Marriage

where heart speaks to heart

At first I thought of this marriage as a private thing… One of the most touching things for me was that as everyone stood up and turned around I was struck by their faces. It was then that I suddenly realised that these were all people that I knew, and how much this whole church cared about us.

Catholics think marriage is wonderful. We recognise that couples who decide to get married in Church hope that their life together will be assured of God’s blessing and the support of the community.

Don't be put off by the thought that all church weddings are the same or that they are always expensive. Some couples decide to have a low key event which can be very intimate and personal without requiring expensive receptions and trimmings. The heart of any wedding is the exchange of marriage vows between the couple. The choice of hymns and music and scripture readings all help to make these vows meaningful and remind us that God's blessing is discovered in the gift of sincere love. The rest is a matter of finding what suits the couple's personalities, budget and circumstances.

We are also only too aware that choosing to get married is a big decision and that it can sometimes need careful preparation. So we try to help in the following ways:

• Agreeing a date and time for the wedding (any day of the week except for Sundays, Christmas and Holy Week) during daylight hours.
• Help with the paperwork required by the Church (couples arranging weddings at a Catholic Church also have to notify the Registry Office)
• Blessing Engaged Couples and Engagement Rings on a Saturday nearest to St Valentine’s Day.
• Providing a Marriage Preparation Day (in early spring)
• Spending time with the couple to prepare the Wedding Service (out of respect for your guests we usually recommend that you only have a Wedding Mass when both families are Catholic)
• Providing contact with one of our parish musicians so that you can have suitable music
• Providing contact with a member of our parish flower team (who may be able to prepare a display that complements the Bride’s colour scheme)
• Providing a Rehearsal close to the even

You can make an appointment to discuss your wedding plans by contacting Fr Peter

As a parish community we take great pride in those couples who celebrate significant wedding anniversaries. We are more than happy to add to their family celebration by inviting them to renew their marriage promises at one of our parish Masses.