Can we marry in church & when to start planning?

Question

Me and my fiance are getting married in 2010 but neither of us are religous can we get married in church? He has been married before. Also how long does it take to plan a wedding? When should i start making arrangements?
Thanks!

Just for those who think im a hypocrite i never actually said i wanted to get married in a church i just asked if it would be possible. A church is just 1 of the places we have thought about having the wedding.

Answer 1

you can get married anywhere - many churches such as Unity Churches will many those who are non-religious. If yo are not marrying until 2010, you have lots of time - right now, I would just be thinking about the type of wedding you would like - which you are doing, how big, formality, etc.. And go ahead & set your date. I'd wait till much closer to start really planning unless you pick some very popular venue - if you do - then by all means- book it now

Answer 2

Congratulations

I think you need at least a year to plan a marriage least that we doing but if you know what you want start booking say a year and a half before not sure if people take bookings beofre this.

You will need to speak to the vicar of the church you wish to get married we are not religous either nor have we been christened but our vicar was fine about this although of course don't state that your not a god worshiper hey

You should have no problems although you may have to attend a few servies before the wedding when your banns will be read and maybe a guidance day course which we will.

I personally think alot of churches these days need the money so they won't turn people down for example a know of a couple getting marred who have a child plus she has been divorced my how times have changed.

Good Luck sorry about spelling I rush x

Answer 3

It depends on the church.... If you want to be married in a Catholic church, the answer is probably 'No'. At least one of you must be Catholic for a priest to marry you ... unless you go through religious classes and become confirmed. I also think that it's hard, if not impossible, for a divorced person to get married in a Catholic ceremony (you need to check on that...)

If you want to be married in a Protestant church, you'll just have to ask the church officials. Different churches have different policies. Many churches allow non-members to rent their facilities, but only if they're christian. Many ministers will not marry non-Christians in a church under any circumstances. You'll probably have better luck with a Unitarian Universalist church.

My fiance and I are both proudly non-religious (atheist/agnostic) as well. We have no desire to get married in a church, regardless of how lovely the church is. so...we're having a civil ceremony in a historic mansion. It will be a pretty big wedding too. Don't let anyone tell you that non-religious people can't have fabulous weddings!

Good luck!

We're planning a big wedding with 120 guests, dinner reception, DJ...the works in about 6 months. So far, it's been hassle-free. Many people start planning about a year in advance simply because so many venues and vendors book that far in advance.

Answer 4

If you aren't religious, I wouldn't get married in a church - period. It's very hypocritical to use a church building just because it's tradition or pretty. A church is NOT a wedding prop...to most, it's a sacred place.

with that said, yes, there are churches where you can pay to get married without actually being members. you'll find, however, that most churches require that you be a member of the church.

the planning depends on the size of your wedding. if you're going to have a huge wedding, then i'd start at least 1 year out. if it's going to be a very small, casual affair, then i'd start about 10 months out. most brides take 1 year so they can have plenty of time and not stress. plus, most vendors get booked 1 year out.

Answer 5

yes, there are some churches you can get married in. also, at the church (or separate from the church) i would take marriage preparation classes. my fiance and i have gained SO much from these classes. we took a new program called A Joy Filled Marriage. Many faiths are starting to use this, as it doesn't focus a lot on the Catholic Church, but just a very practical and contemporary approach to marriage.
I booked venues this past month (7 months ahead of time), and they already have people booking for 2009. If you know where you want it, you can. However, you have plenty of time to look around for the perfect place! 12 months gives you PLENTY of time to plan, but many people start sooner. It's weird, because some people have told me I'm starting too soon (7 mos)...

Answer 6

First of all, and most importantly, a lot of things can happen between now and the year 2010. Men and women fall in love . . get engaged . . make wedding plans . . and then they break up. So I suggest waiting until 2009 before you start calling DJs or photographers or wedding cake bakers.

Secondly, why would you want to get married in a church if you are not religious? When you contact a minister or a priest about marrying you one of the first questions they are going to ask is? Are you a member of this church? Are you a member of any church? And when was the last time that you attended a church service?

So if you wish to get married in a church, you will need to become a member of that church, you will need to attend church services on a regular basis, and you and your fiance will probably have to participate in premarital counseling.

And if becoming a church member does not appeal to you or your fiance, then I suggest looking into these alternatives: home wedding, country club wedding, park wedding, historical site wedding, restaurant wedding, hotel wedding, garden wedding, resort wedding, beach wedding, vineyard wedding, banquet hall wedding, fire hall wedding or a country inn wedding.

Answered by: A Certified wedding specialist / A Professional bridal consultant / A Wedding ceremony officiant

Answer 7

Hi, if you are getting married in the UK then there are no standard 'rules'. The Church of England aren't keen on marrying divorced people. The Methodist Church is fine about it so perhaps go down that route if you are keen to get married in a Church. I have just got married (both my wife and I have previously been married) and opted for the Civil Ceremony. it is personal taste of course, but we both had a fantastic day with the whole day being very personal as we were surrounded by those people that matter in life. Keep your options open and allow yourself 12 months to arrange things to be on the safe side. Confetti.co.uk is a good start for ideas too.

Answer 8

I'm not sure about other religions but I went through something similar when I got married. My husband has been married before and he is lutheran (I'm Catholic). I wanted to get married in the Catholic church but he would have had to get his previous marriage annulled. That takes some time. Also, if you want to get married in the church you must be a member of that church for 1 year. I'm not sure if then you have to go through the sacraments (baptism, confirmation, etc.) In all honesty, I would find some other venue to have the ceremony. We ended up having ours outside (August) at a gazebo. It was beautiful. We had a short ceremony and I really couldn't have asked for anything better.
Good Luck!

Answer 9

Most churches will not marry you unless you are a member. There are plenty of other venues that you can get married in that are not churches.

You can start researching different things, but do not put any money down on anything until about a year ahead of time. Plans change, you would not want to be stuck with anything unless you are sure they are going to work out. Start getting ideas of dress styles, flowers, food, etc though.

Answer 10

oh girl, you've got plenty of time!! depending on how many guests and such you're wanting to attend, will determine when you need to start planning... bigger weddings take more time to prepare. i would guess an average is about 6 months prior. and yes, you should be able to marry in a church. most baptist preachers will not marry someone who has been married before; although, some assistant preachers or youth ministers will.. just keep that in mind. you could also get married in a chapel in the mountains (not sure where you live)... a lot of resorts and things have packages which include decorations and catering, etc. and you get to tell them what type of decor/colors to use (depending on the resort). i suggest that, instead of an actual church in town.. maybe that'll make you guys more comfortable. congratulations!!