. If you go to www.achurchnearyou.com/wednesbury-st-bartholomew/ and click on the 'Find Us' tab then 'Parish Boundary View' you will see a map of the parish.
2) You are on the church's electoral roll (a sort of membership list).
3) You have at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least six months.
4) You have regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church [St Bart's] for a period of at least six months.
5) You were baptised at the church.
6) You were prepared for confirmation in the parish.
7) At least one of the bride or groom's parents has lived in the parish for at least six months at any time after the bride or groom were born.
8) At least one of the bride or groom's parents has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least six months at any time after the bride or groom was born.
9) One of your parents or grandparents was married in the parish.
Some people cannot show a qualifying connection – in which case you can gain number 4 by regular attendance for at least six months between booking your wedding and the big day itself. When you come to church to make a booking please come ready to show what qualifying connection you have. A deposit will confirm the booking. If either of you live outside the parish then please use the website www.achurchnearyou.com to find out which parish you are in as you will have to arrange to have your Banns of Marriage read in that church. If you want to know what that means then please ask.
The other thing to pay attention to is that if either bride or groom has been previously married and divorced (with the former partner still living) then there is no legal right to get married in the church. Please come and talk to us about your situation. We understand that previous relationships can break down. We also want to honour Jesus's teaching about the commitment made in a wedding. We will not conduct weddings if: a) the divorced person has been married more than once previously; b) the current relationship was a contributing factor to the break up of the previous marriage; or c) there are ongoing bitter quarrels with the previous partner and/or any children from that first marriage. If either bride or groom have been previously married then we will need to see (and take a copy of) the Decree Absolute.
The cost of a wedding includes Statutory Fees (compulsory fees set by the Church of England) and Local Fees (eg the cost of having an organist). For up-to-date costs of a wedding as well as bell ringing if it can be arranged, please contact the vicar, using this link to the Contact Us page.
Planning your Wedding
Once you have booked your wedding with us, please use this link Your Church Wedding for Hymn ideas, Music and other information about your Church of England Wedding.
It would be our pleasure to have your wedding here at St Bart's. Here is some information for you to read which answers many Frequently Asked Questions. You are welcome to Contact Us for more information. We normally take wedding bookings on Sunday mornings in the church after the 10 am service. However, on some Sundays Fr Mark has to conduct a service at another church. So, please complete the form on the Contact Us page and ask the vicar when you would need to visit the church to pay.
To get married here (legally!) we have to show a “qualifying connection”. So you need to show one of the following is true (for either bride or groom):
1) You live in the parish. The parish boundaries are a bit strange and lots of people who think they live in St Bart's parish actually live in another parish. Living in Wednesbury does not guarantee that you live in the parish. If you go to www.achurchnearyou.com/wednesbury-st-bartholomew/ and click on the 'Find Us' tab then 'Parish Boundary View' you will see a map of the parish.
2) You are on the church's electoral roll (a sort of membership list).
3) You have at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least six months.
4) You have regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church [St Bart's] for a period of at least six months.
5) You were baptised at the church.
6) You were prepared for confirmation in the parish.
7) At least one of the bride or groom's parents has lived in the parish for at least six months at any time after the bride or groom were born.
8) At least one of the bride or groom's parents has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least six months at any time after the bride or groom was born.
9) One of your parents or grandparents was married in the parish.
Some people cannot show a qualifying connection – in which case you can gain number 4 by regular attendance for at least six months between booking your wedding and the big day itself. When you come to church to make a booking please come ready to show what qualifying connection you have. A deposit will confirm the booking. If either of you live outside the parish then please use the website www.achurchnearyou.com to find out which parish you are in as you will have to arrange to have your Banns of Marriage read in that church. If you want to know what that means then please ask.
The other thing to pay attention to is that if either bride or groom has been previously married and divorced (with the former partner still living) then there is no legal right to get married in the church. Please come and talk to us about your situation. We understand that previous relationships can break down. We also want to honour Jesus's teaching about the commitment made in a wedding. We will not conduct weddings if: a) the divorced person has been married more than once previously; b) the current relationship was a contributing factor to the break up of the previous marriage; or c) there are ongoing bitter quarrels with the previous partner and/or any children from that first marriage. If either bride or groom have been previously married then we will need to see (and take a copy of) the Decree Absolute.
The cost of a wedding includes Statutory Fees (compulsory fees set by the Church of England) and Local Fees (eg the cost of having an organist). For up-to-date costs of a wedding as well as bell ringing if it can be arranged, please contact the vicar, using this link to the Contact Us page.
Planning your Wedding
Once you have booked your wedding with us, please use this link Your Church Wedding for Hymn ideas, Music and other information about your Church of England Wedding.
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If you would like to enquire about a wedding at St Bartholomew's Church then please come and visit us on Sunday morning at our morning worship (10.00 am). All enquiries about this will be dealt with following the service provided Fr Mark does not have to conduct another service at a different church. It's best to complete the Contact Us form first.
Thank you to Steve Melia for sending some photos of the wedding of his mum (Jean Baker) and dad (Eric Melia) at our church on 6th July 1957 just before his dad went to Malaya for his National Service. Aren’t they fabulous? Thanks Steve.
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