Congratulations! A very warm welcome to you if you are thinking about being married at our church!

As Christians, we believe that marriage is the joining together of a man and woman in lifelong union, for the mutual blessing of one another and as the loving foundation of family life. It is a wonderful gift, given by God to humanity, which is why the churches of Thrapston, Denford and Islip love to help couples get married and also love to support marriages in the years to come.

If you are interested in being married in one of our churches, the first thing you need to do is get in touch with the Rector. There some restrictions on who can get married in our churches and a number of requirements that must to be confirmed. If you are getting married elsewhere and need banns read, do also get in touch.

In preparation for your wedding, couples can expect to meet with the Rector on a number of occasions to plan the service and arrange the legal matters. There will also be an opportunity to think through the promises you will make to each other during the ceremony and what they mean for married life together.

1. Whether you are so closely related to each other that the law does not permit you to marry. You will need to certify that this is not the case.

2. Whether either of you is not a UK National. Special issues arise in this situation and these need to be considered before further progress can be made.

3. Whether either of you is qualified to be married at our church. Qualification comes by virtue either of being a resident in the parish; or of being on the church electoral roll; or of having close family links with the parish.

Once these issues have been clarified we will send you a booklet with further information and ask you to arrange an appointment with the Church Operations Manager and one of the leadership team. At this meeting all the arrangements for the wedding service can be discussed and any questions that you have can be raised.

Why get married at our Church?

Our churches are all beautiful church building, set in three unique settings, making the perfect locations for a wedding. A team of dedicated leaders and administrators will help you to plan your big day.

However there are certain other important distinctions which make a church wedding different to a civil service in a registry office or other licensed venue. Here's three things which we believe about marriage which might see us take a different approach to a wedding:

• We believe that marriage is a gift from God; a gift which celebrates joy and love, a gift which helps us care for one another - especially children, and a gift which helps to build and strengthen our communities, so we want to help you celebrate.
• We believe that there is a certain solemnness and seriousness to marriage, the lifelong vows taken and promises made are hugely important, so we treat marriage with reverence and respect.
• We believe that marriage works best when God is 'at the centre' - the Bible tells us that 'love comes from God', he gives us the love to be faithful and sacrificial in our marriages. To that end, we will pray for you, include a Bible reading and short talk in the service, and help you to consider God's love as you prepare for marriage.

Is there a Marriage Preparation Course?

Yes, if your wedding is taking place at our church, we want to prepare you not just for the day itself but for your marriage relationship, so attending our marriage preparation course is part of the deal. The course takes place over three evenings, where you will meet with the leader taking your wedding service. During these evenings you will explore what Christian marriage is and plan your service.

What will it cost?

As you start planning you might also want to know that in 2023 the fees for a wedding in one of our churches range from approximately £620 – £925 depending on what extras are required.