Your wedding day will be a very important day for both of you. There is something special about making your marriage vows before God, and we would love to help you do this at a service in St. Paul’s Church.
First Steps
Marriage arrangements are made at our Parish Office in the Parish Centre which is open on Monday or Tuesday mornings between 10am and 12 noon and Friday evenings by appointment.
To be married at St. Paul’s the law requires that one of you must live within the Parish boundaries at the time of the calling of your banns, or that you are a regular worshipper at the Church, or that you or your family have some connection to the Parish Church. We can help you work out which best applies to you. Any change of address or other personal details that occur after the booking should be communicated to the Parish Office as it may affect some of the legal preliminaries which we are required to complete before the wedding day.
We are also required to see proof of your nationality and identity. There are a number of ways to do this, and we can advise you on this when you first enquire about your wedding.
If you or your partner are not UK nationals or EU citizens with settled status, you may need to be married with a Superintendent Registrar’s Marriage Schedule, but most other people will be married “by banns” – a legal process that involves us announcing your intention to marry during our main Sunday service in the weeks ahead of the service.
Banns
Notice of your intended marriage has to be given by the “reading of banns.” This is a short – but extremely important – announcement made three times during the main Sunday Service in the months before your wedding. This announcement has to be made in the church where you are to be married (in this case St Paul’s) AND the parish churches wherever you and your partner are living (if you don’t live in Stockingford parish).
We will arrange for your banns to be read at St. Paul’s but if either of you is living in another parish during the three months up to your marriage you must contact your local vicar and ask to publish your banns in their Parish Church. If you don’t know which is your local parish church, you can find it using a website called A Church Near You. It is your responsibility to ensure this legal requirement is fulfilled. When your banns have been read three times in the other church, they will give you a banns certificate. (There is a fee to pay). You must bring this certificate to the Parish Office at St. Paul’s before your wedding can take place. It is best to contact your local church about 3-6 months before your wedding to ask for your banns to be read.
Your banns will be read at St. Paul’s at the 10am service on three successive Sundays. We will let you know which Sundays this will be, and warmly invite you to attend church those weeks.
Fees
Wedding Fees are fixed at the beginning of each year by the Church of England and we can only give you a guidance figure. The current fee is around £600 and includes all the legal administration and preparation for the service, plus use of the building and its facilities with heating and lighting. We strongly recommend having a verger to support you and your guests on the day, which costs an additional £30. If you would like organ music during the service, there is an additional fee for the organist of approximately £70.
We ask for a deposit of £50 when the wedding is initially booked. This is fully refundable if the wedding is cancelled for any reason. The remainder of the fees can be paid in instalments or as a one-off payment at any point in the months before the wedding, All we ask is that payment is completed before the wedding rehearsal (which is usually in the week before the wedding service).
Forms of Service
We use a service of Marriage taken from the “Common Worship” Prayer Book. The clergy will go through this service with you on your preparation evening. If you wish for any special prayers, readings or music to be included in the service please bring your ideas to that evening. If you are having an order of service prepared, please first check the draft with one of the clergy.
Marriage Preparation
You will have a Marriage Preparation session with the member of the clergy who is conducting your wedding. This provides an opportunity for you to look at the service together in order to understand fully the vows and commitment you are about to undertake in marriage, to choose your hymns, reading and sort out any queries with regard to the Church service. The clergyperson will usually contact you to arrange this about three months before the wedding, but if you would like to meet sooner, please ask.
Flowers
There are flowers in Church throughout the year (except Lent), but if you would like extra arrangements on your wedding day you are welcome to arrange and pay for these by contacting one of our Flower Ladies Mrs. Jo Male on 0247632 8668 or Mrs Mary Stewart 02476 373572.
Photographers
We want you to have lovely memories of your special service and so photographs are allowed. However, it is important that this doesn’t distract you or your friends and family from what is a very special and important moment in your lives, so there are some restrictions on where your photographer can take photographs. Please ask your photographer to speak to the clergy person conducting your service to agree where they can stand.
Video Recordings
We do allow a video to be made of the Wedding service provided the videographer films from a position agreed with the member of the clergy and is discreet. Professional recorders require a licence and any musicians involved in the service may be entitled to an extra fee.
Confetti
We are an Eco-Church so please ask your guests not to use foil confetti as it does not biodegrade and clogs mowers. Paper confetti and confetti made from dried flowers can be used outside.
Music
It is usual to have one or two hymns at a wedding, but CDs can be used if preferred. We have a good variety in our Church hymn book and the clergy are happy to help you choose hymns if required.
Wedding Rehearsal
When you have the Marriage Preparation session we will arrange a time and day for your wedding rehearsal. This is usually in the early evening a few days before your wedding.
St Paul's Church and Parish Centre, Stockingford 