Weddings

All parishes have requirements that need to be fulfilled before a wedding can be performed and each parish differs slightly from others. At the Church of Saint John the Baptist, you do not need to be a member of the parish to be married by our parish priest, however at least one of the couple must have been baptized in a Christian church. The wedding ceremony in the Anglican Church can be celebrated using one of two authorized services; the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), written in the traditional English language, or the more contemporary Book of Alternative Services (BAS), written in modern English. The parish priest will generally follow whichever of the two formats the couple choose. 

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Although the church is the appropriate place for the celebration and blessing of a marriage, a wedding may take place in other locations, provided the parish priest is satisfied that the public nature, dignity and sacredness of the service will be preserved. Clergy are often asked to change the service or add an element to it, much of which is manageable. However, it is important to note that nothing will be done that changes the Christian understanding of the ceremony, particularly the vows, which must be said as written in either the BCP or BAS wedding services. 

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Any couple seeking to marry at the Church of Saint John the Baptist will be asked to go through a marriage preparation course conducted by the parish priest. The purpose of the course is to help couples strengthen their current relationships in preparation for married life. As is to be expected, preparation for marriage requires a fair amount of lead-time. Nine to twelve months is ideal. Six months is possible unless one of the couple has been married before when more time is required.

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If you are interested in being married at the Church of Saint John the Baptist, please contact our parish Administrative Assistant to set up an appointment with our priest. If you would like to make an appointment or you desire more information, please contact us.