Thank you for enquiring about getting married in Waterhead Church.

Unfortunately, under current church law, not everyone can get married in our historic church. There are presently four categories of people we can marry here:

1.   Those couples in which one or both members live in our parish. To see if you live in our parish, visit the A Church Near You website, and type in your postcode.

2.   Those couples in which one or both members have their names on the electoral role in our church Holy Trinity in Waterhead). For us to register your name on the electoral role of our churches, you must have worshipped in that church for a period of not less than six months.

3.   Those couples where one or both members have an affinity with our Parishes. The law defines this affinity as:

(i) You have lived in our parish for six months or more at some time in the past.
(ii) Your parents have lived in our parish for six months or more at some time in the past.
(iii) One or both of you, or your parents, have been baptised in one of our churches.
(iv) Your parents, grandparents, brother(s) or sister(s), have been married in one of our churches.
(v) Your school regularly attended services at one of our churches.
(vi) You have some other provable connection with one of our churches.

4.   Those couples who have a licence from the Bishop of Manchester, The Rt Revd David Walker. To obtain a licence, please write to the Registrar of the Manchester Diocese, Mrs Donna Myers, at “Diocesan Registry, Church House, The Rock, Bury BL9 0ND.” You will have to pay a fee to obtain a bishop’s licence; and delays are likely.
A licence will not be granted if:

(i) One or both of you have been divorced.
(ii) Neither of you has been baptised in the Church of England, or in a Christian Church in Communion with the Church of England.

5.   If one or both of you is classed by the Home Office as an asylum seeker, the Registrar will not give you a licence unless:
(i) You have indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom, and
(ii) You have a licence from the Home Office permitting you to get married.
Also please note:
(iii) A marriage conducted in the United Kingdom will be recognised in all the Countries of the European Union, but may not be recognised in other countries.

This statement has been seen and its contents agreed by the Bishop of Middleton, The Rt Revd Mark Davies.