Highbury Congregational Church
a very special place for a Cheltenham wedding
a very special place for a Cheltenham wedding
Preparation
Getting married is one of the most special things any couple can do. It’s worth thinking carefully about, and preparing really well for.
Once you have taken the decision to get married there will be all sorts of things to do, getting plans made, organnising the day and everything that goes with it.
It’s not only the day itself that’s worth preparing for ... Getting married involves entering into a whole new kind of relationship ... And that’s worth thinking through.
What does marriage mean/ What can make it go well? What can spoil it? Why do marriages so often break down? What can we do to prevent such a thing happening/ Why get married in Church? Is there anything to the words of the service? Why bring God into it anyway?
All sorts of questions ... And they really are worth thinking through.
At Highbury as a church family we are delighted to welcome people who are thinking of getting married ... We feel that we have more to offer than just a lovely service on the day of the wedding itself. We feel that a Christian wedding can be the beginning of a lifelong Christian marriage and it’s worth taking time to get ready for what can be a real adventure.
Getting ready for the day
Getting married in church can be very special indeed. Getting ready for Christian marriage together is also very special.
We like to have about five preparatory sessions to explore what Christian marriage is all about, and to get ready for the wedding service itself.
It’s good to start with An Introductory Session when we can share thoughts about marriage, get to know each other and begin to get ready for the wedding.
Then we take a look at what Marriage is. We’ll look at the things that help to make marriage work, and the the things that can damage it. We’ll take a look at the problems that can arise and at ways of resolving them.
Next we’ll have a look at what Christian Marriage is and what’s really special about getting married in Church. During the Service we shall be using lots of fine sounding words, but it’s not much good using them without thinking about what they mean.
In a couple of sessions we look at The Wedding service and the wording of the service especially. It’s very important to get the wording right for the service. Spending time on the words of the service, making sure that they say exactly what the couple want to say is really rewarding.
Legal Requirements
To get married at Highbury Congregational Church one or other of the couple has to be resident in Cheltenham for seven consecutive days leading up to the point at which they give notice of their wedding.
No more than a year before the wedding and at least sixteen days before the wedding, both partners have to give notice of their intended wedding at Highbury at the Registry Office. Fifteen days later each will pick up a certificate which can be handed to the Minister at Highbury. Richard Cleaves will then be able to complete the registers and issue a marriage certificate on the day.
The service has to take place between 9-00 am and 6-00 pm at the church and it has to be open to the public. It has to be conducted in the presence of at least two other people who will act as witnesses. The service has to contain a very small number of set words that the law requires. Other than that there is great flexibility in shaping the service to make it as personal as possible.
Once you have taken the decision to get married there will be all sorts of things to do, getting plans made, organnising the day and everything that goes with it.
It’s not only the day itself that’s worth preparing for ... Getting married involves entering into a whole new kind of relationship ... And that’s worth thinking through.
What does marriage mean/ What can make it go well? What can spoil it? Why do marriages so often break down? What can we do to prevent such a thing happening/ Why get married in Church? Is there anything to the words of the service? Why bring God into it anyway?
All sorts of questions ... And they really are worth thinking through.
At Highbury as a church family we are delighted to welcome people who are thinking of getting married ... We feel that we have more to offer than just a lovely service on the day of the wedding itself. We feel that a Christian wedding can be the beginning of a lifelong Christian marriage and it’s worth taking time to get ready for what can be a real adventure.
Getting ready for the day
Getting married in church can be very special indeed. Getting ready for Christian marriage together is also very special.
We like to have about five preparatory sessions to explore what Christian marriage is all about, and to get ready for the wedding service itself.
It’s good to start with An Introductory Session when we can share thoughts about marriage, get to know each other and begin to get ready for the wedding.
Then we take a look at what Marriage is. We’ll look at the things that help to make marriage work, and the the things that can damage it. We’ll take a look at the problems that can arise and at ways of resolving them.
Next we’ll have a look at what Christian Marriage is and what’s really special about getting married in Church. During the Service we shall be using lots of fine sounding words, but it’s not much good using them without thinking about what they mean.
In a couple of sessions we look at The Wedding service and the wording of the service especially. It’s very important to get the wording right for the service. Spending time on the words of the service, making sure that they say exactly what the couple want to say is really rewarding.
Legal Requirements
To get married at Highbury Congregational Church one or other of the couple has to be resident in Cheltenham for seven consecutive days leading up to the point at which they give notice of their wedding.
No more than a year before the wedding and at least sixteen days before the wedding, both partners have to give notice of their intended wedding at Highbury at the Registry Office. Fifteen days later each will pick up a certificate which can be handed to the Minister at Highbury. Richard Cleaves will then be able to complete the registers and issue a marriage certificate on the day.
The service has to take place between 9-
You can find us at the top of Oxford St, off the London Road, GL52 6DT Phone: 01242 522050
Weddings are conducted by our Minister, the Rev Dr Richard Cleaves
richard.cleaves@highburychurch.co.uk
websites: www.highgburychurch.co.uk www.Jesusfortoday.co.uk
Weddings are conducted by our Minister, the Rev Dr Richard Cleaves
richard.cleaves@highburychurch.co.uk
websites: www.highgburychurch.co.uk www.Jesusfortoday.co.uk
