Couples expect the church to prepare them for their wedding day, but there are some things about a church wedding that make this stage of the planning a great opportunity for thinking more about the bigger questions in life, including faith and belief. Read more about this and why resources don’t feature the term ‘marriage preparation’.
Here are some key insights from the Weddings Project research on preparing for the big day:-
- Contact with the vicar is a really important thing for couples – because the vicar will be doing the service, they want to get to know him or her as they plan the wedding, so lead or at least be present at events which prepare couples for their marriage.
- The unique vows of a church wedding are profoundly attractive to couples and are one of the key reasons they seek a church wedding.
- Ideally, couples would like a single session where they can take time to think about these vows. Take a look at the single session template for implementing this, designed by the Revd Andrew Body for the Weddings Project.
- According to research, the word ‘marriage preparation’ is a phrase disliked by couples and clergy. The Weddings Project greetings card, (pictured), which invites a couple to an event, calls it ‘Space to think’.
