A Heavenly Wedding

Planning Your Church Wedding

When I was at the National Wedding Show last April, we bumped into the Church of England stand and it was actually quite useful. I want to get married in a church, not everyone does, but I found the fliers they handed out really useful. I wanted to pass on that information to other brides.

Find a Church

First, find a church. You can find your local church using a church near you.com. However, if you want to marry in a church that is not your local parish church then have a look at your church wedding.org.  This website will tell you about the law and where you can marry. I found that very useful as we have to sort this out for our wedding as well.

Get to Know Your Vicar

Secondly, call your vicar. Let him (or her) know the good news and set up a time to discuss your wedding plans. When we went to book the church for our wedding we just gave over the details that would appear on the wedding certificate.

Vows Discussions

Then, attend the church counselling sessions. They will discuss the points that will be raised during your vows. Some couples find it useful to have some time to think about the vows they will be making. I’ve spoken to other brides about this and they said that they came out of the sessions arguing with their husbands. They will ask questions about who gets out of bed first, who will do the dishes, and discuss the answers for these questions.

The Banns

Next, listen to your banns being read. I think this is a legal requirement to listen to the banns being read, three times in a row. This may have changed since I was told this. Plus, it’s a nice experience to hear your banns being read out in church. It can be very special and moving.

Just Before the Big Day

A day or two before your wedding you will have the chance to rehearse the wedding. This will sort out timings and who’s going first, who’s going second, where everyone is going to stand. Your bridesmaids and groomsmen will be keen to do things right for you and subsequently may be a bit nervous. A rehearsal is good for everyone, and it gives the vicar a chance to get to know a bit about your wedding party.

Your Wedding Day

On the day, your vicar will do his best to make sure that you and your h2b have a meaningful, special and spiritual day celebrating your marriage. He should add some personal touches to his sermon and will hopefully make it an enjoyable experience for all.

Your Anniversary

It might be nice to visit your church on your first anniversary and mention to the vicar. He would say something in his sermon to help you both celebrate your first anniversary.