Weddings at St Mary's
Thank you for considering St Mary's for your wedding. One of the most beautiful Churches in Australia, St Mary's is situated on the picturesque cliffs of the Kangaroo Point reach of the Brisbane River. It is well known for its fine musical tradition, and depth of the pastoral care offered to all who come to this sacred site, especially for the Sacrament of Marriage.
We are a community of faith, not a wedding chapel, and are here to walk the walk of life with you after the wedding day - sharing the joys and sorrows that married life brings. I see my role not just as a celebrant (which I am of course,) but rather as Priest and companion on the journey.
Marriage is a sacrament - it is sacred space between two people
and that space should never crowd or cloud the overall joy of two
as one.
Weddings at St Mary's are a delightful combination of fun,
dignity, exploration, holiness, and the total embracing of Love.
When a couple come to us to be married at St Mary's, we commence a
mutual journey of discovery, commitment, and an exploration into
deepening insights about ourselves, Spirituality, and what might be
possible over the years to come.
We are very aware that people might feel uncomfortable meeting a Priest for the first time or if they are not used to being in a church - we make every effort for people to feel at home, relaxed, that this is their place, and that our team is there for them - just like God.
Fr. Stephen Redhead (former Rector of St Mary's)
Wedding Information
Couples considering marriage at St Marys are encouraged to read
and absorb the information in the documents linked below. Those
documents should clarify most issues that wedding location planning
raises, and simplify the path to a successful set of
arrangements.
Basic information is contained in the Wedding Information Booklet.
On occasion bookings for Weddings at St Mary's have been lodged up to 15 months ahead, so specific popular dates may need some forward planning. The usual available times for weddings are Saturdays (11am, 1pm, 3pm & 5pm), Fridays (1pm & 3pm) or Sundays (1pm & 3pm). The church may be unavailble at these times due to special parish activities or concerts. Click here for St Mary's current events.
Once a preferred date has been selected, couples forward a completed Application for Marriage form to office[at]saintmarys.org.au or by post. This is acknowledged, as is receipt of the deposit, and the marriage date and time is confirmed subject to the outcome of the couple attending a pre wedding seminar briefing, and a separate personal meeting with the Rector, or your alternative Anglican Priest celebrant, at a time to be scheduled.
Please refer to the right hand column for wedding planning information and forms.
Readings and Prayers
Two important parts of the service are the Readings from
Scripture and the Prayers of the People.
There is to be at least one reading from either the Old Testament
or the New Testament - you can have more if you wish. It is
suggested that you ask family members or friends to read one of the
Readings. Likewise, you might consider having one or more people
lead the Prayers of the People.
There are two styles of Prayers for the service from which to choose. Please discuss this with your Priest.
You could also have one or more readings from a 'secular' source such as The Art of Marriage or a reading from Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Some of these can be sourced from St Mary's office, or you could find one of your own from the web.
Suggested Readings from Scripture:
- Love is patient… - 1 Corinthians 13:4-13
- The Wedding in Cana - John 2:1-11
- Grounded in Love - Ep.3:14-21
- Husband and Wife - Ep.5:20-33
- 'The Lovers' Song of Songs - Song of Songs 2:8-14
- 'The Love of God' - 1 John 4:7-16
- Colossians 3:12-19
- Abiding in Christ's Love - John 15:9-17
- Made in God's Image - Genesis Ch.1:6 to 2:4
- One Flesh - Genesis 2:4-9 & 15:18-24
- PSALMS that are appropriate:
Psalm 23, 128, 37(3-7), 100, 121, 138
