weddings and banns
Congratulations
We are delighted that you are thinking of having your wedding service at one of our churches and we hope that your wedding will mark the start of a long and happy marriage. We are here to help you make your wedding a truly special day to remember.
There is a lot of information on the Church of England website www.yourchurchwedding.org and there you will find helpful links to all aspects of a church wedding.
Please contact us before making any arrangements with reception venues.
What We Do
Key questions about weddings and banns
What are the legal requirements?
- Requirements for marriage –You must be old enough,
able to give your consent, and must not be closely related
or already married. If you have questions or are unsure
about this speak with the vicar in confidence. - Qualifying Connection –You may marry in the parish
church where you or one of your parents lives or has
regularly attended services for six months. You may also
marry in the church where one of you was baptised or
confirmed or where your parents or grandparents were
married. If you are attending church services in order to
establish a connection for your wedding, we will usually
ask you to attend at least once a month for six-nine
months and to record your attendance. - Banns –Banns of Marriage must be called in the parish
where you are to be married. If you live elsewhere they
must also be called in your home parish, (you can find this
at www.achurchnearyou.com), a fee is charged for this
including issuing a Banns Certificate, valid for three
months. It is your responsibility to ensure this is done,
and the certificate will be required before you can be
legally married. - Licence -Most couples do not need a licence. Occasionally
there are reasons why banns cannot be read, for example
if one of you is not a British National, if that applies to you
we will explain how you may go about obtaining a licence.
What happens during the service?
- Vows –The service includes authorised vows. Couples are
not permitted to write their own marriage vows for a
church wedding. - Music and Hymns –The minister taking your wedding and
the organist will both be able to advise you on these. We
usually suggest three hymns and music during the signing
of the registers and for the entrance of the bride and
procession out of church as a newly married couple. - Readings –You will be asked to select at least one Bible
reading and we will give you suggested suitable readings.
You may wish to include other readings or poems; this
should be discussed with the minister taking your
wedding. - Prayers –There are standard prayers in the Church of
England service. The minister taking your wedding will be
happy to discuss alternatives with you should you wish.
Practical Arrangements
- Orders of Service –You will need to arrange to have an
order of service printed. We will be able to provide you
with details of what needs to go into your order of
service, including a template document. - Rehearsal –This is usually in the week before your
wedding and will be arranged by the minister taking the
service. - Photography –Your photographer is welcome to take
photographs during the service. Please ask them to
contact the minister taking your service to discuss what
they can and cannot do. - Video or Recording –If the wedding is to be recorded
than an additional fee of £30 each must be paid to the
organist and choir members to cover performing rights.
Copyright permissions must be obtained for all music and
readings used if the service is being filmed. - Confetti –Biodegradable confetti may be thrown outside
the building, but not inside the building please. - The tradition of the bride arriving late –Please don’t! The
church personnel or building may well have other
commitments, this may have implications for your service.