Emma's answers to Second time around

Question

My fiancée and I really want a church wedding but I have been married. I took my vows seriously but unfortunately my wife broke hers. My fiancée has not been married before and has her heart set on the marriage being blessed by God.

Answer

There are a number of options open to you:

1. Contact the local vicar. 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.

2. If the vicar won't marry you, marry in your local register office and have your marriage blessed in church. This can be any church and doesn't have to be one in your parish. To find out more click on the link below:
http://www.confetti.co.uk/weddings/advice_ideas/what_ceremony/blessing.asp

3. Consider having an Interfaith Minister marry you. Interfaith Ministers come from a wide variety of backgrounds and faiths. They are each rooted in their own faith, yet recognise the universality of the teachings, values and, above all, the experiences of the Sacred that are common to all spiritual traditions. They are committed to serving and supporting anyone who seeks a personally meaningful experience of connection with the Sacred, whether within or outside of any specific religious tradition, and to supporting and encouraging forgiveness, reconciliation and joining for individuals, families and communities.

There is no dogma or fixed ministerial role for Interfaith Ministers. Each minister serves in their own way, in their own community. To find out more click on the link below:
http://www.interfaithmarriage.org.uk/marr_wedfaq.html

Emma x