WEDDINGS
Christians understand marriage as a Sacrament, a sign of the God of Love's active part in human relationships and both the exchange of vows (wherever this formally takes place) and the Blessing of the union in church are always joyful occasions for the couple, the priest, the church and for family and friends present.
So it is a privilege to be able to welcome you to St. George’s for the blessing of your wedding where you will re-dedicate yourselves to God. This is a serious commitment and where possible needs the full support of family and friends to help you carry it out. The normal context of these celebrations is of course in your Home Parish where family, friends and neighbours can all support you. For couples intending to travel to Venice for their special celebration, the Chaplain wants to encourage you to invite family and friends and where possible to be assured in writing of the support of your parish priest at home.
In the first instance, please e-mail the Chaplain explaining who you are, why you'd like to have your marriage blessed at St George's Venice and when you'd like to have the service.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT ANGLICAN CHAPLAINS IN ITALY ARE NOT REGISTRARS FOR MARRIAGES (as they are in the UK) and therefore cannot conduct the actual legal part of MARRIAGE as recognised in law. Consult the British Embassy website for details (http://ukinitaly.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-italy/how-register-marriage/)
This means that the service in church will in fact be a blessing of your marriage, and you will have to obtain a legal marriage certificate beforehand, which the Chaplain has to see. You can arrange to have a civil ceremony in Venice, even on the same morning as your service of blessing, or in advance in your home town, even if that is in another country. It will also be necessary for you to come to Venice, at least once some weeks before your intended wedding date, to meet with the Chaplain as part of your preparation for the Sacrament of marriage.
However, that does not prevent us from having a wonderful service like a marriage, in which you will dedicate your marriage vows to God in front of all your witnesses, and we will pray for God’s blessing on your marriage.
For information on the cost of celebrating your marriage at St George's, please contact the Chaplain by email as above.
If you wish to haev a service of blessing elsewhere, if the service is to be in a consecrated church, the permission of the competent authorities for that church will be required. We will support you in obtaining this permsission. All travel and other incidental expenses of the Chaplain are payable together with any other fees, details of which ae availabel as above.
RENEWAL OF MARRIAGE VOWS
We are also delighted when couples wish to celebrate a special wedding anniversary at St George's with a service in which they renew their marriage vows before God.
In the first instance, please e-mail the Chaplain explaining who you are, why you'd like to renew your marriage vows at St George's in Venice and when you'd like to have the service.
Baptism
In Baptism we welcome a new Christian into the Church, so the best context for this is the Sunday Morning service (at 10.30 am) when the Church Members are present to give that welcome.
The Chaplain will want to arrange at least two meetings with you. She will ask if you have been baptised yourselves, and preferably Confirmed - in infant baptism, you are going to promise to bring up your child in the Christian Faith, and bring them to Confirmation. At least one of your intended Godparents must have been confirmed therefore, and all must have been baptised. It is normal for a boy to have two godfathers and one godmother, and a girl to have two godmothers and one godfather, but if this presents a problem, talk it over with the Chaplain. He will want to see you together with the Godparents before the Baptism, so please plan travel arrangements to allow for this.
FUNERALS
Please contact the Chaplain.
So it is a privilege to be able to welcome you to St. George’s for the blessing of your wedding where you will re-dedicate yourselves to God. This is a serious commitment and where possible needs the full support of family and friends to help you carry it out. The normal context of these celebrations is of course in your Home Parish where family, friends and neighbours can all support you. For couples intending to travel to Venice for their special celebration, the Chaplain wants to encourage you to invite family and friends and where possible to be assured in writing of the support of your parish priest at home.
In the first instance, please e-mail the Chaplain explaining who you are, why you'd like to have your marriage blessed at St George's Venice and when you'd like to have the service.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT ANGLICAN CHAPLAINS IN ITALY ARE NOT REGISTRARS FOR MARRIAGES (as they are in the UK) and therefore cannot conduct the actual legal part of MARRIAGE as recognised in law. Consult the British Embassy website for details (http://ukinitaly.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-italy/how-register-marriage/)
This means that the service in church will in fact be a blessing of your marriage, and you will have to obtain a legal marriage certificate beforehand, which the Chaplain has to see. You can arrange to have a civil ceremony in Venice, even on the same morning as your service of blessing, or in advance in your home town, even if that is in another country. It will also be necessary for you to come to Venice, at least once some weeks before your intended wedding date, to meet with the Chaplain as part of your preparation for the Sacrament of marriage.
However, that does not prevent us from having a wonderful service like a marriage, in which you will dedicate your marriage vows to God in front of all your witnesses, and we will pray for God’s blessing on your marriage.
For information on the cost of celebrating your marriage at St George's, please contact the Chaplain by email as above.
If you wish to haev a service of blessing elsewhere, if the service is to be in a consecrated church, the permission of the competent authorities for that church will be required. We will support you in obtaining this permsission. All travel and other incidental expenses of the Chaplain are payable together with any other fees, details of which ae availabel as above.
RENEWAL OF MARRIAGE VOWS
We are also delighted when couples wish to celebrate a special wedding anniversary at St George's with a service in which they renew their marriage vows before God.
In the first instance, please e-mail the Chaplain explaining who you are, why you'd like to renew your marriage vows at St George's in Venice and when you'd like to have the service.
Baptism
In Baptism we welcome a new Christian into the Church, so the best context for this is the Sunday Morning service (at 10.30 am) when the Church Members are present to give that welcome.
The Chaplain will want to arrange at least two meetings with you. She will ask if you have been baptised yourselves, and preferably Confirmed - in infant baptism, you are going to promise to bring up your child in the Christian Faith, and bring them to Confirmation. At least one of your intended Godparents must have been confirmed therefore, and all must have been baptised. It is normal for a boy to have two godfathers and one godmother, and a girl to have two godmothers and one godfather, but if this presents a problem, talk it over with the Chaplain. He will want to see you together with the Godparents before the Baptism, so please plan travel arrangements to allow for this.
FUNERALS
Please contact the Chaplain.
Wedding Blessing of Luke Price and Hannah Davies June 11th 2011
