St Mary’s is an Anglican church in West Sussex, UK and serves the communities of Handcross, Pease Pottage, Slaugham and Warninglid which make up the parish of Slaugham. The parish is also part of a United Benefice with St Mark’s, Staplefield Common.

WEDDINGS

The coming together of a man and a woman to express their love, faithfulness and commitment before God is a wonderful thing.

If you are resident in the Parish, or on the Church Electoral Roll as a regular worshipper, and neither person has been married before you have a right to marry in St Mary’s or St Mark’s if that is your wish.

You may also be able to marry in the Parish if you or your partner have a Qualifying Connection as outlined below :

Connections under The Church of England Marriage Measure 2008

The Qualifying Connections with a parish are:-

If the person:
- was baptised in the parish (this does not apply where the baptism formed part of a combined service of baptism or confirmation); – or had his or her confirmation entered in a church register book of a church or chapel in the parish;
- or has at any time had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least six months;
- or has at any time habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least six months;

OR
- a parent of that person has at any time during that person’s lifetime:
- had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least six months;
- or habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least six months;

OR
- a parent or grandparent of that person was married in the parish.

If none of these apply you would need to regularly attend worship in the Parish for a period of six months enabling you to go on the Church Electoral Roll. Once completed a provisional booking could be confirmed providing there was at least a further three months before the marriage date. It is usually more preferable to contact the Parish where you are resident.

If one person has been previously married it does not preclude a service in church, depending on circumstances but the current practice in the Parish is usually to offer a Service of Blessing following a Civil Ceremony.

The current Statutory Fee for a Church wedding is £413.00 (from January 2014). In addition there may be individual costs for such things as an organist, bells as required.

Both St Mary’s and St Mark’s are historic churches in a lovely location.