Weddings

We are happy to explore with you your interest in having your marriage celebrated here at St. John’s. All weddings at St. John’s are celebrated using the Book of Common Prayer. Weddings are scheduled on the church calendar only after a conversation with the church office and the clergy. If your wedding does take place at St. John’s, our parish family will do whatever we can to make your wedding day a blessed one for you.

There are certain guidelines we follow concerning weddings at St. John’s. For example, at least one of the parties must be a baptized Christian. The Book of Common Prayer states that the "bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation" and that marriage is "not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God." Therefore, premarital guidance sessions are required with the rector prior to the wedding. This usually entails four meetings (one every week or two weeks) at which the couple must be present.

It is important for you to know that your desire to be married at St. John’s means to us that you are committed to being active members of a community of faith. If your home after your marriage is to be in another community, our hope is that you will become a member of the church in that community.

If one or both of the parties have been married before, church canons guide us to assure that a subsequent remarriage is built on solid ground, and that the wounds of the prior relationship have been fully healed. Additional counseling sessions may be required to assess that this is indeed so. A remarriage can occur no sooner than twelve months after a prior divorce. If there are any children from the prior marriage, their care must be assured.

Please feel free to contact our office at 703-671-6834 so that we may discuss your plans.