Church blessing help

ceewash

My son got married in China last year and really wants to have a traditional church (blessing) wedding here. He has contacted a couple of churches local to us but they want to know his reasons for choosing that church. He hasn't got a connection with the churches other than they are local and they are a church. Also they can do the Christian blessing they want. His wife isn't Christian but wants the English wedding for him and all the family in UK as we couldn't go to the wedding in China. Anyone can suggest what is the best way of wording the response seeing as there is no connection to the church as such. Has anyone picked a church at random and had any success?

MorningcoffeeIV

Get him and his wife to start pitching up on a Sunday for a few months. 

That should then be enough to blag a free blessing.

Churches are like pubs. They don't like you just nipping in to use the loo. They want you to buy something first.

comeandgo

What about the church he is a member of, can he not get his vicar to do it?

ceewash

MorningcoffeeIV said:

Get him and his wife to start pitching up on a Sunday for a few months. 

That should then be enough to blag a free blessing.

Churches are like pubs. They don't like you just nipping in to use the loo. They want you to buy something first.

They live in China.

ceewash

comeandgo said:

What about the church he is a member of, can he not get his vicar to do it?

He lives in China. Sorry I didn't make that clear. He doesn't have a church there.

Lola_balola

Is being local not enough? As in, lots of people are married in their parish church. As he isn’t living in the UK at the moment (and therefore doesn’t have a parish) could he ask the church in the parish he grew up? Or the church nearest to where you live now? 

ceewash

Yes that's what we are trying to do. My question is whether it is possible to choose any church or does it have to be your parish?

sheramber

https://www.churchofengland.org/life-events/your-church-wedding/planning-your-ceremony/wedding-blessings

You do not have to have a wedding blessing in a local church but it may be the fact hat here is no connection to any church that is the problem.

Emmia

Does he have "faith" or is it for the pretty building for the photos?

ceewash

He has been brought up a Christian but is not particularly religious now. His wife wants to do a typical traditional English wedding and they have done it the chinese way with all her family. The church is part of that. His parish church is a catholic church and I think that be more problematic. 

gwynlas

A number of people choose a church on aesthetics rather than a non descript parish church unless they have strong parish affiliations. They could choose a wedding venue that is church like, some castles are. Otherwise look at areas with family connections perhaps wedding church of deceased grandparents,and explain that they would like a blessing to be attended by family but are living in China so unable to attend regularly.