The full text of the new guidance is below.

 

The Coronavirus and marriage in the Church of England – Guidance to clergy

 

The Government has announced that churches can now be opened for marriages from the 4^th July, subject to physical distancing and limited to 30 people being present.

There are a number of issues relating to the opening up of churches which are not wholly straightforward, each church will need to assess how it is going to do this, making arrangements as to cleaning and how to address situations where parish clergy are continuing to ‘shield’ etc.

The Registry is monitoring the situation, and the advice being issued by the Government, the national church and diocesan guidance/directions and more detailed guidance will be issued supplementing the previous advice on this website, when things are clearer.

In the meantime, couples wishing to arrange a marriage should contact their parish priest or the minister of the church concerned in the first instance.

 

Diocesan Registry

1 The Sanctuary

Westminster

London

24th June 2020

 

New Faculty Rules come into effect on the 1^st April 2020. Guidance will be published to DACs, Registrars, Archdeacons and Chancellors in January. We will be issuing some guidance early in the New Year on the changes and how these will affect those involved in faculties, especially in the parishes.

Marriage Registration changes and new Church Representation Rules

The Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019 came into force earlier this year.  It has three main provisions: first, the extension of civil partnerships to couples not of the same sex; second, to allow for the mother’s name to be entered on marriage certificates and registers; and third, to provide for electronic registration of all marriages in England and Wales.

Information is available here: Marriage Registration changes and new Church Representation Rules

 

 

The Fees were amended on 1st January and they, together with FAQs and further details, can be found on the Church of England’s web-page on Fees.