The Bible teaches that marriage is a gift of God, and is to be the basis of society. We regard it as a great privilege to be involved in people’s weddings, and want to do all we can to help and encourage couples as they begin married life.
The church is able to conduct the marriage of anyone who lives in the parish, and does not have a former husband / wife still living ( in those instances we can often offer services of prayer and dedication). In addition we are able to marry those who are regular attenders of the church, and are on the Church Electoral Roll. To find out more about the possibility of getting married at St. David's please contact Stephen Wookey on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
BANNS
To get married in church you need either a certificate of banns, or a special license (usually when one or other of the couple lives abroad). These are to ensure that the couple getting married can do so legally. This involves a declaration being read out in church to the effect that they are intending to get married and asking if anyone has a legal objection.
The banns must be read out in the parish church(es) where either of the couple lives, and the church where they are due to be married. For those living already in Moreton parish this means only in Moreton, similarly in Longborough or Todenham. The banns will be read out on three consecutive Sundays some weeks before the wedding is due to take place. So long as nobody comes up with a valid objection, you are then free to be married!
For the banns you need to fill out an application form – from which also we will also draw up the wedding certificate and registers. You should receive the banns application form at the first meeting. Please return it as soon as you can, giving any details of when you might like the banns read, although we usually read them on the first three Sundays of the month at the main service. We would expect to do this the month before the wedding itself.
SERVICE
The service we use is the standard Anglican service to be found in the Common Worship Book. If you have any doubts as to what this is, all will be explained! The service takes on average between 35-40 minutes, but when you include the bride’s arrival (often a little late!), and the signing of the register, it is wise to allow about an hour (not including the photographs afterwards). You can choose anything from 2 to 4 hymns, and the organist and vicar will provide any help you might need in choosing them. It is usually sensible to stick to well-known hymns unless the congregation is likely to be familiar with church music. There will be a full rehearsal of the service sometime in the week before the wedding, but it is extremely simple, and the minister will talk you through it all on the day.
MUSIC
You will need to spend a little time with the organist working out what hymns and music you want for the service. It is possible to have a choir brought in for the service but there would be an extra cost.
COST
Sadly, getting married is not cheap these days, although the church service is usually the least expensive part. The fees are reviewed every year by the Church of England, and we have no say in them. As from the beginning of 2010 the costs are as follows,
Reading of Banns £22.00
Certificate of Banns £12.00 (only necessary for banns read elsewhere)
Marriage Service £260.00
Marriage certificate £3.50 (an extra certificate costs £7)
Heating & Administration £20.00
These cover the costs of the minister, and the use of the church. An invoice will be sent out to you a couple of weeks before your wedding by the Church Administrator, and payment is expected by the time of the rehearsal in the week of the wedding. All cheques should be made payable to the respective PCC (NB There is a yearly cost revision of these fees).
In addition there are other items which you will probably wish to have as well.
Organist £70.00
Bells £100.00
Flowers Can be done by the family, in liaison with church flower arrangers
Details of whom to contact about these three items will be given again at the first meeting with the vicar. Payments for them should be made to the people concerned, and are expected again before the wedding.
PHOTOGRAPHS
The photographs form an important part of the day, but careful instructions need to be given. We allow photographs to be taken at the door, the occasional one during the service, during the signing of the register, and walking down the aisle at the end. We ask others to refrain from taking photos during the service to avoid distraction. We discourage videos, except in exceptional circumstances, and if they are used they should not use lights, or move around (professional video people usually fully understand and are cooperative). Photographers / video folks are asked to arrive early, to check details with the minister before the service. In the case of a video, care must be taken not to infringe copyright - for details check with the organist.
CONFETTI
Since confetti tends to leave a lot of mess in the churchyard and is very hard to clear up, we ask people to desist from throwing confetti in the church grounds.
WHAT NEXT?
After an initial meeting, another meeting nearer the day will be arranged in order to make sure everything is on track, and topick up on any questions that arise, either on the wedding itself, or about marriage in general. A final meeting, which involves the actual wedding rehearsal, will be arranged for the week before the wedding..
PREPARATION
Many people have never had the chance to talk through marriage and what it entails before their wedding day, and appreciate the opportunity of doing so. We have no intention of prying into people’s lives, but believe it is right to ask some important questions about expectations, and understanding before the day itself. In experience it is far better to have thought them through beforehand, than to be caught unawares afterwards.
As a result you will be given, at the first meeting, a series of questions on the subject of marriage. It is recommended that the couple looks at the questions individually, the together. It can be a fascinating and enlightening experience! If any issue arises it can be discussed at any further meeting.
For further information, and answers to basic questions try the Church of England wedding website
