Hymns
Choosing music for your wedding day is a very personal matter, and we very much want to help you to have the wedding that reflects what you feel, as you ask for God's blessing on your marriage.
In choosing hymns, we find that three fit well with the structure of the service, although you can get by with only two. You should choose hymns with which are likely to be well known, or with well known tunes.
For the opening hymn, choose something upbeat, encouraging people to worship God and thank Him. For example, Praise my soul the king of heaven, Morning has broken, To God be the Glory, For the beauty of the earth or Give me joy in my heart.
For the second hymn, choose something more reflective and prayerful. it is good to ask God for his help, or to commit yourselves together in His love. For example, The Lord's my sepherd, Dear Lord and Father of mankind, Make me a channel of your Peace or Lead us heavenly father, lead us.
For the final hymn, choose one that expresses both celebration, and commitment for the future. For example, Be thou my vision, Lord of all hopefulness, Guide me O thou great redeemer, Amazing grace or Shine, Jesus, shine.
Please Note: When creating your Order of Service, if you plan to print the hymns in it, you will need to reference the Copyright Number. This is a legal requirement.
Bible Readings
For weddings that take place in a Church of England, there must be at least one reading from the Bible. Here are a few suggestions that you can consider:
- Genesis 1: 26-28
- Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8; 4: 9-12
- Song of Solomon 2: 10-13; 8: 6-7
- John 2: 1-11
- Romans 8: 31-35, 37-39
- 1 Corinthians 13
- Ephesians 3: 14-end; 5: 21-end
- Colossians 3: 12-17
- 1 John 3: 18-end
If you have other Bible readings in mind we would be happy to discuss your choices.
Second Readings
In addition, you may also like to choose a piece of prose, or a poem, but please check with the Vicar before making the final decision. Whilst we are happy to read your chosen passage in the service, you may also have a friend or relative you may wish to invite to read. If this is the case, we suggest they come to the rehearsal to run through the reading(s) if possible.