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If you are planning to get married in the Diocese of Hexham & Newcastle, you are required by the Church to set aside some time to prepare for the important step you are about to take. To allow for this, a minimum of six months notice of your wedding is required.

St. Mary's Cathedral helps you to do this by arranging a Marriage Preparation Course for you. Couples are sometimes very anxious about coming to the course because they do not know what to expect. We hope the information contained here will help to reduce your worries.

What is a Marriage Preparation Course?

• It is a demonstration by the Church community that it cares about you and would like to be involved in this major event in your life.
• It is a chance for you to find out a little more about each other.
• It is a chance to find out a little more about marriage.
• It is an opportunity to meet other couples who will be getting married at the same time as you.

What form does the Course take?
It is a one day Course, usually held on a Sunday from about 11.00am to 3.30pm. It is organised and run by a group who have been trained specifically for this work. It takes the form of a number of 'awareness raising activities' during which you look at and discuss various aspects of marriage using a selection of stimulus materials. Although there will be other couples on the Course you will be working only with your partner on the activities. You will not be required to share your thoughts and feelings with the whole group. We start the day with coffee and introductions, work until lunchtime, have lunch together in the Cloister Café and work again in the afternoon. We finish with a short Service in the Cathedral, in which you reaffirm the commitment you made to each other when you got engaged and which you will confirm publicly when you get married.

What the Marriage Preparation Course is not...!

• It is not people giving talks and lectures.
• It is not people putting you on the spot asking you to say what you think about things.
• It is not an attempt to 'ram religion down your throat'.
• It is not an attempt to convert those of you who are not Catholic.
• It is not people telling you what you can or cannot do.

What happens next?
Sometime before your wedding one of the married couples will contact you to arrange a date for the Course.

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