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You are entitled by
law to a first marriage in your parish church; this is true
regardless of your own beliefs, lifestyle, or whether you
regularly go to church. If you are uncertain what parish you
live in, try
www.achurchnearyou.co.uk, where
you can enter your postal code and find the answer. (A “parish”
in the Church of England is a geographical designation. It
doesn’t always mean the church closest to your house, and it
doesn’t necessarily mean where you go to church.)
If you don’t live in this parish but have reason to want to be
married in All Saints, there are some possibilities to explore.
You are entitled to be married here if any of these
circumstances apply:
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At any time in the past you or your partner lived in
this parish for at least six months. |
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One of you was baptised in All Saints. |
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One of your parents during your lifetime worshipped
in All Saints at any time in the past for six
months. |
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One set of parents or grandparents was married in
All Saints. |
If you cannot
establish any of these “connections” you are also entitled to be
married here if you are on the electoral roll of the parish. To
join the electoral roll you must be baptised, and you must sign
a statement that for the six months past All Saints has been
your regular place of worship. Don’t hesitate to ask for further
information about this if you have questions about it.
If you are a foreign national and wish to be married in All
Saints please get in contact so that we can establish whether
you can legally be married here. This process is more complex
and the best advice is to allow plenty of time and be patient!
When you come to see the Parish Priest, he will need to see two
forms of identification for both of you: a picture ID (to
establish your identity) and a current utility bill (to
establish where you live). He will ask you to fill in a short
form with your full names, addresses, dates of birth, and your
fathers’ names (whether living or deceased) and their customary
occupation. This form will allow Banns of Marriage to be read in
the church for you.
Banns are the usual way that your freedom to marry is
established. On three successive Sundays your names will be read
out and those present will be asked if they “know any reason why
you may not be married”. If no one objects after those three
readings of the banns you are deemed to be free to marry and a
certificate to that effect can be issued. (If you do not live in
the parish of All Saints but wish to be married here you will
need to have your banns called both in All Saints and in the
parish where you live. You will need to contact the parish
priest of that parish to arrange for this to be done. There is a
fee for this, set by law, which you will pay directly to that
parish. You will then need to bring the certificate to xyz or to
the priest who is to officiate at your ceremony.) There is no
requirement in law that you be present in church when your banns
are read, though most couples like to do so at least once. (The
banns certificate is valid for a period of three months, so you
will want to arrange to have them called relatively close to the
date of your wedding.)
The Wedding
Ceremony
Weddings in All Saints are usually conducted using the Book of
Common Prayer. It is possible to add other materials to the
service, and the Parish Priest will be glad to discuss this with
you.
At least one lesson from the Bible is read during the service.
This can be read by the officiating priest, or by someone else
chosen by you. You are free to choose the lesson to be read, but
here are some suggestions; reading through these together may
give you some idea of the breadth of the Church’s teaching about
marriage:
www.biblegateway.com
Music at
the Ceremony
Most Weddings at All Saints utilise the internationally renowned
choirs; it is possible to book either the boys’ choir or the
girls’ choir for the Ceremony. The choirs sing as many as seven
services each week, and have recorded eight commercial albums in
the last decade.
Usually one or two hymns are sung by the congregation during the
service. Here are some suggestions, all of which are found in
the New English Hymnal, copies of which are available in the
church:
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239
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Lord of
all hopefulness, Lord of all joy |
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339
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Be thou
my vision |
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368
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Guide
me, O thou great Redeemer |
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393
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Lead us,
heavenly Father, lead us |
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408
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Love
divine, all loves excelling |
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413
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Now
thank we all our God |
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427
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O praise
ye the Lord |
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436
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Praise,
my soul, the King of heaven |
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437
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Praise
the Lord, ye heavens, adore him |
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440
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Praise
to the Lord, the Almighty |
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488
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And did
those feet in ancient time (Jerusalem) |
No pre-recorded music
may be used in services at All Saints.
A wedding peal of bells can be rung at the close of your service
if it is possible for us to arrange for sufficient ringers.
Early booking is encouraged to avoid disappointment.
Your Order
of Service
An attractive keepsake service sheet can be printed at All
Saints for you at minimal cost, including the texts of the hymns
to be sung. (This is necessary if you choose hymns for your
service which aren’t included in the New English Hymnal.) We
need to have all copy to be included in the service sheet no
less than two weeks before your wedding. If you prefer to print
service sheets yourselves, you must bring a proof copy to the
office at All Saints at least two weeks prior to your service
before copies are printed.
Video
Recording & Photography
You are welcome to have your wedding service videotaped, and
photographers are welcome to take photos during the ceremony. It
is not legal to photograph the signing of registers, but after
the signing is concluded you can ‘pose’ signing and photographs
can be taken. Please do consult with the parish priest about
photography. We will make every effort to co-operate with your
chosen photographers! Group photographs can be posed inside or
outside following the ceremony, though if another wedding is to
follow yours we will appreciate your consideration of their
needs as well.
Flowers
An arrangement of flowers will stand at the altar every weekend
except during the seasons of Advent and Lent when no flowers are
permitted in the church; generally the predominating colour of
the altar flowers is white. Special requests can be discussed
with the flower coordinator. Unfortunately we do not have staff
to undertake pedestal arrangements or more elaborate floral
programmes, but you can engage a florist for this work. Plans
should be discussed with the Parish Priest.
What to do
next ...
Contact the Parish Secretary, Margaret White, on
secretary@allsaintsnorthampton.co.uk or call the Parish
Office on (01604) 632845.
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