Please read the material below and call the office at (401) 294-4357 before you set the date so that we can be sure that clergy are available.
The Definition of Marriage in the Episcopal Church
The sacramental rite of the church in which two persons, regardless of their respective gender identities, "enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows" (BCP, p. 861). The union is understood to be intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord (BCP, p. 423). At the Declaration of Consent, both persons promise to love, comfort, honor, and keep their spouse, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, to be faithful to their spouse as long as they both live (BCP, p. 424).
Wedding planning is different from event planning.
Event planning is for choreographed social events. Weddings are worship, so they are about God. We have a structure and a plan, but the best moments are unplanned gifts of the Holy Spirit. The events before and after the service are for sharing stories, memories and laughter as you celebrate your lives, your friends and your life together. God is with you in those events. In Church we give thanks not only for your life, but also for God who makes all life and all love possible. You plan the events. The church hosts the wedding according to the Book of Common Prayer. Wedding coordinators are not permitted.
Requirements for Marriage
In the Episcopal Church it is required that at least one of the parties be a baptized Christian, that the ceremony be attested by at least two witnesses of legal age, and that the marriage conform to the laws of the state and the canons of the church. The member of the clergy who will solemnize the marriage typically meets with the couple on several occasions prior to the service to discuss the meaning of Christian marriage in the couple's life. When one of the parties has been previously married and divorced, the consent of the diocesan bishop must be obtained prior to solemnization of the marriage.
Come to worship at a regularly scheduled service. God made us for relationship, with Him and with each other. Weddings are primarily worship services. The order of service for weddings is a part of the Word of God portion of worship. God is first because He brought you together in the first place. And you need God to keep the promises you make. So weddings are sacred and serious, as well as joyful. It will help you to get a feel for the service, the sacred space, the organ and the priest.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
All are welcome to be married here as long as the couple meets the requirements outlined above. We marry same gender as well as opposite gender couples, we marry divorced persons, we marry non-members, and we bless civil unions.
We use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (bcponline.org) and the readings recommended in the Prayer Book. You can find them at bcponline.org. Select "Pastoral Offices" from the menu on the left and then "Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage."
The Vows We use the vows from the Prayer Book. If you would like to exchange personalized vows or share readings from outside the Prayer Book, the appropriate time to do so would be at your rehearsal dinner or reception.
St Paul's will help find an Episcopalian Priest to officiate and preach at your wedding. You will want to meet with the priest as soon as possible to make sure we are a good fit and to begin premarital counseling.
Communion is encouraged, but does not have to be a part of the service. All are welcome, even encouraged, to receive communion. If guests are more comfortable receiving bread only or simply being blessed, that is fine too. We aren’t forcing anything. We use an Old Testament blessing (non-Trinitarian), for your non-Christian friends.
Timing We don’t celebrate weddings on Sundays (that is the Lord’s day), during Advent or Lent, or the week after Christmas or Easter.
Alcohol & Other Drugs No alcohol or other drugs on church property. Neither participants nor wedding party members may drink excessively or imbibe other drugs within 24 hours. Having a glass of wine or a beer at the rehearsal dinner is permissible; showing up to the wedding the next day hungover or otherwise impaired is not permitted for legal reasons. \
Music Our organist will play or arrange for a substitute. We play live, church appropriate music. Hymns come from the 1982 Hymnal of the Episcopal church or from the supplementary hymnal, LEVAS. That keeps us from copyright issues.
The sacramental rite of the church in which two persons, regardless of their respective gender identities, "enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessing of God to help them fulfill their vows" (BCP, p. 861). The union is understood to be intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord (BCP, p. 423). At the Declaration of Consent, both persons promise to love, comfort, honor, and keep their spouse, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, to be faithful to their spouse as long as they both live (BCP, p. 424).
Wedding planning is different from event planning.
Event planning is for choreographed social events. Weddings are worship, so they are about God. We have a structure and a plan, but the best moments are unplanned gifts of the Holy Spirit. The events before and after the service are for sharing stories, memories and laughter as you celebrate your lives, your friends and your life together. God is with you in those events. In Church we give thanks not only for your life, but also for God who makes all life and all love possible. You plan the events. The church hosts the wedding according to the Book of Common Prayer. Wedding coordinators are not permitted.
Requirements for Marriage
In the Episcopal Church it is required that at least one of the parties be a baptized Christian, that the ceremony be attested by at least two witnesses of legal age, and that the marriage conform to the laws of the state and the canons of the church. The member of the clergy who will solemnize the marriage typically meets with the couple on several occasions prior to the service to discuss the meaning of Christian marriage in the couple's life. When one of the parties has been previously married and divorced, the consent of the diocesan bishop must be obtained prior to solemnization of the marriage.
Come to worship at a regularly scheduled service. God made us for relationship, with Him and with each other. Weddings are primarily worship services. The order of service for weddings is a part of the Word of God portion of worship. God is first because He brought you together in the first place. And you need God to keep the promises you make. So weddings are sacred and serious, as well as joyful. It will help you to get a feel for the service, the sacred space, the organ and the priest.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
All are welcome to be married here as long as the couple meets the requirements outlined above. We marry same gender as well as opposite gender couples, we marry divorced persons, we marry non-members, and we bless civil unions.
We use the 1979 Book of Common Prayer (bcponline.org) and the readings recommended in the Prayer Book. You can find them at bcponline.org. Select "Pastoral Offices" from the menu on the left and then "Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage."
The Vows We use the vows from the Prayer Book. If you would like to exchange personalized vows or share readings from outside the Prayer Book, the appropriate time to do so would be at your rehearsal dinner or reception.
St Paul's will help find an Episcopalian Priest to officiate and preach at your wedding. You will want to meet with the priest as soon as possible to make sure we are a good fit and to begin premarital counseling.
Communion is encouraged, but does not have to be a part of the service. All are welcome, even encouraged, to receive communion. If guests are more comfortable receiving bread only or simply being blessed, that is fine too. We aren’t forcing anything. We use an Old Testament blessing (non-Trinitarian), for your non-Christian friends.
Timing We don’t celebrate weddings on Sundays (that is the Lord’s day), during Advent or Lent, or the week after Christmas or Easter.
Alcohol & Other Drugs No alcohol or other drugs on church property. Neither participants nor wedding party members may drink excessively or imbibe other drugs within 24 hours. Having a glass of wine or a beer at the rehearsal dinner is permissible; showing up to the wedding the next day hungover or otherwise impaired is not permitted for legal reasons. \
Music Our organist will play or arrange for a substitute. We play live, church appropriate music. Hymns come from the 1982 Hymnal of the Episcopal church or from the supplementary hymnal, LEVAS. That keeps us from copyright issues.
