Weddings
Weddings are a time of great joy and we love to celebrate them in Portland Parish!
If you are looking to get married on Portland, you will need either to live here or demonstrate a "qualifying connection" with the parish. A "qualifying connection" is:
That one of you:
Divorce (with the previous partner still alive) is not necessarily a bar to remarriage. However, if you are divorced with the previous partner still alive, the officiating minister will need to discuss this with you.
Furthermore, it is worth saying that as a Christian community, we want to support your whole marriage as well as help you celebrate a great day. The clergy therefore are always open to chat if you would like to, and can point you to other sources of support if desired.
If you are looking to get married on Portland, you will need either to live here or demonstrate a "qualifying connection" with the parish. A "qualifying connection" is:
That one of you:
- has at any time lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
- was baptised in the parish concerned or
- was prepared for confirmation in the parish or
- has at any time regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months or
- has lived in the parish for a period of at least 6 months or
- has regularly gone to normal church services in the parish church for a period of at least 6 months or
- was married in the parish
Divorce (with the previous partner still alive) is not necessarily a bar to remarriage. However, if you are divorced with the previous partner still alive, the officiating minister will need to discuss this with you.
Furthermore, it is worth saying that as a Christian community, we want to support your whole marriage as well as help you celebrate a great day. The clergy therefore are always open to chat if you would like to, and can point you to other sources of support if desired.
Planning your Wedding
When you book your wedding with us, we will confirm this with a letter and a member of the clergy will visit to chat it over. Closer to the time, they will arrange to meet up to discuss your wishes for the ceremony, and to book a time for a rehearsal in church. They are always on hand to answer any questions you may have about your wedding.
Planning a wedding can be great fun but can also be stressful at times. To help with the planning process, the Church of England has produced a special website with lots of useful information. To access it, please click the link below.
Planning a wedding can be great fun but can also be stressful at times. To help with the planning process, the Church of England has produced a special website with lots of useful information. To access it, please click the link below.
What is Christian marriage?
Christians understand marriage to be lifelong ("till death us do part"), faithful and loving. At heart, it is about a man and a woman committing to live the rest of their lives together in mutual love and support.
Marriage is often understood in the Christian Church to be a "sacrament"- an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. In other words (or plain English!) marriage shows what God is like. Just as God commits to love his people no matter what happens and what they do, marriage entered into and lived in this spirit will show a similar kind of love. Furthermore, because true love involves sacrifice, in a truly loving marriage glimpses of the kind of love Jesus Christ has for us will be seen. Jesus laid down his life to redeem and free the world because he loves us; when a marriage partner sacrifices something for the other, they are living out the same type of love- and people notice.
Because God is faithful to his people, Christian marriage recognises complete faithfulness to the other partner as essential. And although, sadly, marriage breakdowns do occur, Christian marriage is entered into on the understanding that the link will be lifelong.
These things help provide the kind of supportive environment that is safe for the partners and any children that are born. That is one of the reasons why the Church recognises that marriage enriches society and is a good thing.
Marriage is often understood in the Christian Church to be a "sacrament"- an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace. In other words (or plain English!) marriage shows what God is like. Just as God commits to love his people no matter what happens and what they do, marriage entered into and lived in this spirit will show a similar kind of love. Furthermore, because true love involves sacrifice, in a truly loving marriage glimpses of the kind of love Jesus Christ has for us will be seen. Jesus laid down his life to redeem and free the world because he loves us; when a marriage partner sacrifices something for the other, they are living out the same type of love- and people notice.
Because God is faithful to his people, Christian marriage recognises complete faithfulness to the other partner as essential. And although, sadly, marriage breakdowns do occur, Christian marriage is entered into on the understanding that the link will be lifelong.
These things help provide the kind of supportive environment that is safe for the partners and any children that are born. That is one of the reasons why the Church recognises that marriage enriches society and is a good thing.