St. Andrew’s Church, Limpsfield Chart, is a wonderful venue to have your marriage service. It’s in a beautiful setting, but more importantly holding the ceremony in church means seeking God’s blessing for your marriage. It also means you will be held in the prayers of the local Christian community.
All couples are invited to an initial meeting with the minister. For weddings between citizens with UK passports, marriage is normally by ‘banns’. This means that an announcement is made on three consecutive weeks in church in the three months before you are to be married. If you are on the electoral roll or live in St. Andrew’s parish, and both hold UK passports you will automatically qualify to be married here. If you do not live in Limpsfield Chart but have a special connection to the church or village (for example you used to live here, your parents live here, you or your parents worship or use to worship at St Andrew’s) it may well still be possible.
In the early Spring before the wedding, couples are invited to attend a marriage preparation day. This is usually a Saturday morning with lunch. The day explores expectations of marriage, its meaning and dealing with relationship issues. It is also a good opportunity to meet other couples getting married within our team of churches.
For weddings where at least one of the wedding couple holds an Overseas Passport, you will need to be married by ‘common licence’ instead of banns. Please call us and we will explain the process you need to go through.
If you would like to consider getting married at St. Andrew’s, the best thing to do would be to come along to a service on a Sunday and to see the church for yourself and introduce yourself to a member of clergy.
Marriage Blessings
For married couples who wish to give thanks for their marriage and to seek God’s blessing, there is the opportunity to have a special ceremony with their family and friends in church. This may be for a couple who were originally married some time ago in a civil ceremony at a Registrar’s Office and who have now decided to bring their marriage under God and to renew their vows according to the church’s understanding of marriage. Alternatively, it may be for a couple who have been married before, or married some years ago in church and who have reached a special anniversary or a significant moment in their relationship.