All Saints' Wedding Planner

So you want to get married! We are delighted that you are thinking of getting married in church!

All Saints’ Church has an hour once a week (Thursday 6.45pm to 7.45pm) when weddings can be booked in.
Contact the Church Office

Below is a summary of the wedding preparations that we will discuss with you; we also give you a leaflet with full details:

Wedding Preparation

We love to help people build strong marriages that will last a lifetime. As part of your marriage preparation we will encourage you to come to a short course, along with others, where over food and drink we will look at issues such as communicating well, resolving conflicts, understanding one another's expectations for life together.

Banns
If a wedding takes place in a Church of England church, by law banns must be published three times before the wedding, and normally one or other of the couple must live in the parish, have a previous connection with the parish, or be on the church’s Electoral Roll. This needs to be done within three months before the wedding but not less than three Sundays before the wedding.

This is what will be read three times at the Sunday service:
“I publish the banns of marriage between John Smith, single of the parish of St Martin’s, Low Marple, and on the Electoral Roll of this parish, and Jane Brown, single of this parish. This is for the first time of asking. If any of you know any reason in law why these persons may not marry each other you are to declare it.”

How much does it cost?
Fees are subject to review. As of January 2012, fees are as follows:

Basic fee £324
Organist £70
Heating £100
Bellringers £110

The fees for organist and bellringers only apply if you want their services.The fee for heating only applies between 1st October and 31st March, or if you want to have heating at another time of year.

Flowers
An arrangement of flowers on the ledge behind the Communion Table is prepared every Friday for normal church services. You may want to provide extra flowers in the church, such as on stands or pedestal arrangements.

Hymns
The marriage service is an act of worship, and in particular a time to thank God for bringing you together as a couple, and to ask him to bless your marriage in the future. Usually two or three hymns (or songs) are sung in the service. We can help you choose hymns that say the things you want, and are well known enough so that people will join in. There are plenty of choices. Click here for suggestions.

Instrumental music
Usually, there are three times in the service when instrumental music is required:

When the bride makes her entrance into church
During the signing of the register
When the couple leave the church

There is a wide range of music available for you to use during the service. Click here for suggestions. We will give you a sheet containing a number of suggestions and discuss the decisions that you need to make, for example how long they need to be and whether the organist can play them!

Bible Reading
The wedding service normally has a Bible reading, which is chosen from a wide range of topics such as love, commitment and the best foundations for living. Some deal more specifically with the love of God and the example Jesus gave us. Click here for suggestions. Your minister will help you decide on a reading that fits in with the message or sermon.

Order of service
You may like to have an order of service printed, in which case please check the draft order with the Minister or Administrator before going to print.