WEDDINGS >> RE-MARRIAGE ... after divorce.

Despite recent reports, people who have been divorced and whose previous spouse is still living do not have the right to be married in church. This decision rests entirely with the Vicar of the Parish who must consider the particular issues in each case and seek to uphold the sanctity of Christian Marriage. If you have been divorced and want to re-marry at St John's please take note of the following guidelines:

Do we have to live in the parish?

Yes.
You cannot re-marry at St John's unless one or both of you live within the Parish.
If you do not live in the parish you will need to approach the Vicar at the Parish where you live, requesting remarriage in your own parish church.

How soon can we remarry?

Generally, the Vicar will expect you to have received the decree absolute at least a year before she will consider re-marriage.

What does the process involve?

The Vicar writes:
I will expect to spend time with you both exploring the reasons for the break up of your previous marriage(s).

I will not agree to remarriage until we have explored your previous marriage and it's failure in some detail, and I am convinced that your new relationship was not responsible for the break-up of your previous marriage.

Clearly, re-marriage after divorce is a difficult area, and St John's tries to be compassionate in all our dealings with people, but we cannot agree to re-marriage in all circumstances.

When can I book a wedding?

You will be expected to talk with the Vicar about your previous marriage and the divorce before going to the Parish office evening to discuss availability of dates etc.

If you have any queries, please contact our Vicar, Revd Ronni Lamont, 01322 521786, ronni@lamonts.org.uk.