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

One or both of you need to be a baptised Catholic and resident in St Mary’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 an engaged couples course. 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 Richard 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 Fr. Richard a couple of times to complete the necessary paperwork and plan the wedding service. It is important that you make contact with the priest 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 need to visit the Register Office (Normally Bolton) to give ‘notification of your intention to marry’. You can do this up to 12 months before, but you must do it at least 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. Richard directly, as the wedding cannot go ahead without it. For this reason, please hand it to Fr. Richard 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. There may also be charges for an organist, florist, singer(s) etc. if you would like the parish to supply these. There is also a recommended donation to the parish, which you can discuss with Fr. Richard.