In the Chirbuy Hills Group of Parishes to include
St Mary’s, Trelystan
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Our churches are here for all the significant occasions in your life, and we will be very pleased to
hear from you if you are considering getting married. We do need to ensure that you are legally
qualified in a church within our Group, and you will find details of what is required within this
document (see the index on the next page). It is possible for couples to marry in our churches if
one or both parties have been married before, and that marriage has ended in divorce, but we
would need to discuss this with you. The Church of England does not at this time offer marriage
in church to same-sex couples.
This link https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/ will take you to the Church of England ‘Your Church
Wedding’ website, which has lots of helpful information. The pages that follow in this document
are also designed to help you plan and prepare for your special day. We will be happy to guide
you as you plan your service, but we will always remember that it is your wedding. Whether you
want to be traditional, creative or both, let us know, and we’ll talk though the possibilities with
you. Remember too that our churches are also available for other celebrations such as a Service
of Blessing or a Renewal of your Wedding Vows, for example on a special wedding anniversary.
To make an enquiry or book any of our churches for your wedding, please contact:
Revd Bill Rowell, 17 Croft Road, Welshpool, Powys SY21 7QD.
Phone: 01938 552064 or 07711 298104 Email: wkrowell@btinternet.com
Facetime: wkrowell@icloud.com
Index / Contents Page:
Booking and Planning your Wedding 3
1 When weddings can happen, and how to book 3
2 Legal requirements 3
3 Banns of marriage 4
4 Who will take the wedding? 4
5 Some FAQ’s 5
a) Readings 5 See also Appendix 1, page 8
b) Music 5
c) Hymns 5 See also Appendix 2, page 9
d) Choir 5
e) Bells 5
f) Flowers 5
g) Confetti 6
h) Photos and Videos 6
i) Rehearsal 6
6 How much does it cost, and how do I pay? 6
7 And finally . . . 7
Appendix 1 – Suggested Bible Readings 8
Appendix 2 – Suggested hymns 9
– Orders of Service 9
Booking and Planning your Wedding
1 When weddings can happen, and how to book
Marriage services can take place in any licensed church between the hours of 8.00 am and
6.00 pm, but of course you will need to check with us that the date and time you want is free
and does not clash with any other event or service. For example, Sunday weddings are possible,
but of course they must not clash with the regular services that take place.
Please contact the Rector as early as possible, to ensure that your date is reserved. He will wish
to take down contact and other details, and a form can be sent to you if necessary. We do need
to discuss things with you at an early stage, including confirming your identity and status, as
required by law. Please note that if one or both of you has been married or part of a civil
partnership which has been dissolved, then, though we may still be happy to carry out the
service, we are required to talk through your situation with you first, and this will need to
happen before we offer you a firm date for the wedding you now wish to book, so it’s important
to have this conversation as soon as possible.
2 Legal requirements
Anyone who is free to be married under civil law may be married, after banns or by common
licence, at any one of our churches, provided they qualify in one of the following ways:
a) If one or both of you live in one of our parishes (Trelystan with Leighton, Chirbury, Marton and
Middleton with Corndon Marsh).
b)If you can demonstrate a Qualifying Connection with one of our parishes. A qualifying
connection could be that one of you was baptised in the parish or confirmed in the parish, that
one of you is on the Electoral Roll of the parish (this is the church Electoral Roll, not the Roll of
Civil Electors), that your parents live in the parish, or previously lived in the parish for at least six
months during your lifetime, or that your parents attended worship here for more than six
months in your lifetime, or that one of your parents or grandparents was married in the parish.
If you both live outside our parishes and have no existing Qualifying Connection, you can
establish one by worshipping on a regular basis in the church in which you wish to be married,
after which you can join the Electoral Roll. Only one of you needs to do this, and we would be
delighted to welcome either or both of you to join us for Sunday worship.
If you have family or other connections with our parishes, but are not sure whether they would
qualify you formally, please talk this over with us. It may well be possible to apply instead for a
Special Licence. Another possibility could be to have a Wedding Blessing in one of our churches
following a short civil ceremony elsewhere. This of course is also available where, for example, a
wedding ceremony has taken place overseas, which most family members and friends have been
unable to attend.
3 Banns of Marriage
Before any marriage, notice has to be given, and in the Church of England the normal way of
doing this is by the calling of Banns. This is normally done on three successive Sundays, but not
all our churches hold services every Sunday, so the length of time may vary. You do not legally
have to be present when banns are called, but we do strongly advise it and we do like the
opportunity to welcome you and to pray for you at this time.
Please note that the banns must be called in all of these places:
a) The church in our group at which you are to be married. In the case of Leighton and Trelystan
churches, this is legally a single parish with two churches, so it is possible for the banns to be
called in both places, though normally we aim to call them only in the church where the wedding
will be held.
b)In any other parish in which either of you is on the (Church) Electoral Roll.
c) If you do not live in any of our parishes, the banns must also be called in the parish church of
the place where you live. Please note that this may not always be the nearest church to your
house, as parish boundaries can be strange things! We will also need the details of your “home”
church before we call the banns here, so this is something you will be asked when you first fill in
your application form.
Please note that you need to arrange for the calling of banns at b) and c) above, by making
contact with the local vicar there. There is a fee for the calling of banns and the issue of a
certificate, which is currently (2020) £45. The banns certificate needs to be given to the person
taking your wedding, ideally at the rehearsal or before.
An alternative to the calling of banns is to obtain a Common Licence. This would be issued by the
Bishop of the Diocese via a local cleric called a Surrogate. Most commonly, a Licence would be
obtained when there is not enough time to call banns. The fee for a Common Licence is currently
£200.
Banns remain valid for three months from the date when they are last called, and a Common
Licence has the same validity. Please note that if one of you is of foreign nationality you may
need, instead of the above process, to obtain a Superintendant Registrar’s Certificate for the
marriage to go ahead legally.
4 Who will take the wedding?
The Rector will normally take most weddings, but there may be occasions when another local
cleric will do this instead, as sometimes dates clash when there are five churches to consider! If
you would like another Anglican priest to officiate (for example, a friend or family member), we
will be happy for that to happen. The fee paid by you would remain the same, whoever takes the
service.
5 Some FAQ’s
a) What about readings during the service?
There would normally be one or two Bible readings during the service. Some suggestions are
given in Appendix 1 at the end of this paper, but the choice is yours! While the Rector is happy to
read, it’s always nice if a friend or family member can read during the service. We are also very
happy for additional readings to be used from other sources; rather than make suggestions, we
recommend you Google “Wedding Readings” – you’ll find lots of suggestions!
b)What music can we have?
The organist will be happy to play before the service, at the entry of the Bride, and as you leave
the church, and to help you choose the music you would like. The organist can also play during
the signing of the registers. If you would prefer to use recorded music, that can be arranged, but
do remember that it really doesn’t take very long for the Bride to walk from the church door to
where the ceremony takes place, so you could end up hearing only the intro of your favourite
song! We recommend playing your favourite music while the registers are signed, rather than at
entry and exit (check: you may need a licence to play recorded music). If you have musical
friends or family members, the signing of the registers is also a good time for them to be playing
or singing – but this could also be fitted into part of the service, maybe in place of a hymn.
c) What about hymns?
There would normally be two or three hymns during the service. The choice is yours, but to help
you we have included a list of some of the most popular as Appendix 2.
d)Is there a choir?
We don’t have a regular choir at any of our churches, but it may be possible to arrange for our
festival choir to sing at a wedding, or we can provide contact details for other local choirs that
may be able to help.
e) Can we have bells?
Trelystan church only has one bell, this could toll or alternatively Bill can play a 6 bell recording
f) What about flowers in church?
We’ll be happy to talk this over with you. We always love there to be flowers, though there are
some seasons, like Lent, when flowers are not normally placed in church. We’ll still be happy to
welcome them for a wedding, but would suggest they are provided in such a way that they can
be easily removed afterwards (perhaps to be taken to the reception). At other times we may ask
you to liaise with our regular providers of flowers, to make sure that those already in church
don’t clash with your preferred colour theme! We’ll also need to ensure you have access to the
church at the time you need it, to organise the displays.
g) And confetti?
Biodegradable confetti is welcome, but we do ask you not to throw confetti in church or near the
church doors.
h)What are the rules regarding photos and videos?
We are sure you will want to have photos of your wedding, but do please note that we do not
permit photography in church during the service other than by the official photographer. He or
she may take photos before and after the service, as the Bride enters the church and as you
leave, as well as during the signing of the register. At other points in the service he or she can
take photos, but from a discreet fixed point, so that it doesn’t distract from the special
atmosphere of the occasion.
Permission is needed if you would like a video, to ensure we comply with copyright law. It is
possible there may be a charge for this. It is important that the recording does not interfere in
any way with the service, so extra lighting is not allowed, and any video must be recorded from
one place. The organist and any choir might also be entitled to a recording fee.
i) What about a rehearsal?
We will arrange for you to spend time in church with the Rector (or other officiant), usually
within the week before the wedding. We do not do a full rehearsal, but will read through the
service, check details, and make sure people know where they’ll be standing, etc. Whoever feels
they would like to be there will be welcome, but no-one has to come other than Bride and
Groom. We would normally receive banns certificates at this point, and the payment of fees as
appropriate (see section 6 below).
6 How much does a wedding cost, and how do I pay?
The standard cost of a wedding in 2020 is £463, to which is added an additional £31 for the
calling of banns plus £11 for the marriage certificate, thus a total of £505. These fees are set
centrally and often increase at the beginning of the year, so may be slightly more by the time you
are reading this. We ask for a deposit of £50 at the time of booking the wedding. This is not
returnable under normal circumstances, but is of course deducted from the total fee.
We add to this a fee of £75 towards church cleaning, the organ fund etc, so our total church fee
in the summer months is £580. This can be paid by cheque at the rehearsal, or by BACS – ask, and
we will give the details appropriate to the church. In winter a heating fee will be added to this:
again, ask for details.
The organist has a fee of £80 or alternatively Bill plays organ music or alternative music via his speaker system. Obviously there would be a fee for the choir as well, if you
wish one. These should be paid in cash at the rehearsal, so these monies can be easily passed on.
A statement of the actual fees for your day will be provided at or before the rehearsal, or on
request
7 And finally . . .
We just want to do our best to make sure you have as near to the perfect day as we can possibly
manage! The marriage service includes things that have to happen (including the vows,
obviously!), but, as long as you are legally qualified to be married in one of our churches, many
of the other things are traditional rather than legal necessities. You don’t have to have smart
suits and a white dress, or a best man, or bridesmaids, or flowers or photographs, though you
may well want to! We’ll be happy to discuss whatever ideas and plans you have, so that it really
is your day as you would want it. We usually use the modern Common Worship marriage service in our
churches, but if you would prefer the older form of service with more traditional language, please let us
know.
If any of your details change (especially your address) after you have booked your wedding,
please let us know promptly, as it could affect your legal entitlement to be married here. And, of
course, please let us know promptly and in writing if for any reason you need to change,
postpone or cancel your wedding.
Appendix 1 – Bible Readings
A wedding service normally has at least one Bible reading, chosen to focus our minds on love and
commitment, and perhaps especially on God’s love for us and the example of love we find in
Jesus. The choice is yours, but these are some suggestions. The Rector will be glad to offer help
and advice if you need it.
The Song of Solomon, chapter 2 verses 10 to 13, and chapter 8 verses 6 and 7 –
From the Old Testament, this includes some beautiful words of love poetry.
John’s Gospel, chapter 2 verses 1 to 11 –
This is the story of how Jesus and his friends and mother attended a wedding, at which the
first miracle he performed took place.
John’s Gospel, chapter 15, verses 9 to 17 –
Jesus tells his disciples that the greatest commandment is that we should love one another, as
we have been loved by God.
Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 13 –
Some wonderful words about the greatness and beauty of love as God’s gift to us.
Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 3 verses 14 to the end –
Paul prays that his readers should know the love of Christ as their foundation for life together.
Paul’s Letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 4 to 9 –
Paul asks his readers to pray faithfully and to choose those things that are pleasing to God.
Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, chapter 3, verses 12 to 17 –
Paul calls on his readers to place the love of God in Jesus at the heart of their life together.
The First Letter of John, chapter 4, verses 7 to 12 –
John tells us that love is of the very essence of God, and that we should love one another in his
name.
Appendix 2 – Hymns – a list of hymns that may be appropriate.
- All things bright and beautiful Amazing Grace
- A new commandment I give unto you At the name of Jesus every knee shall bow
- Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart Bind us together, Lord
- Brother, sister, let me serve you Come down, O Love divine
- Come to a wedding, come to a blessing Crown with love, Lord, this glad day
- Dear Lord and Father of mankind For the beauty of the earth
- Give me joy in my heart, keep me praising Guide me, O thou great Redeemer
- Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us Lord, for the years
- Lord of all hopefulness, Lord of all joy Lord of the dance
- Love divine, all loves excelling Make me a channel of your peace
- Morning has broken Now thank we all our God
- O Jesus, I have promised O perfect love
- Praise my soul, the king of heaven Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord
- The King of love my shepherd is The Lord’s my shepherd
- When love is found and hope comes home
A note on Orders of Service
You may have decided to order a printed Order of Service, or to design and print one yourself.
Whilst this isn’t essential, to have one allows you to print the words of the hymns, include details
of who is taking part in the ceremony, and help those who are attending to follow the different
stages of the ceremony. The words of hymns can vary, though, and not all the sites from which
they can be downloaded on line are all that reliable – so please do ask the Rector or whoever is
officiating at your service to check through your draft copy before it’s printed! We would be
happy in any case to provide the words of hymns and material from the Wedding Service, if it
helps. All of this can be easily done via email.
Please note that copyright should be acknowledged on any printed Order of Service.