WEDDINGS

Getting Married at St Mary’s

Please read the information below, and then contact the Parish Office.

Issues Needing Early Clarification

The Wedding Service must be according to the Rites of the Anglican Church of Australia and conducted by one of the parish clergy. Only in exceptional circumstances will approval be given for a visiting celebrant, who must also be an Anglican priest.
It is a normal requirement that at least one of the couple be a baptised Christian.
If one or both of the couple have been married before and divorced, the priest is required to seek permission of the Bishop to marry the couple. This requires a sensitive discussion with the couple at the initial interview.
To be married at St Mary’s it would be preferable if the couple has some personal link with the parish (e.g. attending church at St Mary’s, or having a family connection), or live in the North Melbourne area.
Legal requirements regarding notice of wedding mean that the priest must view & be satisfied as to documentation of the couple’s birth & former marriages (if applicable) at least 30 days prior to the date of the wedding. Therefore it is important that the couple meet with the priest as soon as possible.

Contact

Initial enquiries to ascertain the availability of the Church and a priest for the proposed date and time and to clarify other procedural matters ought be made through the Parish Office;
In due course the priest will contact the couple to arrange the date and time of an initial interview and subsequent interviews;
Contact details for the Parish Office are listed at the bottom of this page.

Wedding Times

The Wedding Service would normally be on a Saturday, with the latest time for commencement normally being 4.00pm as the Director of Music officiates as the organist elsewhere after this time;

Fees

Fees are set annually by Parish Council and are payable before or at the rehearsal. The current standard fee is $1600.00
Included in this fee is a non-refundable deposit of $200.00 which is to be paid at the time of confirmation of the date and time of the Wedding.
Full payment is to be paid one week before the wedding.
The Fee covers the following:
- Two or three interviews with the priest to prepare the necessary documentation, discussion of details of the Service (basic Service for Marriage or in the context of Eucharist) and other relevant issues so that the Service may be as personalised as possible;
- A rehearsal with the priest and wedding party;
- Music provided by the Director of Music on the Smenge organ;
- The bell – rung as the couple leave the Church;
- Bows (cream or white) on all pews; and
- The setting up and use of the church, with special altar frontal, candles on the altar and candelabras etc.
- Flowers- a flower arrangement near the altar will be prepared for the ceremony. The couple is to make private arrangements for flowers in the church if extra are required at their own expense.
- Couples will arrange service booklets containing the order of service (St Mary’s will provide a copy of the service to the couple). Service booklets containing the order of service are to be arranged by the couple at their choice of an independent printer and at their own expense.

Vicar

Rev’d Stuart Soley

Director of Music

Beverley Phillips

Parish Office

Laura Tanata, Parish Administrator – 0451 985 125, office@stmarys.org.au

In the first instance, please discuss with the Vicar