Unfortunately, you can’t just pick any church and get married there. There are certain rules and regulations that have to be followed.
Firstly, the church has to somehow be connected to you and your family. You qualify to automatically get married at a church if:
- one of you has lived in the parish for at least six months
- one of you was baptised at that church
- either of you has attended regular church services for at least six months
OR
- one of your parents has lived in the parish for at least six months
- one of your parents has regularly attended church services
- your parents or grandparents were married in the parish
This does give you quite a few options. If you’ve moved home to a different parish, you’re automatically eligible to get married at your new local church.
It also means that even if your parents got married 100 miles away in another church, you are also eligible to get married there.
And if there was a church you really wanted to get married at, but you don’t have any other connection to it, you could attend services once a month for at least six months to make you eligible.