A wedding is a great moment in life – joyous, but also solemn as two people pledge to be with one another until the end of their lives.

In a wedding service there is a ritual of separation as bride and groom enter with their supporters but are left alone with the minister to make their vows. They then leave the church together having journeyed together from being two single people to being a married couple.

At St. James's the couple walk the length of the church at the end of the service – their journey continues as they head out through their families and friends and out of the door, into the world. Briefly, they have separated from that world and now return to it in a new way.
Just as in baptism we have the visible sign of water with spoken words so in marriage we have the visible sign of joined hands with spoken words. A ring or rings worn on a particular finger is further physical evidence of a new life that has begun.

Further Information

Look at The Christian Wedding Service which is an animated website with audio where you can listen to music, Bible readings and prayers from the Christian wedding service and try the interactive activities which have been designed to help you understand this ceremony.