A CHURCH OF ENGLAND WEDDING

At the subsequent meeting the Minister you speak to will discuss the various options open to you and the most suitable method for you to use to ‘arrange’ the Service. The method they suggest to you will be come from one of the following four options:

1. Publication of Banns

This is the most common method used for arranging a Church of England/Church in Wales Wedding. Essentially, the ‘publication of the banns’ is a phrase which is used to indicate the announcement of your intended marriage on three consecutive Sunday’s prior to the Wedding, giving members of the congregation the opportunity to register any unlawful reason as to why the marriage should not take place.

A few points to note.

• The final reading of the banns will need to take place within three months of the due date for the Wedding, and if for any reason the Wedding is postponed to a date beyond these three months, they will need to be read again.

• If the couple live in different parishes, the banns will need to be read in both parish Churches. Likewise, if the couple are to wed in a Church outside of the parish(es) in which they live, the banns will need to be read in both the Church in which the Ceremony will take place and also the parish Church(es).

• The couple will be expected to attend each reading of the banns. Where the banns are to be read in more than one Church, it is customary for the couple to attend each Church at least once to hear their banns read aloud.

• Each Church that is not holding the Wedding but has published the banns, will issue a certificate that needs to be passed to the Minister who will officiate the marriage.

• A small fee is payable for the reading of the banns to each Church that does so.