First and foremost, marriage is a sacrament of the Church between a man and a woman, and is therefore a religious cereony. Additions, subtractions, and the 'writing of one's own vows' is not an option for the sacramental form as laid down in the Book of Common Prayer. At St. John's, we use the 1928 Book of Common Prayer as our worship form. For weddings, exceptions will be made for those who would like the 1549 (original) Book of Common Prayer Liturgy or England's 1662 Prayer Book.
WHO MAY BE MARRIED AT ST. JOHN’S? - We primarily perform weddings for our parishioners and their adult children. Additionally, we may allow to be married here those who are members of other Episcopal Churches of the Diocese of Michigan and who either need more space, or who would like to be married in downtown Detroit. Finally, St. John’s may be available to those who find their families spread far and wide, and find Detroit to be a good central location. However, if this is the case, at least one of the party must be a practicing Episcopalian, with a letter of introduction from his/her parish priest. Finally, it is ultimately the decision of the Rector of St. John’s (in accordance with Canon Law) who may or may not be married at St. John’s, and he may decline any outside requests without cause.
WHO MAY NOT BE MARRIED AT ST. JOHN’S? – We are NOT a wedding chapel or wedding venue, and we will not marry just anyone who is “looking for a pretty place to be married”. We receive and turn down about 50 such requests a year. We take our Faith seriously at St. John’s, and weddings are an extension of our parish life and vitality. If you do not have a Church home, or do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ, we hope you will make St. John’s the place to do those things and that you will start attending Sunday Services regularly. In such a case, a decision will be made after your commitment to the parish whether this will be place at which you will be married.
~A good first step is to attend one of the services on Sunday. Stick around afterward, and introduce yourself to the Priest.
*For more information about weddings at St. John's, please contact the Church Office by calling 313-962-7358 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Church Office is open every Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:-00 p.m. except holidays.