Have you or your fiancé ever been married before? If so, you need to mention that when you visit the priest. Even though you may have been divorced, the church does not recognise divorce. You or your fiancé will need to apply for an annulment of your first marriage. Depending upon your individual circumstances, you may or may not be granted an annulment. Please note that this process could take up to 2 years to complete. 

To be a full member of the Catholic Church, you must have been Baptised AND Confirmed. Those who are not Baptised can be married in the church providing that their Fiancé is Baptised AND Confirmed. Those who are Baptised but not Confirmed may have to be Confirmed before the wedding.

The sooner the better, and no later than 3 months before your wedding. The priest will need to interview you both separately, so that he can best advise you on the way forward. For most who have not been married before and those who are full members of the Church, the process is fairly straight forward. But those who are not full members of the Church, or who have been married before, the process could be much longer.

Yes. It is usual to be married in the Brides Parish, whether or not you or she goes to church on a regular basis. However, as you are asking for a Sacramental Marriage in Church, it would be advisable to go to Church on a regular basis. The fact you're asking to get married in church must mean that your faith is important to you. You can get married in any Catholic Church in the World, but permission will be needed from the Bishop/Archbishop, but don't worry, the priest will sort all that out for you.

Initially, no. But the priest will want you to see him a few times during the preparation of your wedding. First he will interview you both, and during this time he will ask you to provide the following certificates:- Baptism, Confirmation, Letter of Freedom, any documentation if you have changed your name, any documentation of divorce and annulment. Any other documentation will be advised during the interview.

Baptism, Confirmation and Letter of Freedom can be obtained from the Church where you was baptised and Confirmed. This may be your own parish Church, or the Church you was Baptised and/or Confirmed. Letters of Freedom, are letters or forms provided by the parish where you was baptised which testify that you have not been married before. 

Please note that you may download and use the forms from the 'Parish Forms' on this site. Click on 'Parish Forms', then 'Marriage' and fill them in and pass on to the priest. 

If you are Catholic, you should be able to get a copy of any of these forms from your Parish Priest. However, if you are not Catholic, you should still be able to get a copy from your local church of England church, or other church such as Baptist or Methodist Church. If the Church no longer exists, you may be able to contact the local Diocese offices at the Cathedral, where all books of Baptism and Confirmation would have been stored, or your local church head office. Failing that, please do not worry, you can sign a testimony of Baptism, Confirmation, and Freedom to marry form, which will be provided by the priest. These will need to be signed by a witness who can testify to your baptism and confirmation, i.e. your Parent/Guardian/Godparent/Sponsor.

The Church will require all who want to get married in the Church to attend a Marriage Preparation course, irrespective of whether the couple have lived apart and been engaged for  few months or years, or whether they have lived together as partners for the past 10 years.

There is no charge made for any Sacrament in the Church. However, there will be an administration charge for the preparation of the wedding. There will also be the Priests fee, and other fees including Choir fees and Organist Fees if applicable. Some parishes also ask for a donation for the Church which will help with heating and lighting costs. There will also be costs incurred for flowers and flower arrangers, but you can provide your own flowers and arrangers if you prefer. The total cost of all this will be given to you when you see the priest during the course of your preparation. 

This sounds steep, but give some thought to how much you are paying for your honeymoon and your reception afterwards. The church would be very happy for a donation of 10% of that total cost. However, the fees won't be anything close to it.