Weddings
Booking a Wedding
In the first instance, please could you click on the link below which will take you to our online Wedding Form – once you have completed it in as much detail as possible, return it and we will be in touch to chat about your big day!
General Information
Weddings are conducted in all of our churches. We can do weddings any day of the week at a time to suit both us and you. On Sundays we restrict our wedding to 2pm or 4pm and on a Saturday you can get married at 12pm, 2pm or 4pm.
You can download our Wedding Booklet for each church – these have all the information that you need to start planning your special day.
Although weddings are available in all our churches, due to the fact that we only have one incumbent, we cannot run weddings simultaneously in different places. Therefore if there is a wedding already booked on your preferred date/time, then you will need to find an alternative date/time for your wedding.
To confirm availability for any given date, please telephone the Church Office on 01425 653163 to arrange a date and time.
We advise you to not confirm other aspects of your wedding day, until you have checked availability for the church and a minister with the benefice office
Qualifying Connections
The law concerning marriages in Church was changed in 2010. Those who already are allowed to marry in a particular church (i.e., when either partner lives in the Parish (or both, of course), or if either is on the Church Electoral Roll of a Parish) are not affected, and neither is the law concerning the re-marriage of divorcees in Church. But, there is a whole new group of people who can marry in a particular Parish Church – those who have a Qualifying Connection with the Parish.
In law, a person has a Qualifying Connection with a parish, if that person
was:
baptised in the parish. (This does not apply where the baptism formed part of a combined service of baptism or confirmation);
or: had his or her confirmation entered in a church register book of a church or chapel in the parish;
or: has at any time had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months;
or: has at any time habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months;
or: a Parent of that person has at any time during that person’s lifetime: had his or her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months;
or: habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least 6 months;
or: a Parent or Grandparent of that person was married in the parish.
If you have any questions about Qualifying Connection, please speak to one of the Clergy, or to the benefice office. If you have a qualifying connection to one of our churches, you are able to choose which of our churches you would like to have your wedding. You may wish to visit them all, or perhaps attend a service there to get a feel for the building and how the worship works.
Readings, Prayers and Hymns
We have made lots of suggestions for you to look at. Click here to view a list of suggested readings, prayers and hymns.
Fees for your Wedding
Please contact the Church Office on 01425 653163 for details of the fees for your wedding.
Calling of Banns (when you are getting married in another Church)
If you live in the Avon Valley Churches Parish but are getting married elsewhere, you will be required by the Vicar of that Church to ‘get your Banns read’ in one of our Churches. This is straightforward to arrange.
Please complete the form here, and e-mail it (link below) or phone us to arrange an appointment to do the necessary paperwork - details below.