A number of churches are marking Marriage Sunday this week by inviting wedding couples past and present to church to celebrate love.
In Mirfield team parish, the Revd Helen Butler explained: “We have invited every wedding couple from the last three years back to church this Sunday at two of our parish churches, St Johns and St Mary's.
“We especially celebrate love in all its manifestations on that day, but we do focus on weddings.
“We encourage all the wedding couples to send us photos for a slideshow on the big screen and to share with the congregation after the services.
“We have a family-friendly service that is fun and joyful, celebrating marriage especially, and then we share Valentine’s themed refreshments afterwards too,’ she added.
Marriage Sunday is part of World Marriage Day and Marriage Week – an American invention supported by the Catholic church – and it is always held on the Sunday closest to Valentine’s Day. Mirfield celebrates this day as an opportunity to support marriage at their churches – they usually celebrate 20-25 weddings throughout the year.
This year Mirfield will also organise a wedding fair in October and they offer fun wedding preparation sessions as well as their own inclusive wedding package which includes the service and reception.
In Lindley, Huddersfield, the vicar, the Revd Rachel Firth has also invited wedding couples back to church this Sunday.
A number of them will renew their vows and the service will also welcome four couples who are getting married at St Stephen’s later this year.
Meanwhile, at Bingley, there willl be a Thanksgiving service for marriage this Sunday at Holy Trinity Church BD16 2PR: followed by drink & cake, & display of wedding gowns from the recent & not so recent past. - The service is at 10.30 and all are welcome to take part
As part of our year long film campaign to tell our story here in the Diocese of Leeds, we were invited to a wedding in Clapham. You can watch the film here or in our video gallery.
[video:https://youtu.be/CvEBMbOk8A0]
The Church of England celebrates around 800,000 weddings every year and has a dedicated weddings project and website which covers everything you might need to know about church weddings and blessings. Find it here at https://www.yourchurchwedding.org