MARRIAGE IN THE CHURCH

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13

Your wedding day is a celebration of one of the most important decisions in your life. In the ceremony you will make a commitment to last the whole of your life. It is a way of life that all should reverence and none should lightly undertake!

In choosing to celebrate your marriage in the church you are saying some very important things about yourselves and about your relationship. First, you are saying something about your faith -- your relationship with God. The wedding ceremony assumes each of you is a Christian and that your intention is to live in a Christian marriage in which the ways of God in Christ are central to who you are and what you do. You are asking God to be part of your marriage.

Your wedding day is a wonderful celebration day but it is only the beginning of a lifetime commitment to one another. That commitment will take you through good times and bad, through sickness and health, through wealth and poverty. It is not an easy commitment to keep. To help you prepare for this commitment and to give you tools to set the groundwork for a lasting relationship we require all couples seeking marriage in our church to attend a marriage preparation program.

WHAT WE REQUIRE FROM YOU

You should contact our Rector, The Reverend Andrew Chisholm, as soon as possible to arrange an initial meeting.. He will give you an application for marriage which you should bring with you to that first meeting. A minimum of three months notice is required for summer weddings and six months for other times

All couples must attend a marriage preparation course. We recommend the course offered by the Diocese of Ottawa. Information about the current programs and dates can be obtained from the Rector or by visiting: http://www.ottawa.anglican.ca/marriage.shtml   For couples unable to attend this program, a video series can be borrowed and the workbook purchased.  Please arrange this through the Rector.    

Other programs are available in Belleville, Kingston, Toronto and other major centres, if you cannot make the Ottawa programs.

You will generally meet with the officiating clergy person a minimum of three times before your wedding; generally one initial interview, one meeting following the marriage preparation course and one meeting about six weeks before the wedding.

LICENCE / BANNS

Most couples will be married by licence. Please talk to the Rector about the guidelines for being married by banns.

A licence can be obtained from the Merrickville-Wolford Municipal Offices or any local municipal office during business hours. It is not necessary for both parties to present themselves, but the party who does apply should have the birth certificates of both in hand.

Couples are asked not to complete the licence questions but to deposit their licence with the Rector at least one month prior to their wedding date. Please don't fill it out. We will do it for you.

Marriage Licence Requirements (for the province of Ontario)  

• Marriage licences are issued only to the bride and/or groom.
• Both parties must sign the Marriage Licence Application.
• Two pieces of identification are required by all applicants applying for a marriage licence. An original birth certificate or valid passport , any change of name certificates, record of immigrant landing or Canadian Citizenship card plus photo identification for both parties, regardless of whether both parties will be present.
• If you have been divorced within Canada, the original or court certified copy of the Decree Absolute or Certificate of Divorce from the court where the divorce was granted is required.
• If you were divorced outside of Canada, please request foreign divorce instructions.
• There are no residency, medical, or citizenship requirements.
• A marriage licence is valid for use anywhere in Ontario for a period of (3) months from the date of issuance.
• Sixteen and Seventeen year olds require both parents consent. ( please see licence issuer for proper form )
• Allow approximately 12 weeks from the date of marriage before applying for a marriage certificate.

MUSIC

Holy Trinity's music directors, Scott and Tara Cameron can be reached at scott@cameronstrings.ca. You may also wish to visit their web site at www.cameronstrings.ca which has samples of their music to download. Their unique style has made them a popular choice for many Merrickville weddings.  Couples may choose to supply their own musicians, but our arrangements with CameronStrings require that their fee be paid either way.  Their fee is included in the wedding rate below.

It should be noted that the officiating clergy person has absolute discretion concerning the selection of appropriate music. However, the scope is very wide indeed, the main criterion being that any music chosen should reflect that we gather in praise of God (and not, for example, in praise of each other, or of the sentiment of love). Particular care must thus be exercised in the choice of vocal music (if any), which should be from Biblical or acceptable liturgical/sacred repertoire.

We would be glad to suggest appropriate music, and likewise to receive suggestions.

WEDDINGS OUTSIDE THE CHURCH

Most of the weddings we assist with happen at Holy Trinity or Christ Church, but our clergy are available for a small number of weddings outside the church for Christian couples. Such services need to be approved by the Bishop and will follow one of the authorized Anglican services. 

The requirements for these weddings are the same as for weddings that are performed inside the church.

There are generally two services available; one with a Eucharist and one without. Couples should, in consultation with the Rector, choose two or three appropriate Bible passages to be read at the service.

Friends or family may read these passages as well as the Prayers of the People.

Anglican Canon Law has many requirements concerning the service. Please speak to the clergy person about any variations from the text of the service.

FLOWERS

Altar flowers can be arranged through the Church who canl purchase the flowers for the occasion at a set fee. Altar flowers must be real. They are placed to the glory of God, and are a gift to the Church.

Other standards may be arranged through any florist. They may be placed in the Church at the discretion of the Clergy as to location and numbers. As there are occasionally a second wedding on a given day; they must be removed immediately following the service.

Flowers can be very expensive. It is worth noting that they are by no means necessary.

CONFETTI

Confetti is fun but it is virtually impossible to clean up! We therefore ask that it not be used on the church premises.

PHOTOGRAPHS

You will, no doubt, want to take many pictures of this special day and we will do all that we can to assist you in getting as many pictures as you need

A wedding is a service of worship. The clicking of cameras, not to mention blinding flashes of light, are an annoying distraction -- not the least to a nervous bride and groom. Photographs are thus not permitted during the service. We are delighted, however, to have the wedding party come back into the church immediately after the service, and pose any shots they wish.

SCHEDULE OF FEES

The 2007-2008 rate for weddings at Holy Trinity is $700.00.  This rate includes the clergy honorarium, music (Cameron Strings), the church custodian, and the church usage fee for your wedding.  

 For more information contact the church office at (613) 269-3848 or by contacting the Rector at rector@merrickvilleanglicans.org