Church question...

jon&kara

So my FI and I orignially wanted to book elsewhere because I loved it, until I saw the Riverview in Simsbury, CT. I was like in heavan!!!!! I immediately said YES to the venue (not the dress....at least not yet) and so we will be booking next weekend.

Because I live in MA, but originally from CT, how can I go about getting married in a church??

estegeman

You will just have to call around to the churches in the area that you want to have your ceremony.  That's how I did it.  I called a bunch of churches and all of the catholic churches said I had to be a member and have marriage counseling and blah blah blah.  Then I found a Congregational Church and it is perfect! 

Good Luck!

cmac3504

I'm from CT, living in MA, and getting married in a church in CT too We actually ended up choosing the Riverhouse, but Riverview had been our top contender!  I would recommend looking for churches local to Simsbury then contacting them.. so that you don't have your guests driving around too much.  I'm getting married at St John Church (Catholic) in Cromwell because I grew up going there and received all of my sacriments there.  Unfortunately the church, hotels, and reception are all in different towns, but we're going to provide a shuttle from the hotel to the reception.  The Riverview luckily has several hotels within a few miles!

[Deleted User]

Ditto what PPs said...just call the churches you would want to get married in and see what their policies are.  I'm from the Hartford area but our reception is in Groton and instead of making our guests drive an hour from the church to the reception we found a Catholic church in New London that agreed to marry us for a fee ($500) since we're not members.  We are doing all of our classes with our church here so we don't have to drive down there to take them!  They have been great to work with so far!

jon&kara

Thanks for the advice!! What if I'm not part of a church up here? I just graduated college in 09 then grad school this past may, so going to church wasn't my top priority. Do I have to join one here and then call? Or are there places that will marry us without being a member?

calindi

It depends on the type of church.  Catholic becomes much harder if you aren't a Catholic (sometimes impossible).  However, if you just want a church and aren't that particular on what denomination, there are some beautiful Lutheran, Episcopalian, Congregationalist, etc. that are not always as strict about having to be a member of their congregation or even a church of their denomination.

cmac3504

I wasn't a part of a church either... but I didn't tell the priest that was going to marry us "it wasn't a priority"... maybe try wording it a little differently .. we said we had been to the church at our school (which I did from time to time) and kind of hopped around to churches in the area.  They should understand if you're not completely settled and onto a routine yet.

jon&kara

Oh i would def. not say that -- i was just saying that my college was a bit more important than going to class, so i haven't joined a parish up here yet. sorry - bad wording.

MuddyInsignia

I would echo was PPs said, it depends on what denomination you are going for. Are you looking for a RC church? Or would you be happy with something with a similar liturgy like in the Episcopal or Lutheran church? The restrictions are even less in a Congregational Church.

amymaysa

I'm also getting married at the Riverview..I love it!
I grew up in the area, what denomination are you looking for? That will be easier to suggest.
Feel free to PM me as well.
Yeah for another CT born, MA living, Riverview bride!

Vanessa630

My husband is from MA and I'm from CT....we got married in a CT Catholic church but neither one of us were members.  He asked if I was a member of my town's church, but I wasn't (mostly due to college, spending lots of time in MA, etc. etc.)...but the priest was fine with it. He asked why we chose his church and then advised that I attend a church regularly (didn't have to be his).  That was it.  We also did online marriage counseling.

Good luck!

jon&kara

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_connecticut_church-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:65Discussion:e4618dbb-7f1f-43ea-a745-b012b47cd24dPost:21dcb60f-b851-426c-bef0-9647e82a8022">Re: Church question...</a>:
[QUOTE]My husband is from MA and I'm from CT....we got married in a CT Catholic church but neither one of us were members.  He asked if I was a member of my town's church, but I wasn't (mostly due to college, spending lots of time in MA, etc. etc.)...but the priest was fine with it. He asked why we chose his church and then advised that I attend a church regularly (didn't have to be his).  That was it.  We also did online marriage counseling. Good luck!
Posted by Vanessa630[/QUOTE]

Was this near the Riverview??

KFAW63012

If you're looking for a Catholic Church, try St. Mary's in Simsbury. It's not far from Riverview. Or St. Catherine of Siena.