Getting Married?

The couples wanting information about getting married in any of the parishes of the Guildford Cluster, or who live in the boundaries of the parishes, please send a written request to the priest at:

St Joseph's Church
12 Eastgate Gardens
Guildford
GU1 4AZ

With the following information:

• Complete names, address and contact numbers, including email address.
• Date when plan to get married and place
• Religion

Upon receipt of this information the priest will contact them to make an appointment.

Some Important Information

• In the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton it is required that at least six months notice of an intention to marry must be given to the parish.
• Your parish is the local catholic church which has pastoral responsibility for the area in which you live.
• Evidence of completion of the Marriage Preparation Course. (see below)
• A copy of the Baptismal Certificate must be produced by all Roman Catholics. This must be a new copy as it also acts as a certificate of freedom to marry. (You can obtain this from the church where you were baptised. It is a kindness to enclose a stamped addressed envelope when you write.)
• Further evidence of freedom to marry may be required. (The priest will advise)
• For baptised Christians of other denominations, a baptismal Certificate or other evidence must be provided.
• Permission from the State for your marriage to take place.

Marriage Preparation Course

Getting married is one of the most important steps you will take in life and the aim of the course is to give you time, during what can be a very busy period, to focus on your relationship with one another, to explore your hopes and fears for the future and to look at models for communication and problem solving, which can be of help in a lasting relationship. The course also covers the understanding of the Christian and Catholic view of marriage as a sacrament and a lifelong commitment.

Two or three courses are run each year led by a team of married couples from the cluster parishes, working with the priests. Each course runs over three evenings and a whole day, usually a Sunday. Engaged couples who attend these courses enjoy them very much and it gives them an opportunity to take some time out from all the hustle and bustle of wedding preparations to talk to each other about their relationship.

No one can tell you how to have a successful marriage. There is no magic formula and all marriages are unique. The course merely gives you the opportunity to explore your hopes and fears for the future and to ask yourself very seriously:
Is this the person I want to share the rest of my life with, “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part”?
(an administration fee of £50 is asked if your wedding is not taking place
in the Guildford Catholic Parishes)

For more information contact Tina Nichols: Tel: 01483 564967 or tina.nichols@ntlworld.com

Downloads

Download a "Getting Married" information booklet here.