Banns
Most people get married in church after the ‘reading of banns’. The banns are read in the church at which you are getting married and in the church in the parish of which the other partner lives. If you both live in this parish, then banns only need to be read here.
It is very important that for the purposes of the reading of the banns you reside at the addresses which you give when you apply for the reading of banns. The form, which you fill in to apply to have your banns read, is a complicated form and needs to be filled in truthfully. It is filled in both for this church and for any other church you are having your banns read. It is therefore worth you keeping a photocopy of it once you have filled in one.
It is your responsibility to make sure that you have agreed the calling of banns with the various Vicars concerned. You cannot be married in church without fulfilling the legal preliminaries.
Marriage after banns is only possible when both partners are UK or EEA citizens.
Other Preliminaries
It is also possible to get married with different legal preliminary procedures, but this is more expensive and it only normally happens in cases where banns cannot be read. The clergy can advise on this.
Further information on marriage in an Anglican church in England can be found on the Church of England’s Your Church Wedding site.
