For a PDF Brochure on weddings at St. James’ Kingston, please click on this link: Wedding Brochure for St. James’ Kingston
MARRIAGE IN THE CHURCH
Saint James offers wedding services for same gender and opposite gender couples.
Your wedding day is a celebration of one of the most important decisions in your life. In the ceremony you will make a commitment to last the whole of your life. It is a way of life that all should treat reverently and none should undertake lightly!
In choosing to celebrate your marriage in the church you are saying some very important things about yourselves and about your relationship. First, you are saying something about your faith — your relationship with God. The wedding ceremony assumes each of you is a Christian and that your intention is to live in a Christian marriage in which the ways of God in Christ are central to who you are and what you do. You are asking God to be part of your marriage.
Your wedding day is a wonderful celebration day but it is only the beginning of a lifetime commitment to one another. That commitment will take you through good times and bad, through sickness and health, through wealth and poverty. It is not an easy commitment to keep. To help you prepare for this commitment and to give you tools to set the groundwork for a lasting relationship we require all couples seeking marriage in our church to attend a marriage preparation program.
WHAT WE REQUIRE FROM YOU
You should contact our Rector as soon as possible to arrange an initial meeting.. He will fill out the application with you. A minimum of three months notice is required for weddings.
We recommend a marriage preparation course. The course offered by the Diocese of Ottawa is very good. Information about the current programs and dates can be obtained from the Rector or by visiting the Diocese of Ottawa website. You can borrow a DVD and purchase a workbook from them if you are not able to do the course in person.
You can also do a program online through Humancare at marriageprep.com
From time to time there are marriage preparation programs available in Kingston. We can also recommend a pre-marriage counsellor if you would prefer that approach.
You will generally meet with the officiating clergy person a minimum of two times before your wedding; generally one initial interview, and one meeting about six weeks before the wedding.
LICENCE / BANNS
Most couples will be married by licence. Please talk to one of our clergy about the guidelines for being married by banns.
A licence can be obtained from the City of Kingston or any local municipal office during business hours. It is not necessary for both parties to present themselves, but the party who does apply should have the birth certificates of both in hand.
Couples are asked not to complete the licence questions but to deposit their licence with the clergy at least one month prior to their wedding date. Please don’t fill it out. We will do it for you.
MUSIC
St. James’ organist and music director, Michael Capon, can be reached at (613) 530-2438 or by E-mail at michaelcapon@stjameskingston.ca. Couples may choose to supply their own musicians, but our arrangements with Michael Capon require that his fee be paid either way. His fee is included in the wedding rate listed on the back.
It should be noted that the officiating clergy person has absolute discretion concerning the selection of appropriate music. However, the scope is very wide indeed, the main criterion being that any music chosen should reflect that we gather in praise of God (and not, for example, in praise of each other, or of the sentiment of love). Particular care must thus be exercised in the choice of vocal music (if any), which should be from Biblical or acceptable liturgical/sacred repertoire.
We would be glad to suggest appropriate music, and likewise to receive suggestions.
WEDDINGS OUTSIDE THE CHURCH
Most of the weddings we assist with happen at St. James, but our clergy are available for a small number of weddings outside the church for Christian couples. Such services need to be approved by the Bishop and will follow one of the authorized Anglican services.
The requirements for these weddings are the same as for weddings that are performed inside St. James.
THE SERVICE
At this time the church is drafting a new wedding service that will be suitable for both same sex and opposite sex couples. While that is being drafted, there is an excellent liturgy available for same sex couples and another one for opposite sex couples. Holy Eucharist is available for both of them. PDF copies of these services are available from our Rector, andrew@stjameskingston.ca
Friends or family may read these passages as well as the Prayers of the People.
Anglican Canon Law has many requirements concerning the service. Please speak to the clergy person about any variations from the text of the service.
FLOWERS
Altar flowers must be real. They are placed to the glory of God, and are a gift to the Church.
Other standards may be arranged through any florist. They may be placed in the Church at the discretion of the Clergy as to location and numbers. As there are occasionally a number of weddings on a given day; they might need to be removed immediately following the service or donated to the church for Sunday’s service
Flowers can be very expensive. It is worth noting that they are by no means necessary.
CONFETTI
Confetti is fun but it is virtually impossible to clean up! We therefore ask that it not be used on the church premises. Bubbles outside the church are allowed.
PHOTOGRAPHS
You will, no doubt, want to take many pictures of this special day and we will do all that we can to assist you in getting as many pictures as you need
A wedding is a service of worship. The clicking of cameras, not to mention blinding flashes of light, are an annoying distraction — not the least to nervous couples. Photographs are thus not permitted during the service. The official photographer may take pictures without flash as long as they do not interrupt the service. We are delighted, however, to have the wedding party come back into the church immediately after the service, and pose any shots they wish.
SCHEDULE OF FEES
The following fees / rates are applicable for weddings at St. James for 2020-2021
A non-refundable deposit of $250 is required when the wedding is booked. This will be applied against the church usage fee.
Church Usage Fee $500.00
*not applicable for active members
Clergy Honorarium $300.00
Organist Honorarium $250.00
plus $50.00 per hour for any required rehearsals
Sexton (Custodian) $100.00
The clergy honorarium for weddings outside the church is $300.
For more information contact the Rector at (613) 258-7254 or by E-mail at andrew@stjameskingston.ca
The fees should be brought to the church no later than one week prior to the service. The officiating priest will give you the breakdown of the fees and give you the appropriate names if you wish to pay by cheque. If the fees are not paid by this time, the wedding will not take place.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13