Saturday 17 January 2009

Blessing of Marriage following a Civil Wedding (ie not in a church building)

This service is for couples who have been married in a registry office or a hotel or somewhere similar but now want to come to church to have their relationship blessed in a religious setting.

It is different from the Renewal of Vows service which is also featured on the website though there are similarities. It really works best if the wedding took place recently (ie within the first two years of a marriage). For weddings which took place some time ago the Renewal of Vows service is more appropriate.

The official title of this service is a Service of Prayer and Dedication after a Civil Marriage and you can find the wording for this service by clicking on this link, though remember to return to this page afterwards for more guidance.

http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/marriage/civilmarriage.html

Because the couple are already married they enter the church together, not separately. There is no problem with bridesmaids being present but there is no formal role for a best man or the father of the bride in the service, unless you want to dedicate new rings in which case they can be offered by a "best man".

Hymns and music are common at these services.


The costs for a formal service stand at £277 for the year 2020 plus the additional fees for verger (£40), organist (£90), and other fees if required stand such as bells (£130) and choir (£130).  Flowers are an additional £80 and there is a heating charge of £40 in the winter months. 
However, if the couple simply want a short informal service in the church with the Vicar and not a formal "wedding" style of service, the £277 fee is waived and we ask for a donation instead. This is something we can discuss after you have booked the service.

To book this service please call the Vicar on 01227 272308 or email him at tillotsons@googlemail.com