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INFORMATION ABOUT Weddings If you are thinking about getting married in St. Mary's this information should answer some of your initial questions. Can I Actually Get Married Here? The Church of England has rules about who can or cannot get married in a particular church so just look through these questions: 1: I’m divorced, is that a problem? If your or your partner has been married, or in a civil partnership, before there’s no guarantee you can be married in the church here. You will need a copy of our separate leaflet: Information About Marriage After Divorce and must also talk to Revd. Giles before booking anything. 2: I’m not divorced, so can I get married in St. Mary’s? If you can answer "yes" to anything on this list you can get married here:
The parish of Kingswinford doesn’t include all the streets with a Kingswinford postcode. If you click on this link it will take you to a map of the parish. 4. I couldn’t answer "yes" to anything on that list, is there still a chance I could get married in St. Mary’s? If you don't have a particular connection with St. Mary’s, and neither of you has an address here, then at least one of you must come to church regularly. The office can give you an attendance card and you will need to come to church at least three times a month and have your card signed each time. At the end of six months bring your signed card to the office and they will be able to book your wedding. We can't book your wedding before you come to church for six months so please don't book your reception before we have given you a wedding date. 5. Is there anything else I need to know? If either of you lives in a different parish, then the banns (the public announcement of the wedding in church) need to be read in both parish churches so you will need to ask the other parish priest to do this. If you follow this link and put in your postcode you can find contact details for that church. 6. What Day Can I Get Married? Most people want to get married on a Saturday as that is easiest for their guests. We cannot offer Friday or Sunday weddings but we will consider weddings on another weekday if you prefer that to Saturday. 7. How Much Does A Wedding Cost? Click here to see costs for a church wedding this year Marriage Preparation If you decide to get married in St. Mary’s there will normally be two meetings beforehand, to discuss marriage and the practical side of the wedding. These meetings are designed to help you and to make your wedding day go well. We run a Marriage Preparation Evening a few months before your wedding and will send you a reminder of the date two weeks before, with a copy of our booklet: Your Wedding Day At St. Mary’s, Kingswinford.
Marriage Preparation Evenings for 2010
If you do not attend this evening we will assume that you wish to cancel your wedding. At this evening you will meet other couples getting married at St. Mary’s and can discuss all the practical arrangements for your wedding with our Wedding Team. Revd. Giles will also be there and he will arrange a further meeting with you and your partner before your wedding. The Rehearsal Will usually take place the week before the wedding and the following people need to be there: the bride and groom; the person giving the bride away; the best man; ushers; any bridesmaids and/or pageboys; people you have asked to read. Other close family members may also attend. Order of Service The details of your service, such as your choice of hymns, readings and prayers, will be discussed with you. If you visit the Church of England's Weddings site at: www.yourchurchwedding.org you can use their wedding planner facility. You do not need to feel limited to the choice of music they list but it can be a useful place to start. The Vows You will both say in turn (bridegroom first): I (your name) take you (their name) to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day foward;for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,* till death do us part, according to God's holy law; and this is my solemn vow. * At this point you can choose to say 'and worship' (by the bridegroom), 'and obey' (by the bride) if you wish. Photography and Videos You will want a record of your special day and will need to make your own arrangements for photographs and videos. If you make a recording of the service we charge a small fee to cover the organist’s copyright but this only covers the recording of the service, not editing, creating multiple copies or public performance. Copyright issues are complicated so you should check the following website to ensure you do not break the law: www.wvrl.co.uk Please encourage your photographers not to hold up the beginning of the service! If guests and professional photographers wish to take flash photography please ask them to wait for a photocall at the end – otherwise they distract the priest taking your service. Flowers The church has its own floral arranger and they will discuss the arrangements you wish for your wedding and give you details of their prices. If you wish to employ your own florist we charge a small additional fee. After the wedding you may remove any pew ends or floral displays placed on the floor in front of the choir stalls but we request that all other flowers remain in church for the following Sunday (except during Lent). Music No wedding is complete without music and part of your wedding fee at St. Mary’s pays for our robed choir and organist. You can discuss your choice of music at the Preparation Evening. Bells You may wish to have bells rung for your wedding and they will be rung as the bride arrives and for 15-20 minutes after the service, as you leave the church and have your photographs taken. Part of the fee we charge pays for the ringers and part is spent on repair and maintenance of the bells. How do I organise a wedding? If you have any further questions then contact Revd. Giles, otherwise contact the parish office at the Church Centre to make a booking. |