What do I do next?
Please contact Jackie, our church administrator, at: jackie@ramseysandupwood.org. She will help you check whether you are legally able to get married at St Thomas à Becket (Ramsey), St Peter’s (Upwood) or St Mary’s (Ramsey St Mary’s), and whether the church is available on the date of your choice. She will then guide you through the process. Each year, we hold a “Marriage by Design” day, usually in January, which gives you lots of opportunity to begin to plan your special day.
The law sets out who is able to get married in a parish church. If you’re qualified to be married in a church, then you also have a right to be married in that church. But if you are not, then unfortunately we are not legally allowed to marry you there. The tests for a qualifying connection are as follow:
One of you:
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lives in the parish (we need to check you are within the ecclesiastical boundary) OR
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is on the Church’s electoral roll OR
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has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months OR
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has habitually attended normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months OR
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was baptized in the parish OR
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was prepared for confirmation in the parish OR
One of your parents; at any time after you were born:
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has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months OR
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has at any time habitually attended normal Church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months OR
One of you parents or grandparents:
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was married in the parish
OR
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you have been granted a special licence. (This means an application to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and is granted only in rare circumstances.)
If you have no other connection, you can establish one through route 4 – by attending a service at least once each month for at least six months. We have a process by which you can document that you do this, and so establish your ability to marry in the church.