Civil ceremony in a Chapel/Church?

jaylee3

Jagraf wrote: »

I respect people who have a fish pond. I don't like fish and I certainly wouldn't want to get married in the pond. So why would someone with no faith want to get married in a place of worship, without the worship?! Surely it's the last place they would want to be.

THIS made me ROFL! :rotfl:

VERY good point Jagraf! :T

zagubov

Pricivius wrote: »

Slightly strange query, but out of interest, is it possible to have a civil wedding ceremony in a church/chapel?

I appreciate that having a non-religious ceremony in a religious building is a bit odd, but is it banned? Is it up to the resident vicar/priest/reverend whether to allow it, or are their hands tied?

Just wondering...

ETA I am not looking to have a civil wedding in a church - I am just interested, that's all! No wedding plans for me at all!!!

I went to the wedding of a workmate who was remarrying (his wife had divorced him many years ago). The service was in a RC church and officiated by the local RC parish priest. The couple pointed out later that because the ceremony was in a chapel at the side of the main church it was allowed.

A lot of the guests probably thought they'd attended a straightforward Catholic wedding, but it was (presumably) a secular civil wedding with a brief ceremony which I took to be a mass, (but might have been a briefer ceremony).

Admittedly they were regular churchgoers who knew the priest very well - it meant a lot to them.

tea_lover

As catholics it's likely that their divorce was never recognised in the first place.

cr1mson

Nearly 20 years ago my Dad asked our vicar if I could get married in our local church in a civil ceremony as it was the only place that I could get married in my home village/hamlet. We are not religious so a religious ceremony was not an option and whilst we could have pretended to be in order to marry there he felt that was more hypocritical than being upfront.

Vicar said no so married miles away as once option of where I had been brought up was out decided to marry somewhere completely different.

southoftheriver

I'm agnostic, and am getting married in September.

We're getting married in a Unitarian Church, because I feel their values align with my own, but they also recognise secular views within their church as valid.

I would not go to a church and ask to have a civil ceremony because I personally feel that would be disrespectful. I'm lucky I've managed to find a church which is opening and welcoming to all, and that I don't have to become a hypocrite by saying vows I'm not sure believe in!

TonyMMM

zagubov wrote: »

I went to the wedding of a workmate who was remarrying (his wife had divorced him many years ago). The service was in a RC church and officiated by the local RC parish priest. The couple pointed out later that because the ceremony was in a chapel at the side of the main church it was allowed.

A lot of the guests probably thought they'd attended a straightforward Catholic wedding, but it was (presumably) a secular civil wedding with a brief ceremony which I took to be a mass, (but might have been a briefer ceremony).

Admittedly they were regular churchgoers who knew the priest very well - it meant a lot to them.

It was either a real wedding (but as a divorcee in an RC church that is unlikely, though not impossible), or they had a civil ceremony in the register office and what you attended was a blessing/mass made to look like a wedding.

Errata

southoftheriver wrote: »

I'm agnostic, and am getting married in September.

We're getting married in a Unitarian Church, because I feel their values align with my own, but they also recognise secular views within their church as valid.

I would not go to a church and ask to have a civil ceremony because I personally feel that would be disrespectful. I'm lucky I've managed to find a church which is opening and welcoming to all, and that I don't have to become a hypocrite by saying vows I'm not sure believe in!

What do you plan to do when prayers are being said and hymns sung, whistle Dixie?

Georgiegirl256

southoftheriver wrote: »

I'm agnostic, and am getting married in September.

We're getting married in a Unitarian Church, because I feel their values align with my own, but they also recognise secular views within their church as valid.

I would not go to a church and ask to have a civil ceremony because I personally feel that would be disrespectful. I'm lucky I've managed to find a church which is opening and welcoming to all, and that I don't have to become a hypocrite by saying vows I'm not sure believe in!

How does that work then? Surely it'll still be a religious service?

Peter333

cr1mson wrote: »

Nearly 20 years ago my Dad asked our vicar if I could get married in our local church in a civil ceremony as it was the only place that I could get married in my home village/hamlet. We are not religious so a religious ceremony was not an option and whilst we could have pretended to be in order to marry there he felt that was more hypocritical than being upfront.

The vicar said no so married miles away as once option of where I had been brought up was out decided to marry somewhere completely different.

I would have said no too. Any decent vicar or minister who has a shred of respect for his faith and for the Christians who attend his Church would refuse such a vulgar request.

Errata wrote: »

What do you plan to do when prayers are being said and hymns sung, whistle Dixie?

:rotfl:

Georgiegirl256 wrote: »

How does that work then? Surely it'll still be a religious service?

Exactly! Utterly ridiculous, having a wedding in Church, but refusing to allow any religion to be mentioned. As many people have said on this thread, I bet no other religion would accept this; in fact a minister from any other religion would probably be extremely offended, and put his foot up your backside!

Gloomendoom

Interesting. It really does look like you can have what amounts to a civil wedding in a Unitarian church or chapel.

http://www.brightonunitarian.org.uk/wedding-ceremonies.html