Making arrangements for your wedding

These notes are offered in an effort to answer some of the common queries about weddings. If anything is not clear, please do not hesitate to give me a ring. Our prayers and good wishes are with you as you plan for your wedding day and begin your married life.
Vicar: The Revd. Rod Jones, The New Vicarage, Wilson Way, Horsell, Woking Surrey. GU21 4QJ Tel: 01483 772134

1. ENTITLEMENT TO BE MARRIED IN THE PARISH CHURCH

You are entitled to be married in the Parish Church provided that:-
(a) One of you, at least, is baptised, and
(b) One (or both) of you lives within the Ecclesiastical parish of St. Mary-the-Virgin, Horsell, or
(c) One (or both) of you is on the Electoral Roll of the Parish of Horsell. In order to come on the Roll, the applicant must be baptised and over 16; be a member of the Church of England (or of a Church in communion with the C of E); if not resident in the parish, has habitually attended public worship during the period of six months prior to enrolment, and has filled in the application form for the Roll.
(d) Neither of you has been married to a partner who is still living.

2. TIME OF WEDDING
Weddings can be arranged for any day between 8.00am and 6.00pm subject to other services in church. We usually allow a minimum of an hour and a half between weddings.

3. PARENTS CONSENT
If either of you is under 18 years of age at the time of your wedding, both parents must give written permission.

4. BANNS
Your Banns will be called at the 10.00am Sunday service on the second, third and fourth Sundays two months before the wedding. Legally, you are not required to be present at the reading of Banns but most couples like to be there to hear them read. If one of you lives in another parish, you will have to go and see the vicar of the parish where you live and arrange for the Banns to be read there too. When this has been done, you must pay for and collect the Banns certificate, and which the person taking the wedding then has to see beforehand.

5. LICENCE
No licence is needed if Banns are called, but sometimes, for example, when one party comes from abroad, or if it is wished to avoid publicity, marriages are conducted by licence. Talk to the clergy further about this.

6. FORM OF SERVICE
We normally use the popular wedding service found in Common Worship. The clergy will arrange to meet couples about 3 or 4 months before the wedding date when choices about forms of vows, prayers and readings can be made.

7. MUSIC
We shall need to know which bridal and wedding marches you would like, and any requests for special music. It is advisable to choose hymns with well known tunes. A few months before the wedding it would be sensible to talk to our organist, Mr Adam D'Souza (Mobile: 07896 570069), after a morning service, either to discuss choices or make an appointment to see him about hymns. Some initial suggestions can be made by the clergy at the meeting held 2 or 3 months before the wedding. If you intend to have a service sheet printed, it would be sensible to let us see the draft copy before you go to print. There are one or two short parts of the Service which it is helpful to include. Please remember to allow extra copies for the organist.

8. PREPARATION AND REHEARSAL
Whoever is to conduct the wedding will hope to see you on at least two occasions beforehand. The first to prepare generally and the second for a rehearsal which usually takes place on a weekday evening a few days before the wedding.

9. FEES
You will be handed a separate paper showing how much your wedding will cost. The total cost depends on factors as to whether, for example, you want the bells and a choir. Normally, a non-returnable deposit is paid when the wedding is booked. The balance of the fees is then paid in cash before the wedding day, say, at the rehearsal. It is helpful if the fees are put in separate envelopes and marked 'bells', 'flowers', 'choir' etc.

10. FLOWERS
Our flower arrangers can offer for your wedding, two pedestals in church and an arrangement in the porch. The fee is as per the fees table the clergy give you at the pre-wedding interview. If you want special flower arrangements then an outside florist will be required. Please discuss your needs with Mrs. June Lock on 01483 476443.

11. CONFETTI
Will you please tell friends and relatives that confetti should not be thrown outside (or inside!) St. Mary's. The best place for them to 'drown' you in paper and rice is at the reception where, hopefully there will be an industrial vacuum cleaner to tidy it all up afterwards!

12. CAR PARKING
It is possible to hire the Horsell Village School playground for parking. Please ring them at 01483 714804 to check availability. Please then use the form we give you to inform the school of the date and time of your wedding. The fee is presently £30.00 and the cheque should be made out to 'SCC The Horsell Village School'. The playground is normally opened about an hour before the wedding and will be locked about three-quarters of an hour after the wedding, so cars should not be left there while guests attend the reception!

13. PHOTOGRAPHS/VIDEO
Photographs and videos are not allowed in church during the service, but they are permitted in the vestry and from the church door as you come down the aisle to leave church. If you wish to make a tape-recording of your wedding please discuss it with whoever is to conduct the service.

14. BRIDESMAIDS, ATTENDANTS AND USHERS
It is helpful to have at least two ushers to show key people to their seats and, where required, give service sheets to your guests. Ushers should be at church in good time on the day of the wedding. It is advisable to think very carefully if you are intending to have very small children as bridesmaids and attendants; you can never predict how they will cope with such occasions.

E-mail: office@stmarys-horsell.org.uk

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