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 publis 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 2010 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 £ 130.88
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 in 2010

It will not be possible to marry at St. Wilfrid's on the following dates November 14th December 24th - 28th

The following dates are in some way restricted -

August 7th, wedding of Matthew Hetherington & Jessie MacLeod at 3 p.m.
August 21st, wedding of Daniel Williams and Camilla Wilkinson at 4 p.m.
August 28th, wedding blessing of David Stewart & Lorraine Stewart at 4 p.m.
September 3rd, wedding of Nicholas Smith & Ann-Marie Pimblott at 12.30 p.m.
September 4th, wedding of Christopher Cummins and Kimberley Treloar at 2.30 p.m.
September 25th, wedding of Ian Buckley & Ellen-Marie Colley at 3 p.m.
October 1st - 11th Harvest Week, Church is decorated all week.
November 28th - December 23rd is advent and all flowers must be removed after the service
17th December, wedding of James Hargreaves & Zoe Eyres at 1 p.m.
29th December, wedding of Thomas Scott & Katie Bowen at 1 p.m.

Dates in 2011

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

April 17th - May 1st, Holy Week and Easter
September 30th - October 2nd, Harvest celebrations
December 24th-28th, Christmas break

The following dates are in some way restricted -

January 22nd, wedding of Rees Whittal-Williams & Elizabeth Evans at 3 p.m.
March 5th, wedding of Peter Martin-Bird & Aimee Rutter at 2 p.m.
March 9th - April 17th is Lent and all flowers will have to be removed after the service
April 9th, wedding of Robert Harrop & Heather Williams at 3 p.m.
May 21st, wedding of Andre Leon & Lyndssy McKie at 1 p.m.
June 3rd, wedding of Paul Davies & Ninka Hulme at 2 p.m.
June 4th, wedding of Paul Kellett & Susan Evington time tbc
June 12th, Mobberley Rose Queen Festival, roads are closed, access to Church via Ashley Road only.
June 18th, wedding of Aiden Doran & Emily Towner at 3 p.m.
July 1st, wedding of Christopher shaw & Nicola Bracegirdle at 2 p.m.
July 2nd, wedding of Matthew Puttick & Nicola Ellison at 2 p.m.
July 23rd, wedding of Kristian Parsons & Claire Avril time at 4 p.m.
July 23rd, wedding of John Anderson & Alexandra Nicholls at 2 p.m.
July 24th, wedding of Stephen Flood & Charlotte Allmark at 1 p.m.
July 30th, wedding of Michael Heath & Vanessa Bagley at 1 p.m.
August 20th, wedding of James Denton & Alexis Clarke at 1 p.m.
August 27th, wedding of Douglas Waldron & Natalie Cragg at 2 p.m.
August 27th, wedding of Edward Martin-Bird & Nina Halls at 2 p.m.
September 3rd, wedding of Stephen Pinner & Tracy Bowers at 1 p.m.
September 9th, wedding of Oliver Northover & Collette Goodall at 12.30 p.m.
September 10th, wedding of Andrew Chadderton & Hannah Moss at 1 p.m.
October 3rd - 9th, Harvest decorations in church.

If you think you have booked a wedding for next year and it is not shown above please contact me immediately. Other dates will be added as holiday dates are confirmed and further wedding bookings received.

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.