Marriage

If you are thinking of getting married at St Wilfrid’s, that is great news. But there are some things you need to know.

One or both of you should be a baptised Catholic and resident in St Wilfrid’s parish or attending Mass here regularly. You must give at least 6 months’ notice of your intention to marry. If either of you has been married before, even if that was not in a church, you should speak to the parish priest at the earliest opportunity, to check if a marriage in church will be possible.

Marriage Preparation

Preparation for marriage does not just mean preparation for the day of your wedding. Preparations begin with a course for engaged couples. You will be invited to come together and join other couples in thinking about your relationship and why you have asked to be married in church. Fr Anthony Dutton the parish priest can give you information about the various options for taking part in a marriage preparation course. After the course you will need to meet with him a couple of times to complete the necessary paperwork and plan the wedding service. It is important that you contact him at least 6 months before the date of your wedding to allow sufficient time for planning and to check that all the necessary paperwork is in place.

Civil Requirements

You will need to visit the Register Office (Normally Preston or Accrington) to give ‘notification of your intention to marry’. This can be done up to 12 months prior to the date of the wedding, but you must do this no later than 28 days before the wedding. After 21 days you will be issued with a ‘Marriage Schedule’. It is important that this schedule is given to Fr. Anthony Dutton directly, as the wedding cannot go ahead without it. For this reason, please hand it to him in person rather than posting it! A fee is charged by the Register Office. The parish has its own Authorised Person, who witnesses your marriage for civil purposes.

Costs and fees

There is a set charge for the registration of your marriage on the day. Currently, the registrar’s fee is £88.00. There may also be charges for an organist, florist, etc. These may be arranged through the parish if you wish. As the parish does not charge a fee for the wedding, we invite couples to make a donation to the parish.