BOOKING THE DATE
Do this as soon as you can, so that we can book it in the church diary and with, where possible, a Clergy person to conduct the service. Unless there are very unusual circumstances, we can only agree to conduct a service for you if either one partner lives in the parish, or if you worship here regularly, and are on the Electoral Roll of the church. It is sometimes possible for us to conduct a wedding if either of you is divorced or has a former partner still living, and we will be happy to discuss this with you further.
BANNS
These will normally be called approximately in the month before the date of your wedding, usually on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Sundays in the 10am service. If one of you lives in another parish, we shall need to know the name of that parish before Banns are called here.
If one of you lives in another Parish, you must arrange for Banns to be called at the other church, which must be a Church of England. This must be done on 3 consecutive Sundays during the 3 months before your wedding, and you will have to bring a Certificate from the other parish to confirm that this has been done, before your wedding can legally take place.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSE
We expect all couples getting married at St. John's to attend a Marriage preparation day, held on a Saturday in the early spring. Here you will meet the clergy team, and have an opportunity to look at the Marriage service. This is also a good time to meet the person who will be conducting your wedding service.
The person conducting your service will arrange with you the order of your wedding service. You will need to choose 2 or 3 hymns, and Bible readings, which you may wish to invite a friend or relative to read. A date will also be arranged for a rehearsal - this is normally during the week before the wedding. There is no Choir, but we can give you a list of singers you may like to book to sing during the signing of the registers. Otherwise, the Organist will play suitable music.
PLANNING THE SERVICE
If you wish to have Video recording made of the service, you will be asked to complete a form asking you to agree to certain conditions. The form has to be countersigned by the person or representative of the firm making the recording. We at St. John's want to help you make your Wedding Day the most special day in your life. You will be busy over the next few months preparing all the practical arrangements for the day itself, but we’d also like to encourage you to take time to prepare for the public commitment you will be making to each other, before God, for the rest of your earthly lives.
VIDEO RECORDING
You may choose to have flowers in the church for your wedding. St. John's are happy to organise this through their flower ladies. Please Contact Us for more details.
FLOWERS
Do use the time before your Wedding Day to talk together about the things that will be important to each of you for your future lives together after the day itself. You are going to take your vows in the name of God - so you will perhaps be wondering what sort of God He is, and what relevance He has for your daily life.