Marriage

Getting Married at the Abbey

We follow the Birmingham Diocesan directions and require at least six months notice for a wedding.
Your home parish is the best setting for your wedding. Generally speaking, we would ask, therefore, if you wish to be married at the Abbey;

• You, or your boy/girlfriend have your home within the Abbey parish;
• You are going to live in the parish after you are married;
• You or your boy/girlfriend are members of the worshipping community of the Abbey, living outside the boundaries of the parish;
• You or your boy/girlfriend have strong family links with the Abbey.

Wedding Service Details

Marriages usually take place on Saturdays, at 1.00pm or 3.00pm. A wedding rehearsal is organised sometime during the week prior to the wedding. Hopefully, this will help to put you at ease and give an opportunity for the readers to practise. 

Photographs and Videos

The ceremony of marriage is a religious service. This must be kept in mind when planning photographs or a video of the occasion. Please note that there are laws on copyright. A video licence is required by civil law to record a wedding ceremony. Most companies who specialise in weddings will already have an appropriate licence.

If you intend to print an order of service and include verses of hymns, you must make sure that these hymns are covered by our parish copyright licence.

Note also, that if you intend to use pre-recorded music, a licence is required.

For Non-Catholic Christians

You must provide a copy of your baptismal certificate. Also, a letter from your parents/guardian, stating that to the best of their knowledge, you have not been through any form of marriage, civil or religious. 

For Non-Baptised

A letter from a parent/guardian stating that to the best of their knowledge you have not been through any form of marriage either, civil or religious, is also required. 

You have decided to get married. Congratulations. It is a happy and exciting time for you. Naturally, you want to make plans and you want everything to be perfect on your wedding day.

You wish to be married in Church and more particularly at the Abbey, which is, undoubtedly, a lovely setting for a wedding.

But there is more to a Church wedding than a nice setting. Marriage is a Sacrament. Choosing to be married in a Catholic Church implies that you have a real spiritual dimension to your life; that you understand the profound nature and commitment of the vows you make before God, asking Jesus to be part of your married life together and the blessing of the Church in your marriage.

Marriage Preparation Course

The Church cares about you and your future life together. All couples are required to take part in a marriage preparation course. At the Abbey we organise a number of one day courses throughout the year led by trained couples experienced in family life. It is an opportunity to meet with other couples who are also preparing for marriage. 

This is an opportunity for you to take a little bit of time out of the organisation of your wedding day and very much focus on your upcoming vocation of married life.

Set in a relaxed and informal setting; we are confident that you will find this course both fulfilling and enjoyable.

The dates of the courses can be obtained from the Parish Office. 

Documents Required

Catholics must provide a new copy of their baptismal certificate. This can be obtained from your Church of baptism and must be issued not more than six months before the day of the wedding. Confirmation details are usually included on this certificate. 

Catholic Declaration & Civil Law Requirements

A Catholic, marrying a non-Catholic Christian or non-baptised person you will be required to make the following declaration:
"I declare that I am ready to uphold my Catholic faith and to avoid all dangers of falling away from it. Moreover, I sincerely undertake, that I will do all I can with the unity of our partnership, to have all the children of our marriage baptised and brought up in the Catholic Church."

All couples getting married must contact the Civil Registrar for Marriages and receive an "Authority for Marriage", two are required for each Marriage. This can be issued up to one year before the marriage and should be done as soon as possible. For marriages at the Abbey, please contact Birmingham Registry Office, Holliday Street B1 1JJ Telephone: 0121 675 1000 option 4. You will be required to pay a fee of £33.50 each notice.