getting married In church at Littlemore

You have the right to be married at this church if:

• at least one of you lives within the parochial boundaries of this parish (or are on the church electoral role of this church)
• at least one of you is baptised and
• if neither of you is divorced. If one of you is divorced, special regulations apply.

The first thing you need to is to book the date (and time) of your wedding with the Vicar of this church. From then on your wedding is 'booked' and all details will be filed under that date. Most people book their wedding about 6-12 months before the date. But it can be done with as little as five full weeks notice. After booking your date it is normal procedure to have two meetings with the priest who will be marrying you (one about four months before your wedding and the next about one month before) after that there will be a rehearsal on one day during the week before your wedding. It is during this rehearsal that the full payment of the fees for your wedding has to be made. It is your responsibility to make sure that these meetings happen.

Legal preliminaries

Most people get married in church after the 'reading of banns'. It is also possible to get married with different legal preliminary procedures, but this is more expensive and it only normally happens in cases where banns cannot be read. The banns are read in the church at which you are getting married and in the church in the parish of which the other partner lives (if you both live in this parish, then banns only need to be read here). It is very important that for the purposes of the reading of the banns you reside at the addresses which you give for four weeks prior to the beginning of the reading of the banns as well as for the three weeks during which the banns are called. The form, which you fill in to apply to have your banns read, is complicated and needs to be filled in truthfully. It is filled in both for this church and for any other church you are having your banns read (it is therefore worth you keeping a photocopy of it once you have filled in one!) - It is your responsibility to make sure that you have agreed the calling of banns with the various Vicars concerned. You cannot be married in church without fulfilling the legal preliminaries.

Church decoration

You have the option of getting married in the church decorated by the church flower and cleaning team ready for the next Sunday (the church at its Sunday best). You may also want to add flower decorations or have them added. If you want to use our very competent flower arranging team, you need to negotiate with them direct, if you would like other people to do this for you (friends or professional florists) you need to organise access to the church for them through our sacristan.

Music

You can choose your own music and hymns by consulting with our organist, it is normal to have two hymns but you can have three if you wish. You may also like to specify the music to be played at the beginning and the end of the service, and during the signing of the registers. Singers can be provided at extra cost, to lead the singing of the hymns or to sing an anthem during the service.

Readings

It is normal to have a reading from the Bible, you may want to choose a suitable passage (the priest will assist you). You may like to consider to make the service more personal by choosing a reader from amongst your guests or/and chose an additional reading (which may not have to come from the Bible, but could be a poem or some other suitable passage meaningful for you both). During the discussions preparing you for your marriage, you will be able to chose between an 'old language' and a 'modern language' service.

possible Bible readings for your wedding - from The Old Testament Genesis 1, 26-28 Song of Solomon 2, 10-13; and 8, 6-7 Jeremiah 31, 31-34 Tobit 8, 4-8 from the New Testament (Epistles) Romans 7, 1,2,9-18 Romans 8, 31-35 & 37-39 Romans 12, 1,2,9-13 Romans 15, 1-3 & 5-7 & 13 1 Corinthians 13 Ephesians 3, 14-end Ephesians 4, 1-6 Ephesians 5, 21-end Phillipians 4, 4-9 Colossians 3, 2-17 1 John 3, 18-end 1 John 4, 7-12 from the New Testament (Gospels) Matthew 5, 1-10 Matthew 7, 21 & 24-end Mark 10, 6-9,13-16 John 2, 1-11 John 15, 1-8 John 15, 9-17

Printing an 'Order of Service'

You may also like to consider to arrange for the printing of an order of service which will contain words of hymns and a running order of the wedding service, so that your guests can be handed this by the ushers as they enter the church. The priest will normally like to have a look at the final proof of this. Material that ought to be included in your order of service is available from this website or it can be obtained from the Vicar. The total length of the service is likely to be about 40 minutes.

click here for a basic order of service text in PLAIN TEXT format
click here for a basic order of service text in WORD format click here for a basic order of service text in .PDF format

You may like to study the words of the Marriage Vows which you will declare during the service:

click here for the Vows ni PLAIN TEXT format
click here for the Vows in WORD format
click here for the Vows in.PDF format

Photographs and video

If you want you can have one designated photographer. In this church such a person will have a lot of freedom to take photographs, even during the service, provided that:

1) he/she identifies himself to the priest ten minutes before the service and they can have a quick discussion and
2) other people refrain from taking photographs during the service.

If you are having a video recorded this will involve you in paying additional copyright fees (to church and musicians) and also signing a form which will prevent you from showing this video on any kind of broadcast outlet.

Having a Eucharist (or 'Nuptial Mass')

You may like the wedding to include a celebration of the Holy Eucharist (Holy Communion or Mass). This would be especially relevant if either of you is a regular church goer and is used to receiving the sacrament of the Holy Communion (it makes the service about ten minutes longer.)

Finally

Please remember that 'getting married in a church' can mean a whole spectrum of events. The main elements are: your promises (the vows), your nuptial blessing, the witnesses, prayers for you and the signing of the registers. It is perfectly possible for you not to have any of the other enhancements (flowers, music, festive clothes, special cars, expensive parties etc). The priest will take your wedding seriously, whatever you decide to do: from (on the one end of the scale) the two of you coming to the church in ordinary clothes with two witnesses to (on the other end of the scale) you organising a huge stage-managed day of celebration.