Weddings

Marriage in Church

You can’t beat a church wedding – as you know if you’re reading this.  There is something beautiful, solemn, joyful and mysterious about making your marriage vows in church before God.

A wedding ceremony marks the beginning of a marriage and is a public witness before God to the love that two people have for each other.

A Church wedding makes certain things clearer:

• Marriage is not a contract but a vow and covenant made between two people.
• Marriage is not just for the good days, not just when I feel like it, but a sacred and awesome undertaking in which we can find a higher truth.
• Marriage is a sacrament, a mystery, a holy and blessed way of life in which God’s purpose for your life can be more fully realised.

Marriages after a divorce

Jesus taught that marriage is for life and that is our ideal.  But in The Parish of Bracknell we understand that marriages do fail and we try to help people rebuild their lives in new relationships. If you have been divorced and would like to discuss the possibility of being married again in Church please do not hesitate to speak to one of the ministers.  Not every minister feels able to remarry people but we will ensure a minister is available for you.

The Church of England

Marriage in the Church of England can be authorised in a number of ways.

Banns are the easiest and most commonly used method. They involve notice of your forthcoming wedding being read out in both the bride and the groom’s parish churches on three consecutive Sundays prior to the wedding.

Licences are a quicker method than banns but more expensive. A common licence is usual where one of both people are residents of countries other than the UK (and certain other countries) just ask; and a Special Licence allows people to be married without the usual requirement of living in the parish, having a qualifying connection or belonging to the Electoral Roll.

Marriage by Superintendent Registrar’s Certificate is strongly recommended for couples where the immigration status of one of the people to be married is in question.

Legal Information:

Any British citizen who is resident within the parish boundaries has a right to be married in the parish church so long as there is no legal obstacle. You do not need to have been baptised.

It is also possible to get married in the parish if you can show a ‘qualifying connection’ with Holy Trinity Church. For example, this might be that you or one of your parents have worshipped here regularly for at least six months or that you have lived within the parish boundaries for at least six months or that one of your parents have lived within the parish boundaries for at least six months during your lifetime. It might be that you were baptised here or that you were prepared for confirmation in the parish or that your parents or grandparents were once married here.

It is also possible to get married in the Bracknell parish if you have legally joined one of the congregations and are on the church electoral roll. There is not the same as the Local Government roll, but is the official list of church members. To join the electoral roll you must be baptised and have attended worship at one of our churches for at least 6 months prior to application. It would be good to do this if you intend to make one of the churches your church and might be seeking other services, such as baptism, in the future.

Preparation

After you’ve booked your marriage date, one of the ministers will be assigned to conduct the service and will arrange to meet you.  A further wedding planning meeting is held roughly three months before the wedding date.

We do also offer ‘Preparation for marriage’ sessions, often run with other local churches, which many people find helpful to prepare spiritually for their wedding.

Rehearsal

This will be at Holy Trinity Church and the minister conducting the service arrange a suitable time.  It is usually a few days before the wedding itself.

It is important that Bride and Groom, Best Man and Bride’s Father (or the one who will escort her into the church) and, if possible, any bridesmaids and page boys are present, but anyone else is very welcome to come along. Please bring your printed Order of Service to the Wedding rehearsal.

Marriage by Banns

If you are being married by banns, these will be called on 3 consecutive Sundays, two months before the proposed wedding date. Banns are called at Holy Trinity at the 9.15am Service and it is hoped that you will be able to hear them being called on at least one of the three Sundays.

Important Note:

If one or both of you live in another parish your banns must also be called in each of your parish churches in the same way, although not necessarily on the same dates. You must make contact with the parish priest as soon as possible. The fee will be about £54 in each church and you will be given a banns certificate which we legally need to see before the wedding.

Music

You can choose music for the start of the service, when the bridal party enters the Church, and the end of the service, when the newly married couple lead their party out of church. It is a good idea to choose hymns with tunes that people know and will enjoy singing. . Some ideas for wedding hymns are given below.  We can provide ‘traditional’ organ and choir music or put you in touch with relevant musicians to help you in your choice of music. You can also have recorded music played during the service, either on a CD or digital device.

Readings

See useful links below for some suggestions to get you thinking.  A Church of England wedding service requires that you have at least one Bible reading.

Flowers

If you would like us to organise the flowers in the church you will need to contact Janet Russell (Tel.01344 451 276) and discuss what would be appropriate for your wedding.

Photography

A good photographer is a wonderful asset to your wedding day. We try to gently discourage people from taking photos with mobile phones during the solemn part of the service, so we are very happy to work with professional photographers.  The minister taking your wedding will be happy to discuss the practicalities of taking photos during the service with you and them.

Videos

If you engage a professional video maker then there will be an extra charge to cover additional copyright fees. If a member of your family wants to video the service then we ask you to let the minister conducting the service know, as it is often a good idea to discuss where best to set up the recording during the service.

Cost of a wedding

We are aware that a wedding day can be expensive but the church service is normally only a small portion of the overall expenditure.
To book your service we need a £100 deposit to ensure you reserve your date.
We cannot conduct your service unless the full cost is paid. We ask that you pay your final instalment by one month before the date of the wedding.

To spread the cost you can pay in monthly instalments by:

1. Setting up a standing order
2. Making a bank transfer (please request our bank details from our Finance Administrator
3. Sending or bringing a cheque (made payable to ‘Bracknell PCC’) or cash to The Parish Administrator, Langley Hall, The Ring, Bracknell, RG12 1HD

Please mark the back of the envelope with your surnames and the date and time of your service.

 

Marriage Service	£505
Publication of Banns and certificate	£  34
Sub total	£539
Verger Needed to help prepare and clear church, operate the sound system, liaise with ushers and guests. Need for a verger can only be waived at minister’s discretion.	£ 80
Optional extras
Organist	£170
Choir	£200
Flowers	from £85
Winter heating (September-April)	£50
A deposit of £100 is payable at the time of booking.
Wedding in another Church
Banns	£34
Certificate	£17
Sub total	£51

To discuss arrangements

If you wish to discuss anything regarding initial wedding arrangements, or you have any other questions, please do one of the following:

• Visit one of our services and chat with us. When visiting there is no need to dress in anything special and we are very friendly – so come and make yourself at home!
• Contact the minister/Parish Priest whose details can be found here

We look forward to hearing from you.