Weddings at St. James Florence

Congratulations on your engagement! Thank you for considering St. James church for your marriage ceremony. Below you should find answers to many of your questions. But if you do not, please email weddings@stjames.it or office@stjames.it

Wedding ceremonies at St. James are conducted in English by the Reverend Richard Easterling in accordance with the precepts of the Episcopal Church, and are taken from the Book of Common Prayer. The Church’s teaching regarding the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony, is that it is mutually and voluntarily undertaken, and that it is monogamous and lifelong.

Requirements

In Italy, Episcopal ministers have limited powers to ratify the civil contract of marriage and, for this reason, you will be required to provide a civil marriage license before the ceremony can take place in the church.

Moreover, before you can be married in an Episcopal parish, you must agree to, and sign, a Declaration of Consent, which describes the character of the Christian Marriage. This is the case despite your legal marriage having occurred separately from the blessing given by St. James Church.

We must determine that you are fully able and free to make the vows of marriage, and that at least one of you has been baptized.

We must also verify whether you have received some form of instruction about Christian marriage (premarital counselling).

If one or both of you are divorced, additional requirements will apply. The divorced person(s) must supply a confidential letter for both the Rector and the Bishop who oversees St. James.

Additional information regarding these requirements will be provided upon your inquiry.

Church Availability

Weddings are customarily held on Saturdays with the time of the liturgy set  between 11 am and 6 pm. Other days of the week are negotiable at the discretion of the Rector. Dates and times are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Outside of the regular Masses on Sunday, on which parishioners in good standing may choose to be married, the Sacrament of Marriage is not offered on Sunday. In general, marriages can not take place during the season of Lent, and never from the Saturday before Holy Week to the first Friday after Easter Day.

Wedding are not held at St. James on the following days: Ash Wednesday, Liberation Day (April 25), Workers’ Day (May 1), Italian Republic Day (June 2), the Feast of St. John the  Baptist (June 24), American Independence Day (July 4), Ferragosto (August 15), Halloween (October 31), All Saints’ Day (November 1), American Thanksgiving (4th Thursday of November), Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), Christmas Eve (December 24), Christmas Day (December 25), the Feast of St. Stephen (December 26), and New Year’s Eve (December 31).

Your Ceremony

We follow the rites of the Episcopal Church. We will provide you with the text of those sacraments upon request.

The structure of the service provides opportunities for members of the family and friends to read from the Scriptures. If you wish, we can provide traditional suggestions. The Episcopal Church Liturgy does not permit ceremonial additions such as Unity Candles or writing one’s own vows. 

Wedding Planning

St. James can answer your questions regarding the service at the church only. Flowers, photographers, printed bulletins, and the like must all be organized independently.

We recommend you work with one of the many professional wedding planners either in your country or in Tuscany. Attempting to organize the details yourself, far from Florence and possibly with limited Italian language skills, can prove stressful.

The donation you will be asked to make to St. James Church for your wedding, is vital for funding our ongoing operational costs and important outreach ministries (such as our food bank etc.) and ensuring that others have recourse to the sacraments of St. James in the future.

Music during the Ceremony

Music during the ceremony is optional. If you wish, we can provide guidance regarding when during the ceremony music is appropriate. Prerecorded music cannot be played during the ceremony at any time.

If you would like to hire our professional organist, contact him directly – he works on a freelance basis. Note that donations for the organist are separate from the ceremony. He can also assist you with the selection of suitable music or musicians.

Photo/Video

Flash photography is not permitted during the ceremony. Flashes may be used during the bride’s entrance and when the couple exits. After the service, you may take additional photos reenacting the service.

St. James Church is a well-lit space. No extra lighting is permitted unless previously agreed upon by the church. When photographing, maintain a respectable distance from the wedding party. Photographs from behind the altar or behind the priest are not allowed.

Additional information

• When organizing flowers for the church, please note that flowers are not permitted on top of the altar.
• The throwing of rice is strictly forbidden due to the safety hazard it poses (our portico has marble floor). Flower petals are permitted.

Donations

We invite interested parties to contact the church office using the dedicated email: weddings@stjames.it or office@stjames.it for suggested donation amounts.