What is the first step? Usually a couple wishing to get married should approach the minister of the church at which they wish to be married. This would normally have to be in the civil registration district in which they live. Marriage preparation is provided at a local level by the circuit ministers. The best route is to start making links with the minister likely to conduct the wedding. Alternatively you may email us with the dates and name of the church you would like to hold you wedding ceremony at and we will get back to you. A meeting with the Church Minister or Superintendent will be arranged. As part of the legal process, prospective marriage partners will need to contact the local registry office and will be given a copy of a book called 'Married Life', which is a helpful resource for people thinking about the implications of getting married.
One of us is divorced. Is that OK? The rules and laws relating to divorce are not made by the church but by the State. The best advice is to speak to the local minister or the superintendent minister of the circuit where you wish to get married. The Methodist Church is generally willing to marry people who have been divorced while their previous spouse is still alive, as long as there are no major obvious reasons why it would be inappropriate to do so. The local minister will be able to explain the legalities about going to the registrar for a certificate and so on. The Methodist Church does not argue that the grounds for divorce should be changed from the present ones. We would certainly encourage a couple going through difficulties in their relationship to seek advice, counselling and support to see if they can rebuild it. We would also expect people to take very seriously their responsibilities to any children of the marriage.
Does one of us have to be a Methodist?People wanting to marry in church don't have to be members of the church, but most ministers will ask them why they wish to marry in church. A church marriage is a solemn Christian ceremony, with prayers and Bible readings reflecting Christian understandings of what marriage is about. Whilst people wishing to marry in a Methodist church do not need to be church members, most ministers will look for a genuine desire on the part of a couple to take their marriage seriously along the lines set out in the service. Discussing what this means in practice will be part of the marriage preparation. We would also expect a couple wishing to marry in a Methodist Church to have worshipped in that church before the ceremony, during normal Sunday services.
What if we are from two different denominations? Many marriages in Methodist churches (and many couples marrying in Methodist churches) include people from different Christian denominations. Where two people from different church traditions marry, it is quite common for ministers from both churches to take part in the ceremony. This is welcomed. Sometimes, people from different faiths marry - and there is advice available for such marriages.
