Visitors to the UK Wedding Show in Manchester this weekend will be offered free "marriage MOT" sessions by Church of England clergy.

Couples will be challenged to ask each other a range of questions before walking up the aisle. The questions are taken from Growing Together, a new guide for those contemplating marriage, which will be launched at the show.

Its author is the Revd Andrew Body, Vicar of St Lawrence's, Chobham, in Guildford diocese. He said on Tuesday that the questions were helpful pointers, which could be used equally by couples already married. They were not designed to provide a definitive answer to compatibility.

"This is not the sort of survey where if you get, say, 80 per cent right, the relationship will work. They are open questions to help people understand more about a relationship."

He assured couples who came to chat during the show that they would not be sent away having been told marriage was not right for them. "If such concerns arose, we would suggest going to Relate or some form of counselling."

Mr Boyd is married with four children, and was a founder trustee of Family Life and Marriage Education. He is also a counsellor for Relate. Four other Church of England clergy, from Manchester diocese, will be on hand during the Wedding Show.

Growing Together (Church House Publishing, £6.99; 0-7151-4049-3).

lifting the veil: questions from Growing Together:

How do you use credit and store cards?
Do you get on with each other's friends?
How will you judge if you have a good marriage?
Do you come from a touchy-feely family?
What are your [sexual] "yuk barriers"?
Who does the jobs that neither of you likes doing?
Will you ever go to church after your wedding day?


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