Congratulations on your decision to marry.
Bircle Church is a lovely place for weddings, both inside the church and outside the grounds for photos. We welcome all those who fulfil the current legal requirements (i.e. live in the parish, are old enough, and are not related).
We hope that these guidelines will help you in your preparations and if we can be of any further help or if you want to discuss and /or book your wedding please don’t hesitate to contact the Vicar.
Legal Notes:
1. A couple are welcome to be married in this parish if just one of the following applies:
- one of you was baptised or prepared for confirmation in this parish;
- one of you has ever lived in this parish for six months or more;
- one of you has at any time regularly attended public worship in this parish for six months or more;
- one of your parents has lived in this parish for six months or more in your lifetime;
- one of your parents has regularly attended public worship here for six months or more in your lifetime;
- your parents or grandparents were married in this parish.
- If you are living inside our parish boundary when your Banns are called, or are regular worshippers at our church and on our Electoral Roll.
Marriage is a service for deepening your relationship still further. In it you give the biggest gift you can to each other. It is the gift of yourself for the rest of your life.
An application form is available from the Vicar – please note that you will also be asked to supply appropriate supporting evidence of your nationality, identity, age and address.
2. If one of you does not live in this parish you must have your “Banns” read out at the local Church of England church where you live. Contact the Vicar there as soon as possible before your wedding & arrange to have your Banns Called.
3. After they have been called, collect the Banns Certificate, paying the appropriate fee applicable at the time to that Vicar (wedding fees change every year in January) and bring the Certificate to the Vicar here at your wedding rehearsal.
4. Your Banns will be read out here at St John the Baptist, Bircle at our main worship Service on three consecutive Sundays on the month before your wedding. The Service starts at 10.00am and we would love you to attend if possible.
5. All Anglican Clergy are Registrars for Church of England Weddings.
6. Please bring the fees for the Wedding (preferably in cash so that the money can be easily split up and paid to the various people involved in the wedding) to your rehearsal. There are Statutory fixed fees and Optional fees which all change in January each year. Optional fees are extras and include: Organist, heating, video licence and flowers. Permission is given to take photographs and videos of the wedding, though the vicar needs to be consulted about the details.
7. Hymn books are supplied for all weddings. If you want to print your own order of service, please check all details with the Vicar first before you get it printed to avoid errors.
Final Preparations:
You will need to meet the Vicar at a mutually convenient time during the week before your wedding. This will also involve an informal rehearsal for your wedding service in church usually one evening the week before.
Favourite Hymns which are Suitable for Weddings
Great is Thy faithfulness.
Praise my soul the King of heaven.
Love Divine.
Shine, Jesus, shine
Lord of all hopefulness
One more step
Lord of the Dance
O Jesus, I have promised
Morning has broken
Lord Jesus Christ, you have come to us
And did those feet in ancient times (‘Jerusalem’)
All things bright and beautiful
Lord of all hopefulness