|
Getting Married at Michaelhouse
It is exciting to plan a marriage and we wish you all the best for the future. Michaelhouse is a wonderful venue for a wedding. We have prepared some information about getting married here and how we can help you celebrate your wedding.
What is Marriage?
There are two forms of marriage service. The Service of Marriage, which includes solemn vows, prayer for God’s blessing and the legal registration of the marriage; and the Service of Blessing after a Civil Marriage. Under the terms of the Marriage Act 1949 we are not licenced for civil wedding ceremonies or partnership ceremonies. In addition, we are only allowed by law to register the Marriages of those who live in the parish of Great St Mary’s with St Michael’s or who are members of the Michaelhouse or Great St Mary’s congregation.
The Service of Blessing after a Civil Marriage has no restrictions around it. It is used by those who may not qualify for marriage in Michaelhouse for these legal reasons, or who prefer to keep the religious and legal parts separate. Both are profound and beautiful services and enable you to enter into your marriage in the church. The Service of Blessing is in no way a ‘second best’, and a sample order can be viewed by following this link. There is, at present, no order of service provided by the Church of England to celebrate civil partnerships. However, Michaelhouse Café is available as a venue to celebrate your partnership, and the Centre Manager and Catering Manager would be very pleased to talk with you about your event.
Qualifications for Marriage
You need either to live in the geographical parish of Great St Mary’s with St Michael’s—and this applies to very few people since the parish is very small; or you should be a member of the Michaelhouse or Great St Mary’s congregation. You need to join the Church Membership Roll, called the Electoral Roll, for which you declare that you have worshipped regularly here for six months.
If you qualify to be have your Marriage registered here, your intention to get married here is announced by the Calling of Banns. We read an announcement of your marriage in church for three successive weeks, not more than three months before the wedding day. If there is any legal reason why you should not get married, people can raise their objection. Happily this is not a common occurrence! If one of you is not a British Citizen, you may not get married by Banns, but will need to apply for a Marriage Licence from the Bishop of Ely’s Registry instead. This is a straightforward procedure, and the chaplain will be happy to advise you.
We are glad to arrange for a service for those who have been divorced. This is usually a Service of Blessing after Civil Marriage. You can discuss this in confidence with the chaplain.
In order to get married in a registry office in preparation for a Service of Blessing after a Civil Marriage at Michaelhouse, the following preliminaries apply: you can get married at any registry office of your choice in England without having to set up residence in that district. You will need to give fifteen days notice of your intention to get married. Both of you must have lived in a registration district in England for at least seven days immediately before giving notice at the registry office. Therefore if, for example, you gave notice on 1 February, your civil marriage could take place on or after 17 February.
Fixing a Date
You need to arrange a date when the Chapel is is available. Weddings often take place on a Saturday, but any other weekday is also possible. Ordinarily, the Chapel is not available before 4 pm for marriages. On Sundays, the Church is used for other services, and the Café is closed. If you already have a definite date in mind, please contact the Centre Manager to ascertain availability of the Chapel and Café; the sooner you book it with us, the better.
Preparation
You will meet with the chaplain, who will conduct your wedding. You will also meet with the Centre Manager and Catering Manager to discuss your event. We usually arrange three meetings, one of which includes a rehearsal shortly before the wedding day at which your best man and chief bridesmaid should be present. All the points here can be explained and discussed at one of these meetings. In preparation for either a Service of Marriage or a Service of Blessing, the chaplain will ask you to complete a Marriage Application Form.
Costs
The Manager and the Catering Manager will be able to advise you on venue and catering costs for your reception. Our able Church musicians are happy to provide musical accompaniment for your ceremony. We are pleased to arrange for you to meet with one of our flower arrangers, who will be able to advise you on the cost of flowers.
In addition to any venue and reception costs, there are fees for a Service of Marriage. There are charges for the Publication of Banns of Marriage (or, alternatively, for the Application for a Marriage Licence ); and there is a fee for the Marriage Service. There is no fee for a Service of Blessing after a Civil Marriage, but we suggest you make a donation of £200 to the Michaelhouse Chapel Fund instead.
The Chaplain is able to provide full information on all these costs and fees, including the music and the flowers.
|
