Minister David E Flavell

We've got in touch with the experts - those people who conduct the marriage ceremony - to ask all those wedding questions that you've always wanted to ask!

David is a Methodist Minister in Liverpool and has performed over 150 weddings in the last eight years. He is married with one daughter and has just had a book published - ‘How to get Married in Church Again’, based on the fact that these days the majority of the weddings he conducts include somebody who has been divorced.

Your questions

Can I have a church wedding if I'm divorced?

Q. I've been married once before but due to certain factors this marriage didn't work out. Now I have met the girl of my dreams and would really like to spend the rest of my life with her. She hasn't been married before and I know would love the big fairy tale white wedding. Is it at all possible to be married in a church again? How would I go about this? Does it have to be a church in my parish?

A. It is possible to be married in a church again. First of all you say that the marriage didn't work out. I'm assuming that you are by now fully divorced. Once you have your Decree Absolute then your previous marriage is legally over.

There are probably several types of church near where you live. If you belong to the Roman Catholic Church, you will have to see your priest and ask for an annulment. This isn't automatic, and can take a long time.

If you belong to the Church of England, you can see your vicar. A few of them will marry those who have been divorced before. If you live in a parish where the vicar says "no", you may be able to marry in a different parish to which you have a significant connection from October 1st 2008.

If you belong to one of the Free Churches (Methodist, Congregational, URC, Baptist etc), or you have problems with the first two avenues, go to one of these churches and see the minister. There is no automatic right to be married, and not every minister will say yes (depending on the circumstances) but it can be possible to get married again in a church.

What is a Free Church?

Q. What is a Free Church? Is it like a C of E church? Is the wedding ceremony the same? Can anyone marry in a free church?

A. Throughout English history, since before 1066, the church and the state have been intertwined. Not everybody has agreed with this over the years, and several groups have broken away from the state church (the C of E) in order to be free to worship God as they saw fit (hence the name "Free Church"). The largest of these denominations is the Methodist, but there are Baptists, United Reformed, Congregationalists and a whole raft of others. Each one has their own wedding ceremony, but they are usually similar to the Church of England's.

Anyone can marry in the Church of England if they live in the parish or have a significant connection to the church, haven't been divorced and fulfil the legal requirements. However, the Free Churches are "free" to marry who they like (or not) and so the local minister will decide. What the minister is usually looking for is a desire for God's blessing on the marriage, rather than that the building looks nice.

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