Can I Get Married at St. Wilfrid's?

St. Wilfrid's Church is a popular wedding venue and we rejoice that so many people wish to get married here. Regulations regarding church weddings are complex and below you will find the basic guidelines however it is always worth contacting us and discussing the options.

You have the right to be married in the church of the (Anglican) parish in which you reside as long as neither party is divorced.
You have the right to be married in any (Anglican) church to which you belong. You 'belong' to a church through habitual attendance and by being admitted onto the church electoral roll.
At St. Wilfrid's to qualify to get on the electoral roll a person, and it does only need to be one of the two parties, must attend at least once a month for a minimum of six months. After this period the person then applies to go on the electoral roll. Only when this is done can the banns then be read. This process takes a minimum of eight months.

You may also get married in any Church of England church with which you can prove you have a 'qualifying connection'. A 'qualifying connection' can be any of the following

One of you was baptised in the parish concerned (If you were baptised and confirmed at the same time, the provisions on confirmation rather than baptism apply)
One of you has been confirmed, and was prepared for confirmation in the parish
One of you has at any time lived in the parish for at least 6 months
One of you has at any time regularly attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months Or:
One of your or your fiance/e's parents has lived in the parish for at least 6 months at any time after you were born (or, in the case of your fiance/e's parents, at any time after your fiance/e was born)
One of your or your fiance/e's parents has regularly attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months at any time after you (or your finace/e) were born.
A parent or grandparent of you or your fiance/e was married in the parish.

When Can I Get Married?

By church law weddings can take place on any day of the week including Sundays and Holy Days between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. as long as they don't interfere with Divine Service. Local custom, and the Parish Priest's stamina, may well put some limits on the possibilities so if your heart is set on getting married at St. Wilfrid's please book the wedding with us before booking the reception et al. You will find a list below of restricted and unavailable dates.

What Does It Cost?

Wedding fees are split between statuatory fees that are set by the church nationally and local fees charged by the individual parish. These local fees include a basic parish charge for the use of the building which will include elements of heating, lighting, upkeep and maintenance costs. This basic charge is a fixed part of the basic wedding costs. On top of the statuatory and basic parish charge are items such as organist, choir and bells which you can decide whether to include them or not.

Proposed Fees 2011 are -

Publication of banns £ 22.00
Marriage Service £ 260.00
Marriage Certificate £ 3.50
Parish Charge £ 160.00

Basic Marriage Cost £445.50

Extras are

Organist £ 80.00
Choir £ 150.00
Bells £ 130.00
Maximum Total £805.50

Please note that if you wish to use your own organist you may do so however the organist is still due his fee. Also note that if the wedding is being videoed the organist's fee is double. Finally please be aware that most of our bell ringers work and so it may not always be possible to have the bells if you are getting married mid-week.

Fees are payable at the wedding rehearsal and you will receive a full invoice at the wedding preparation meeting.

What Is My First Step?

The first thing you need to do is contact the Rector, you will find a way to do this by following the 'Contacts' tab above. You will be asked to fill in a booking form that, in most cases, also acts as your banns form. Banns are read on three Sundays, normally consecutively, prior to the wedding taking place and give people a legitimate opportunity to object to your marriage. You will need to have banns read in the parish where you wish to mary and the parish(es) where the couple getting married reside.

What Happens Next?

In most cases weddings are booked a year or more in advance so, once the wedding is confirmed, there is little that needs to be done for a while. If you live outside the parish and need to get on the electoral roll you will need to maintain regulat attendance so as to be eligible. It is entirely your responsibility to ensure that the electoral roll criteria are met.

Approximately 6 months before the wedding the Rector will contact you to arrange dates for the reading of the banns, for your marriage preparation and wedding rehearsal. Marraige preparation meetings are done in a group with others getting married at around the same time. The Rector will also confirm whether you require the organist, choir and bells.

Dates for 2012

The Rector will be on sabbatical during May, June and July 2012 and will not be taking any further wedding bookings for this period. If you wish to be married next year please contact me as soon as possible (using the form on the 'Contact & Links' page) as alternate dates are booking up rapidly.

It will not be possible to marry at St. Wilfrid's on the following dates -

February 12th - 21st, half-term
April 1st - April 13th, Holy Week & Easter
May 1st - August 12th inclusive
October 5th-7th, Harvest decorating & celebration
Dec. 23rd-30th, Christmas

The following dates are in some way restricted -

March 10th, wedding of Phillip Armstrong & Katy Marsden at 3.00 p.m.
March 17th, wedding of Simon Goodwin & Chloe Adamson at 1.30 p.m.
March 24th, wedding of Peter Entwistle & Catriona Ratter at 2 p.m.
April 14th, wedding of Robin Brandon & Natalie Hargreaves at 2 p.m.
April 22nd, wedding of Colin Purslow & Jennifer Banks at 1 p.m.
April 28th, wedding of Alan Marnie & Gillian Hogan at 3 p.m.
May 5th, wedding of David Miller & Georgina Kennon at 2 p.m. (prearranged)
June 2nd, wedding of John Stringer & Helen Daniel at 1 p.m. (prearranged)
September 1st, wedding of Andrew Shepherd & Wendy Bruen at 2 p.m.
September 8th, wedding of Robin Shipton & Stephanie Horridge time t.b.c.
September 14th, wedding of Jusyn Lambert & Caroline Oulton at 12 p.m.
September 14th, wedding of Benjamin Avery & Karen Bleakley at 3 p.m.
September 15th, wedding of Nicholas Power & Susannah Boydell time t.b.c.
September 22nd, wedding of Craig Johnson & Jane Aspinall
October 8th - 15th, Harvest decorations in church
October 28th, wedding of Simon Oakley & Michele Mehuen time t.b.c.

Music

We have an excellent organist and choir at St. Wilfrid's as well as a top notch PA system. We can also provide a CD of suitable music however there are also excellent music resources on the internet, just type 'Wedding Music' into Google or Yahoo. Before making your finally decision about music please speak to our organist.

There are normally five opportunities for music at a wedding, not all which have to be taken up.

Before the Service: Some couples like to choose specific music to be played before the Bride arrives. Remember however that if you are also having the bells ringing any music inside the church will be playing second fiddle to the bells.
Entrance of the Bride: This music tends to be more elegant than lively and many wedding Music websites will categorise music appropriately for entrance and exit etc.
Hymns: The service will take up to three hymns and I wouldn't recommend less than two, unless you are not having any at all. Hymn suggestions again can be found on the net or else speak to our organist.
Performances: Some couple wish to include a piece of music, a song sung by a friend or a piece from a string quartet as a focal piece within the service. This is normally fine however you will need to consult with the Rector.
Recessional Music: At the conclusion of the service there is normally music whilst the bridal party make their way out of church. This music tends to be loud and lively and, again, advice can be sought from the internet or our organist.

Flowers & Fings?

Flowers: A sheet is available outlining our guidelines for the use of flowers, where they can be put, what can be used, and equally importantly how they will be disposed of. If there is more than one wedding in a day we strongly suggest that the couple involved co-operate on one set of decorations.
Car Parking: The is a reasonable amount of parking available on the grass verge opposite the lych-gate. At weekends and during school holidays it is normally possible to park in the school carpark.
Confetti: We ask couples to insist that wedding guests use only bio-degradable or preferably natural confetti such as rose petals. We also request that guests do not throw confetti in the graveyard but wait until they are beyond the lych-gate.

Useful Links

For a selection of Readings click here
For ideas on music listen to samples here.
For Wedding Video click here (inclusion on this website does not constitute a recommendation)

All pictures on this page courtesy and copyright Kanashay Photography
(inclusion on this website does not constitute a recommendation)