do you need to be christened to get married in a church?

Question

myself and my girlfriend are looking to get married but i want to get marriedin a church, but neither one of us are christened, do you have to proove to a priest/vicar that you are true followers of the religion, or is that just tv stuff?

Answer 1

No - u do need to speak with the minister/priest and some will ask you to join the church , if you dont want to join be honest! There will be ministers happy to marry you in the church without you joining, being christened or following the religion!

Answer 2

Hi there.

The strict answer is that it depends upon the specific religion and the local priest or vicar. That said, the general rule of thumb is 'yes' you do need to convince the priest/vicar that you are believers but the lengths you need to go to in a Catholic Church are much more than in the other churches.

Generally, attending the banns and a couple of chats with the vicar is sufficient for CofE marriages, but in Catholic marriages (depending upon the priest) you may also have to attend 'Pre Cana'. Whatever you do, if you aren't very religious (or perhaps even not at all) and are getting married in a Church more for the ambience than the sentiment, then don't let on otherwise you could be turned away. That said, if it is more of an ambience thing, then perhaps a Civil Wedding may be a better option.

Either way there is loads to think about. I would suggest having a look at the info on the website (link shown below). There is tons of help and the 'arranging the wedding' articles may prove of particular interest.

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

I'm assuming you want a church of England style church wedding here, not Catholic.

For Cof E it's usally the case that one of you will need to be christened. The vicar can choose to allow you to marry in their church if neither of you are christened, but you'll have to ask very nicely and don't expect any favours. It's entirely up to each minister whether they would be prepared to marry you.

To be completely honest here, why on Earth do you want a religious marriage ceremony when neither of you are the slightest bit interested in the faith? If you're not committed enough to a faith to be christened, why do you want that faith to recognize your marriage? Why do you want religious songs sung and prayers said by a religion you don't recognise and are not part of?

Oh I forgot. You want to play at religion for a day, take pictures of the pretty church, hear the bells ring out, have the church florist do the flowers and give sod all back.

Answer 4

I may be wrong, but by the choice of words you used in your question I would reckon you are English. The Church of England may have it's own requirements that I am not well versed on being in the U.S., but here in the states I can tell you that you can get married in a non-denominational christian church without being christened or even being a member of that church. How this plays out in other countries I could not say, but that gives you a starting point. Other religions such as Catholic, Jewish, Mormon, and Muslim (to name a few) will require you to convert and follow their religion fully before they will marry you into their tradition.

Answer 5

No you dont. You have the right to get married in the parish church (church of England) where you live. You need to see the vicar to discuss it and to get the banns read. To check out your local church go to acny.org.uk. If one of you lives in another parish the banns have to be read in that church too. some churches offer 'marriage preparation' courses which are a way of helping you to think things through and discuss things between you and your girlfriend (eg have youdiscussed how you will manage your finances, how many children you would like, etc). This is also a chance to think through and discuss the actual service and what it means. It isnt the vicar telling you what to do, but helping you to get the most out of your wedding as a good start to your marriage.

Most vicars i know will welcome the chance to discuss your faith with you to help you think it through for yourself and to answer any questions - they will not want you to lie or to try and prove you are a true follower of the religion -and anyway they would probably see through the act (which would make it a waste of effort). He/she will probably ask you why you want to get married in the church - be honest with them. I suggest you talk this one through with your girlfriend before the meeting - why a church wedding and not some other place. There is no right or wrong answer - but an honest one is best
I hope your local vicar is helpful - and that you wedding goes really well. God bless...

Answer 6

Depends on the church. Find the church you are thinking of ans set up an appointment with the priest/ pastor. religious leader. They can let you know about the requirements to get married inside the building

All Christian churches require that you be christian and through Baptism, First Eucharist, Reconsiliation and Confirmation before you can be married in a church.

by the by, if you are not of the religion then why get married in a religious building. (Making up apearances is simply liying to yourself and other and that never lasts long)

Answer 7

Not you dont have to be christened ot anything but some churches will expect you to me a member of that faith or they will expect you to attend certain ceremonies and declare that you will follow on the faith after you have got married . Kind of a way of them saying that youre not using them purely for the purposes of getting married and also a way for them to get their grubby little paws into you both . But anyways best thing to do is sit and talk with a preist or minister and they will run through their particular requirements . Good Luck with the whole wedding hope youll both be very blessed and happy X

Answer 8

Why would you want to get married in church unless you believe in God? If you believe in God then why not find out more and get christened before you get married?

If you just want to get married in church because it is traditional or because it is a pretty building, then think again. It is the house of God.

There are many beautiful hotels/registry offices etc that you could choose to be married in.

In the Catholic church, you DO have to be christened and i believe confirmed before you can get married in it.

Answer 9

If you want to get married in a Catholic church, you must have gone through all the rites of passage (Baptism, First Communion, Reconciliation and Confirmation). You can´t get married in the Catholic church if you´ve only been baptized or if you haven´t completed all the rites. I don´t know what the requirements are for Protestant churches.

Answer 10

It depends on the denomination. I am sure that the Roman Catholic Church would not marry you and I don't think that the Church of England would either.