The Anglican Parish of St Andrew: Weddings

Christian Marriage is the joining together of man and woman in a life-long committed relationship. In coming to the Church for marriage, we ask God to work through the couple to bind them together as one flesh. The Parish of St Andrew has three church buildings where you might wish to be married. Following is a brief guide to the details of marriage in the church.

How much notice is required?
Do we need to be Anglican?
When may a wedding be performed?
What preparation is necessary?
What is the purpose of preparation?
What if one of us is divorced?
What kind of music should we plan for?
Do you have a photography policy?
What do we do next?

Advance Notice

The Canon Law of the Anglican Church of Canada requires a minimum of 60 days notice before the intended date of the marriage in order to allow for proper preparation. If either of you has been divorced, however, even more notice is required for the reasons outlined below.

Who May be Married in an Anglican Church

Although you need not be Anglican, at least one of the couple needs to have been baptized. Normally, people coming for Christian Marriage do so because one or both of them are practicing Christians and they wish to ask God's blessing upon their union.

Please note that weddings may not be performed in Holy Week or on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Weddings may be performed on Sundays, but only within the context of the regular Sunday Service.

Preparation

Ordinarily you will be expected to meet with the rector three times prior to the wedding: once to do the inevitable paperwork; once to discuss the Church's understanding of the sacramental nature of marriage; and once to plan the details of the service. In addition, to consider other aspects of the marriage relationship, you will be expected to take part in a formal Marriage Preparation course outside the parish.

The Anglican Church of Canada expects its clergy to prepare each couple for their married life together. We believe that marriage is a serious business which should not be undertaken lightly. It would be irresponsible of us to encourage a casual approach to such a serious matter. The Marriage Preparation course is intended to help the couple explore their relationship, to provide tools to strengthen that relationship and to help prepare them for the challenges ahead. In planning a wedding, hours of thought go into the choice of a dress or invitations or a caterer. When you spend so much time preparing for a few hours of your life, doesn't it make sense to spend some time preparing for the next fifty years or more of life together?

If either or both of you are divorced, there is a further preparatory step which is the making of a submission to the Diocesan Matrimonial Commission. Most couples find this a helpful process, but it does take some extra time. Under normal circumstances six months notice is required and you should not expect to be married in less than three months after your submission is made.

Music

Music should be appropriate to a service of worship. (Popular music is more appropriate at the reception.) We ask you to respect this worshipful attitude to Christian marriage.

Picture Taking

A wedding is a joyful moment that is best appreciated when all present participate in the event. Photography can distract from this moment. Therefore, the Parish of St Andrew, like most parishes, has a photography policy which you are asked to respect. The policy allows for a limited number of photos during the wedding, as well as the use of a video camera from a fixed location. Remember, your wedding is a service of worship. Pictures may be posed in the church after the service, and the officiating clergy will be happy to remain behind for this purpose.

Next steps

For further information, or to begin discussing a wedding, please contact the Rector.

The Anglican Parish of St Andrew
St Simeon's, Lachute * Christ Church, St Andrew's East * St Paul's, Dunany
Weddings * Baptism * Ministry Team * Peace Candle