Marriage Enquiry Notes

Congratulations and welcome to the first steps in preparing for
a Church Service in France to celebrate your Marriage!

Please read these notes carefully before completing the form.
You will have to agree to these terms on the form.

1. Residence
   1. Do you or your partner live within the Chaplaincy area? Only the following departments are eligible for us to marry you; Arriège (09), Aude (11), Aveyron (12), Haute Garonne (31), Lot (46), Tarn (81), Tarn and Garonne (82).
   2. Can you to demonstrate a genuine link with the Anglican Chaplaincy?
   3. Are you a regular worshipper at one of our Churches?
   4. Does your family, or a family member live within the Chaplaincy area?
2. Legal Preliminaries
   
   The Marriage Service we offer takes place following a Civil Marriage, either in France, or in another country and is recognised by French Civil Law. We need to see your Marriage Certificate before the church service.
3. Church of England Rules
   
   1. The Marriage Service will take place in one of our Worship Centres or another consecrated church.
   2. We offer Christian marriage using a Church of England service. Preferably at least one of you will have been baptised, if not, you must both accept the Christian Teaching on which marriage is based and, during Marriage preparation, you will be encouraged to consider baptism and confirmation as the best possible basis for your new life together.
   3. Marriage in the Church of England is the “Lifelong union of one man with one woman”. (We are not permitted to marry couples with pre-nuptial agreements.)
   4. If either of you has been divorced please discuss this with the Chaplain before proceeding any further, as the decree absolute must be seen by the celebrant.
4. You are responsible for:
   1. Booking the church in France, and obtaining permission from the local Catholic Priest to use the Church. You also need to arrange access and agree to any local conditions on flowers or confetti inside or outside the building. We have a standard letter available for your use.
   2. The fees for 2022 are €550 plus travel @ €0.324/Km, Fees are reviewed annually in November. This will be calculated on the basis of two return trips from the home of the priest to the place of the wedding service and you will be advised of the amount upon acceptance of this application form. We also ask for a non-refundable deposit of €100.
   3. Discussing the Order of Service with the priest taking your wedding and having it printed or photocopied for your guests.
   4. Arranging for any music/musician (many French Churches have no organ)
   5. If you live in the UK, contacting your vicar(s) to seek good-will for you to be married outside your home parish(es), and arranging marriage preparation.
   6. If you live within the Chaplaincy, attending marriage preparation that we organise for you. We want you to have every opportunity to understand what Christian Marriage is all about. You will certainly have many questions to ask of us.
   7. Attending the rehearsal to meet your priest, and run through the service.
5. Due Notice
   Please return the completed application to our secretary at least six months before the date of your wedding (This applies particularly to weddings in August). Please forward full payment at least 12 weeks before the wedding. You can either pay by cheque or directly in Euros from a French bank account or in Sterling from a UK account. We will send you a receipt.
   AND: we will pray for you both by name in the four churches of our Chaplaincy the Sunday before, and the Sunday after, you are married. God bless you both!

Revised  29^th October 2023