Marriage

Congratulations to all those couples who have made the solemn and wonderful decision to marry! Please be advised of the following before you book our Church:

We give priority to those who are parishioners of Our Lady of The Assumption and The English Martyrs Parish, Cambridge, followed by those who are associated with this parish due to recent family ties and baptism.

We ask for a donation of £400 when you book which covers the normal running costs of the church and any administration costs in preparation for your wedding. Should the wedding not go forward this will be refunded.

No one under the age of 18 can lawfully marry in the United Kingdom. Please follow the link for more information Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022

Marriages at OLEM can occur in principle on Monday to Friday between 1.30pm and 4.00pm, on Saturdays between 12.00pm and 4.00pm, subject to availability. We do not celebrate marriages during a Holy Day of Obligation or during Lent and Advent. 

We strongly advise that under no circumstances should couples book Reception venues or make other arrangements until the date and time of the marriage ceremony have been agreed with the General Manager and the Priest you have chosen to celebrate the ceremony.

We operate a Zero Tolerance Policy. Verbal abuse and threats will not be tolerated. Anyone giving verbal abuse to a staff member by email or by telephone call will be refunded and their marriage ceremony will be cancelled with immediate effect. 

Before you plan your wedding with us, please read the following: Parish policy for the celebration of Holy Matrimony

If you need to know anything about Marriage Preparation, please contact Antonia Braithwaite: mflcoordinator@rcdea.org.uk

Please contact olemoffice@rcdea.org.uk to check on the availability of the Church for your desired date.

Preparation

If you wish to arrange your wedding ceremony at Our Lady and the English Martyrs please contact the Rectory Office at least six months before you want to be married. You will need to be assured that the date and time you have requested are free before you book the venue for the Reception.

Further information about the process to get married at OLEM and the one-day Diocesan Saturday courses in 2024 is to be found via this link: 2025 Marriage Information

Check on the Diocese website to see when the Marriage Preparation Courses are being offered and ensure that you both register for one of the courses.

In addition to the face-to-face Saturday Day, couples from OLEM are also required to attend an online course via: https://www.catholicmarriageprep.com/ or https://smartloving.org/east-anglia/   

Process

1. Book the Church through the Parish Office and have received confirmation of your booking.

2. Visit this site to ensure that you fulfil all the criteria set-down by the state to comply with the law in ENGLAND and WALES (only): www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/give-notice;

3. Once you have given notice and are in possession of the Marriage Schedule you should arrange to bring them to the Parish Office where they will be placed in a safe for secure safe-keeping. Please make your appointment independently at https://www.cambridgeshireceremonies.co.uk/giving-notice

4. Follow this link to check when Marriage Preparation Courses are being offered https://www.rcdea.org.uk/marriage-preparation/ and ensure that you both register for the Saturday Day course and attend an online course (see ‘Preparation’ above).

5. Choosing music for the wedding needs to be done with Mr Nigel Kerry, the organist who can be contacted via olemmusic@rcdea.org.uk. There are guidelines that need to be followed regarding music, so please remember that this is a celebration of a Sacrament, not something mundane.

6. If you would like bell ringers at your wedding, please complete this Booking Form.

Checklist

Prior to making an appointment to see one of the priests you should have:

1. Attended the one-day Diocesan course and received a certificate from the Diocese of East Anglia OR attended a course online via https://www.catholicmarriageprep.com/ or SmartLoving  www.smartloving.org

2. Downloaded and completed the Pre-Nuptial Information Form.

(3) Downloaded and completed the Statutory Declaration of Freedom to Marry Form.

Payments

The marriage preparation course for the Diocese consists of a face-to-face Saturday Day, and also the So Great A Mystery parish course. However, OLEM is not currently running the So Great A Mystery course, and so instead couples are asked to attend an online course, as well as the Saturday Day.

The Saturday Day can be booked via the Diocese website: Marriage Preparation - Catholic Diocese Of East Anglia

The online course can be booked https://www.catholicmarriageprep.com/ or https://smartloving.org/

 The payment for the Saturday Day is made directly to the Diocese.

The payment for the online course is made directly to the online course provider via their website

If you are marrying outside the Diocese of East Anglia then you will need to bring either a cheque for £20 made payable to ‘RC Diocese of East Anglia’ or £20 in cash when you meet with the Priest to go through your paperwork.

For any further questions about marriage preparation please contact:   Antonia Braithwaite mflcoordinator@rcdea.org.uk