Weddings & christenings
‘We are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God in the time of man's innocency, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church.’
St James Garlickhythe is not only a beautiful building, but a holy place in which to exchange wedding vows, celebrate with family and friends and receive the blessing of God upon your marriage.
There are two main ways of being eligible to be married at St James:
- If you live in the parish you have an automatic right to be married in St James after the calling of banns (the announcement of your wedding on three consecutive Sundays within the three months before the wedding both here and in the parish church of your fiancé).
- If you do not live in the parish you can be married here if you are a regular worshipper at St James and/or are on the Electoral Roll (the register of the regular worshippers at the Church).
You may also have some other qualifying connection to St James (eg you were baptised here). Once on the electoral roll, you are married after banns are called here and in your parishes of residence.
There are a few exceptions when a couple may marry after obtaining a Common License from the Bishop of London, or a Special License from the Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the meantime, why not come to St James to worship with us and get a feel for the church?
Then why not have a chat with Fr Tim?
We want your wedding to be the most important part of the most special day of your lives.
We would be honoured to help you plan the shape, form and content of the service; helping you to understand the spiritual and symbolic significance of the words you say and the actions you perform, and of the commitment you are making; and creating the perfect atmosphere through music and liturgy for the celebration of the sacrament.
We hope you think St James is the place for you to declare your love for each other and to celebrate the goodness of God that you have found in each other, and that the beginning of your lives together begins here: at St James.
St James is also where new members of the Christian family are made in Holy Baptism. If you're interested in having a child Christened, or being baptised yourself, please get in touch.
Interested in having your wedding with us? Find out more about marrying with the Church of England.
Get in touch with us using our contact form, or email us at adminSJG@london.anglican.org.
