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Anglican Church of Australia -
Diocese of Melbourne |
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Preparing for Christian Marriage at Christ Church
There is nothing uniquely Christian about Marriage as an institution. The Church did not invent Marriage. However, there is a Christian understanding of Marriage. The Old Testament understanding of Marriage was determined by two basic convictions; that creation and therefore human sexuality is good, and that husbands and wives are related to each other by "hesed", that same quality of love which God showed for Israel. The New Testament develops this Old Testament insight by affirming that the love husbands and wives must have for each other is the same as the love Christ has for the Church; a self-giving and never-ending love. In the Sacrament of Marriage, through the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of vows and rings, a man and woman become a sign of a much deeper inward reality. Their relationship is strengthened and sanctified by the same quality of self-giving love which was revealed by God in Christ. Their life together becomes a sacrament of love. Anglican Genesis Publications
DATE AND TIME When arranging your wedding, you need to contact the parish office (see below for details and office times) in order to arrange an interview with one of the parish clergy. Normally, one of the parish clergy is the Celebrant. Clergy of other denominations are not able to celebrate weddings at Christ Church; however, if appropriate, they may assist at the service. PLEASE NOTE: Christ Church is not available to be hired simply as a venue only. A tentative date for the wedding will be arranged but this cannot be confirmed until you have met with one of the parish clergy. NOTE: Bookings must be confirmed at the first interview and within 4 weeks of the initial enquiry. A deposit (non-refundable, see Fees below) is required. Under Australian Law a wedding cannot take place with any less than one month's notice. It is essential to do this before making arrangements regarding the date and time of your wedding and before printing and sending out invitations. No weddings are celebrated at Christ Church during the following times:
CHURCH REQUIREMENTS According to Church practice, at least one partner must be baptised. It is also desirable that you both attend Sunday worship regularly as part of your preparation for the sacrament of Christian Marriage.
RE-MARRIAGE OF DIVORCED PERSONS The re-marriage of a divorced person within the Church may only take place after consultation with the priest and with permission from the Archbishop.
LEGAL DOCUMENTS REQUIRED 1. Notice of Intended Marriage This form needs to be completed no more than 18 months and no less than 1 month prior to the intended date of the marriage. (This will be done in the first interview). 2. Birth Certificates Birth Certificates are required for people born in Australia. By law, the priest must see the Birth Certificates of each person to be married. A passport may suffice for persons born overseas. 3. Consents (if under 18) Marriage of any person under 18 years without an order of a Judge or Magistrate is invalid. Under NO circumstances can 2 persons under 18 (years) marry each other. 4. Evidence of the Termination of a Previous Marriage (if applicable) If a person has been divorced or widowed, evidence of such, viz. Decree Absolute of Divorce or Death Certificate, must be produced.
INTERVIEWS Couples for marriage will have at least 3 interviews with the priest: the first, to discuss initial arrangements and complete the necessary paperwork; the second, to discuss the details of the marriage service; and the third as a rehearsal for your wedding. Please bring Birth Certificates and Baptism Certificates to the first interview.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION In addition to meeting with the priest over 3 or 4 interviews to plan the ceremony, couples are strongly encouraged to participate in a marriage relationship course. This will be discussed with the priest at the first interview. The cost is not a part of the Wedding Fees. The recommended program is with Lifeworks.
REHEARSAL This will be arranged at the second interview. It is normally at 6pm on the Friday or Thursday before the wedding. Please note that musicians will not be present at the rehearsal.
WITNESSES The signatures of the bride and groom on the certificates must be witnessed by two people over the age of 18. These are often the best man and chief bridesmaid or parents of the couple.
FLOWERS These are arranged by the parish and are included in the fee.
RIBBONS The church ribbons can be used or couples may supply their own. They must not be attached to pews with glue, pins, etc.
VERGER The parish verger assists with seating guests, preparing the church for weddings and tidying up afterwards.
WEDDING MUSIC Unless you wish to have no music at your wedding (in which case the organist’s fee is waived), an organist appointed by the Parish will play. If alternate musicians are used, contractually the organist’s fee is still payable. Recorded music (including CDs etc.) is not permitted under any circumstances. All music performed at the wedding and those performing it must be discussed with, and approved by, the Director of Music. Non-appropriate music will not be approved. The Director of Music, Philip Nicholls, can provide professional soloists, choirs and other ensembles as required. Please contact him to discuss your requirements after your second interview. Please understand that non-sacred music is more suited to the reception than at the service. It is not necessary to have hymns, but if you believe one would be appropriate (and that your friends will sing it), please discuss this either with the priest or the Director of Music. Click here for examples of suitable music.
NUPTIAL EUCHARIST If you wish to have Holy Communion at your wedding service, then this can be arranged with the priest.
PRINTING OF ORDER OF SERVICE Copies of a special Order of Service are printed for you. This will be discussed with the priest at the second interview.
READINGS You will be given a list of suitable Bible Readings. You will need to select one or more most appropriate for your service. Again, this will discussed at your second interview.
CONFETTI AND RICE Please stress to your friends that confetti and rice are not permitted to be used at Christ Church. Flower petals may be used outside.
PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEOS There is no objection to photos and videos inside the church. However, experience has proved that people moving around and flashlights are very distracting to the couple and the priest (and others) and detract from the atmosphere of the occasion unless some control is exercised. THEREFORE - it is essential that your photographer, video person, and guests are made aware of this.
Old Vicarage PARISH Centre This facility is available for hire as a venue for small receptions (less than 100 people). Enquiries to the Parish Office.
CAR PARKING On Saturdays there is some parking in the church grounds and usually plenty of parking spaces available on Toorak Road. If your wedding is on a weekday during school term, as parking space within the Church grounds is limited, you will be given six parking tickets to allow members of the bridal party and guests who have difficulty in walking to park in the Church grounds. The traffic on Saturdays is often very heavy and so ample time should be allowed for in arriving.
PUNCTUALITY Arriving deliberately late is neither wise nor courteous. It invariably makes your guests and others disgruntled and can severely spoil the atmosphere of your celebration. If there are other weddings to follow, it may mean that your wedding will have to move to later in the day after the other weddings have taken place.
WEDDING FEES The fee for weddings at Christ Church is currently $1,750. This includes the services of the clergy, verger, bell ringer, organist, use of church and grounds, cleaner, provision of flowers, administration and Order of Service. It also includes a booking deposit of $200 (not refundable). The balance is payable when you collect your Orders of Service (or prior). The choir is available at an extra cost (which is negotiated with the Director of Music).
CONTACT Parish Office
Due to the number of enquiries, please phone only between 9.30am & 1.00pm on Monday to Friday:
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Christ Church South Yarra, Cnr Punt & Toorak Rds, South Yarra,
Melbourne, Australia. Phone +61-3-9866-4434 |
