Getting Married at St Nicholas Church
If you want to get married in St Nicholas Church you need to arrange a meeting with the Vicar by contacting the church.(Click here for contact details)
At this meeting you will be able to decide, together with the Rector, on the date and time for your wedding and put the details on to the church weddings booking system. In addition it will be necessary for you to prove your identity and nationality by means of a valid passport or identity document. We will not be able to proceed with any further preparations until you have been able to show these documents.
Marriage Preparation Day
All couples wishing to be married at St Nicholas must attend the Marriage Preparation Day, which takes place on a Saturday in the Spring. Once you have your planned wedding in the system you will receive an invitation to this day.
Couples may choose to do the final plans for their wedding at this gathering. This is where the final choices for the service are made. In exceptional cases an additional planning meeting may be held, by appointment with the Rector.
Wedding Rehearsal
In the week preceding your wedding you and other key persons involved in your wedding will need to attend a rehearsal in the church so that you may be confident and relaxed on the day.
Qualification be married in St Nicholas
Previous law established a right for a couple to marry in the Church of England in the parish church where one or both of them lived, whether they were baptised or not, and whether they were churchgoers or not. To marry in any other parish required a special licence or six months of habitual attendance followed by entry on the local church electoral roll.
The ecclessiastical parish of St Nicholas, Southfleet consists of the villages of Southfleet, Betsham, Bean and most of New Barn.
But new laws, initiated by the Church of England and approved by Parliament, add to this right of residency, making it just as easy for couples to marry in a church where they have a family or other special connection, even if they don’t live there.
Since October 2008 an engaged couple are welcome to be married in St Nicholas Church, Southfleet if just one of these applies:
- one of them was baptised or prepared for confirmation in this parish;
- one of them has ever lived in this parish for six months or more;
- one of them has at any time regularly attended public worship in this parish for six months or more;
- one of their parents has lived in this parish for six months or more in their lifetime;
- one of their parents has regularly attended public worship there for six months or more in their lifetime;
- their parents or grandparents were married in the parish.
If you do not qualify under any of these conditions you will need to become a habitual worshipper at St Nicholas for a period of six months. This is a legal requirement but also serves to enable us to get to know you and for you to get to know us and in so doing find yourselves amongst friends on your big day.
Even if you live in the parish we recommend that you still become habitual worshippers at St Nicholas.
- St Nicholas Church
- Church Street
- Southfleet
- Kent
- DA13 9NR
01474 391677
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