Overview

The sanctuary of Grace Anglican Church is available for weddings exclusively for church members and their families. Please note that the church is not available for rent to non-members. Couples who wish to be married at Grace must have been members for at least 12 months, be related to a church member, or receive special permission from the Rector. 

Rector Approval

The Rector of Grace Anglican Church must approve all weddings. 

Pre-Marital Counseling

Couples are required to undergo a minimum of 4-6 sessions of pre-marital counseling with the clergy member who will officiate the wedding. An exception for pre-marital counseling outside Grace Anglican may be granted only with special permission from the Rector. 

Timing of Wedding Date

Couples should not select a wedding date until they have met with the clergy for pre-marital counseling and received approval for the date. Weddings cannot be approved unless scheduled at least 5 months before the intended ceremony date, except in unusual circumstances where the clergy person involved may grant an exception.

Theological Agreement

All weddings performed at Grace Anglican must conform to the theological statements of faith established by Grace Anglican Church, as well as the diocesan and provincial constitution and canons, and policies of the Diocese of the Mid-Atlantic and the Anglican Church in North America. This conformity with diocesan and provincial policies and constitution and canons, and the theological statements, is to be determined by the Rector.

Divorce and Remarriage

Couples who would like to pursue remarriage after divorce should read our diocesan policies on this and understand that permission must be granted by the bishop for any such remarriage. Diocesan policies relating to divorce and remarriage can be found on the diocesan website here. To perform a remarriage after divorce, pastors in our tradition must petition the Bishop for permission to do so after having shared with him their belief that it would be pleasing to God, in conformity with Scripture's limitations on remarriage, in accordance with pastoral sensitivity, and in alignment with our diocesan and provincial constitution, canons, and policies. You can review the criteria for this petition here by reading the questions pastors need to work through with these couples. In addition, though not a guarantee of approval, as part of this petition process, individuals will be asked to write a narrative account of the failure of the prior marriage, explaining how and why they believe the divorce occurred, but also what they have learned through their own process of healing and considering the prior marriage and divorce. This serves not only to help the pastor and bishop determine whether remarriage should be performed, but also to ensure that persons seeking remarriage after divorce have appropriately healed from this terrible loss and are pursuing remarriage carefully. 

Wedding Format

Weddings performed at Grace Anglican must be conducted using the Anglican liturgy as outlined in our Book of Common Prayer, which can be found here: https://bcp2019.anglicanchurch.net. Vows may not be written by the couple if performed at Grace Anglican and must come from our liturgy.

Wedding Timing

Weddings performed at Grace Anglican must not be scheduled after 5 PM on Saturdays to enable cleaning to occur before worship the next day. It is preferred that all participants in a Saturday wedding are off the property no later than 7 PM.

Fees and Cleaning

There is no fee for members and their families to use the facilities at Grace Anglican Church for weddings. However, a small cleaning fee may be required depending on the timing and circumstances of the wedding.

Contact Information

For further questions or to begin the wedding approval process, please contact the church office at 540-450-8545 or by email at admin@grace-anglican.org.