Congratulations on your decision to get married in church. Making your vows in church and receiving God’s blessing on your marriage will add a spiritual dimension to your wedding. The ceremony includes God and looks to him for help and guidance both today and in the years ahead.
Our marriage leaflet (which includes details of fees) can be accessed here.
If you have already been married in church and would like to celebrate your anniversary or if you were married in a civil ceremony, a blessing can be arranged at All Saints’.
All Saints’ Church
All Saints’ is perfectly suited for weddings and can easily seat a large number of family and friends. At All Saints’ we will make your wedding day special by helping you plan the service, organise the music, decorate the church with flowers and print your orders of service should you wish.
Date of wedding
All Saints’ is a very active civic parish, so we urge you to check available dates as soon as possible. Please contact the Vicar or Parish Administrator at least three months before the wedding (most marriages are arranged at least nine months before the day). The Vicar will want to meet you to discuss the details of your wedding. Weddings are not usually arranged during August, as the Vicar and Director of Music are normally away. If you would like to arrange a wedding, please complete the application form here and contact the Parish Administrator.
Answering your questions
The wedding booklet will answer many of your questions, including details of the costs, but for any further information, please contact the parish administrator who will be able to assist you.
Getting married at All Saints’ if you do not live in the parish
Even if you do not live in the parish of All Saints’ it may be possible to be married here if you have a qualifying connection with the parish; for example if your parents live in the parish or you were baptised (christened) at All Saints’. Otherwise you can qualify for a wedding at All Saints’ by worshipping with us regularly (at least once a month) for six months. Full details about qualifying connections can be found here.
Banns of marriage or licence
Most people who marry in church are married after Banns of Marriage. Banns are the means of public notice that you intend to be married, and they provide an opportunity for any legal objection to be raised. Your Banns will be ‘called’ (published) in All Saints’ by one of the clergy and, if either of you lives in another parish, in the church of that parish. They will usually be called during the 9.30 am Eucharist on the first three Sundays in the month two months before your wedding (e.g., for a July wedding the banns would be called on the first three Sundays of May).
In some circumstances, calling Banns may not be possible and a Licence will be required. Please make sure that you know whether you are to be married after Banns or by Licence. This is an important legal requirement, and an area where people are often confused, but it cannot be left to chance. The Parish Administrator or the Vicar will be able to help you.
If you live in the parish of All Saints but are getting married at a different church then it is a legal requirement that the Banns are read at All Saints. Please complete the Banns application form (Banns Application Feb2013(4)) and contact the Parish Administrator to make the arrangements. The current charge for having the banns read and issuing the Banns certificate is given in the marriage leaflet.
Other information about getting married in a Church of England church may be found here: www.yourchurchwedding.org
All Saints', The Parish Church of Orpington 