Marriage
The church seats about 125 people. There is additional seating in St Joseph’s Chapel which offers a view into the body of the church. The Alexander Pope Pub and Hotel provides nearby accomodation for guests seeking overnight accomodation. Travel Lodge by Twickenham Station also offers accommodation.
To be married at St James’s it is necessary for one party to be a resident of the parish.
We seek six months notification for a marriage. Please do not book a venue for your reception before you have booked a wedding date with us. You are expected to receive a minimum of four sessions of preparation. Preparation is undertaken within the parish or it may be be undertaken through one of the several programmes available e.g. Marriage Care. If you have been married before you need to check whether your previous marriage was valid in the eyes of the Catholic Church. If it was you may need to apply for an Annulment or a Decree of Nullity. An Annulment is not guaranteed and may take up to 18 months to be granted. Enquiries into an annulment are undertaken by the Marriage Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Westminster.
We will help you draw up an Order of Service and with all paper work. You are expected to make an appropriate donation to the church for our time, and for the use of the church building. A suggested sum is £300 but this may vary according to your means.
Biodegradable confetti is permitted in the forecourt of the church but not inside the building. You are expected to have any rubbish cleared away at the end of the ceremony. We also ask you to contribute some of your flowers for use by the Church, and not to take church’s flower pedestals to the reception venue.
Anyone who cannot partake in the ceremony in person can watch the service on live stream via Churchservices.tv.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED:
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To marry at St James church, you need the permission of your local borough.
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For a Catholic a baptism certificate dated within 6 months of the wedding is required.
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For a non-Catholic who is baptised a certificate of any date is required.
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Statutory Declarations of Freedom signed and stamped by a solicitor’s office, and dated within 6 months of the wedding day. The parish will provide the forms.
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If one party is a non-Catholic an appropriate permission is applied for by the parish to the Diocesan offices. The Catholic party must sign the application agreeing to bring children up as Catholics ‘within the unity of the partnership.’
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If you are marrying outside the parish of your residence the preparation is normally undertaken by your parish.
- If you are marrying in another country, you are responsible for making sure that the documents reach the local Church authorities.
For all marriage inquiries please contact the Parish Office: [email protected]