Weddings
If you are looking at this page, then the chances are that you have recently got engaged to be married – congratulations! A number of weddings take place at St Nick’s every year, and often couples who have got to know the church as they prepare for their wedding choose to continue as regular members of the congregation. Below are some notes to help you think about your wedding day.
Why get married in church?
We believe that love and companionship is a gift from God, and one of the most important ways of demonstrating this is through marriage. It says in the wedding service that marriage “enriches society and strengthens community”. Very few couples these days get married in church because of family expectation: they choose to do so because it is important to them to make their vows in the presence of God and to receive his blessing.
© Copyright Amy Faith Photography
Who can get married at St Nick’s?
There are many ways of meeting the legal qualification to get married at St Nick’s. If you live within the parish boundaries or you are a member of our congregation, then you automatically qualify to be married at Liverpool Parish Church. Most couples who get married here attend worship regularly for at least six months so that they meet the legal qualification, but they often remain members of the congregation after that!
Other legal qualifications for getting married at St Nick’s are if you can show any of the following:
That one of you:
- has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
- was baptised in the parish concerned or
- was prepared for confirmation in the parish or
- has at any time regularly gone to Sunday church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months
That one of your parents, at any time after you were born:
- has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
- has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months
That one of your parents or grandparents:
- was married in the parish
Please note that weddings do not usually take place during Lent at St Nick’s (from Ash Wednesday to Easter). This is a solemn time of year as we prepare to commemorate the death of Jesus and celebrate his resurrection.
What about divorcees and same-sex couples?
Although we believe marriage to be a life-long commitment, we all know that sometimes relationships break down. Along with most Church of England churches, the clergy at St Nick’s are happy to discuss with you remarriage after divorce. Please make an appointment with one of the clergy to talk about your own circumstances.
At the moment the Church of England does not allow us to conduct same-sex marriages. Whilst we actively campaign to change this situation, same-sex couples are very welcome at St Nick’s, and we can arrange a service to bless your marriage following a civil ceremony.
What about preparation and a rehearsal?
The time before getting married is very important, not just for booking reception venues and honeymoons, but also for thinking about the changes that are going to happen in your life when the day is over and you have put the photographs in an album.
Every year we invite all the couples planning their weddings at St Nick’s to get together and talk about some of the shared experiences of getting married. The sessions are enjoyable and fun and we have received very positive feedback about this time together. In the final session we invite the wedding ‘team’ at St Nick’s to introduce themselves, and you will have a chance to discuss your own plans with the musicians, the vergers, and the flower arrangers.
In the week preceding the wedding there is usually a rehearsal in church for the couple and their immediate friends and family.
What do I need to do next?
If you have read these notes and would like to discuss further the possibility of getting married at St Nick’s, then please contact the parish office to make an appointment to see one of the clergy after the Parish Eucharist on a Sunday. Please do book a slot in advance so that you are not disappointed. When you book your wedding, you will be given a ‘wedding pack’ from us to guide you through the process. If you have any other queries then please ring or e-mail our Administrator who will be happy to help.
Almighty God, in whom we live and move and have our being, look graciously upon the world which you have made and for which your Son gave his life, and especially on all whom you make to be one flesh in holy marriage. May their lives together be a sign of your love to this broken world, so that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy overcome despair; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.