Whether you are hoping to marry here at St Theresa’s or in another church, we would like to offer you our best wishes for this time of preparation and much happiness in the years ahead.

No doubt you are already finding that there are a number of detailed arrangements to be made for your wedding day. We hope that the information given here will indicate clearly all the essential preparations for your marriage and the wedding service itself. There will be a great deal of paperwork that has to be completed before permission is granted for you to marry (some of which is time-critical) so please contact us as soon as possible so that we may advise and assist you with planning your happy day.

If anything seems confusing or there are any other matters not mentioned here that you would like to discuss, then we will be happy to help you!

Marriage is a daily job. We could even say it’s like craftmanship. In a way it’s like being a goldsmith, because a husband makes his wife more of a woman, and she in turn should make her husband a better man. Growing together in their humanity, as man and woman.

– Pope Francis

You and your partner will need to attend a marriage preparation course. The Archbishop requires that all couples attend a course, and such a course is a requirement for all couples wishing to marry in the Catholic Church. We are not currently running a marriage preparation course in the parish, but various courses are available around the Diocese. To gain the maximum benefit from this course, you should register for one as soon as possible after arranging the date of your marriage.

Marriage preparation courses are advertised regularly by the diocese. Please see their webpage on Getting Married – Preparation and Formation.

Should you still have questions about your marriage and would value some assistance in answering them but would prefer not to talk to a priest, you can contact Marriage Care, the Catholic Marriage Advisory Council 0845 660 6000.

When you have completed a course, please make sure you give us the certificate that you will receive, as it will form part of your ‘ Church’ paperwork.

Marriage Documents Required For A Catholic Wedding When both parties are Catholic

• A new copy of the Baptismal Certificate for each person, issued within six months of the date of the wedding, not before.
• A Confirmation Certificate for the Catholic parties – this is an absolute requirement for marriages in some countries such as Poland, Malta, Ireland or Italy.
• A Statutory Declaration of Freedom, for each party, to be sworn before a solicitor, and stamped and witnessed by that solicitor, (Commissioner for Oaths), testifying to your freedom to marry. This declaration must be dated within 6 months of the date of the wedding, not before.

When One Party Is Not A Catholic

When the non-Catholic has been baptised, a copy of the baptismal certificate, or a letter from the parent stating that you have been baptised. There is no six-month rule here