Last post for church banns

The Church of England could end the 800-year tradition of reading the banns of marriage ahead of a church wedding.

In an attempt to keep up with the times and the greater mobility of young people, the Church wants to remove the archaic barriers which prevent couples choosing a church wedding.

The review, led by the Bishop of Edmundsbury and Ipswich, the Rt Rev Richard Lewis, proposes a number of alternatives. Banns could still be read if a couple wanted them. Another proposal is to allow couples to marry in any parish church or chapel they have a connection with, rather than just the church in the parish where they live.

"The Church of England is determined to remain central in the lives of people who wish to be married in this country," Dr William Beaver, the Church of England's director of communications, said.

"The whole idea is that you do it once only, so it needs to be done in a solemn setting and needs to be of the utmost probity and care, and if we do anything to get in the way of that we are failing in our duty."

The review group is also studying the questions surrounding marrying divorcees.