Frequently asked Questions on Weddings
Why do Banns need to be called?
This is a legal requirement. Banns Certificates must be issued by a Church of England church in the parishes of both partners.
Traditionally, this was a means of recognizing couples in their parishes and checking that there were no problems e.g. already married, related to one another, etc.
Banns are read for three weeks in each church.
The Banns Certificate must be obtained to permit the wedding to proceed otherwise a Common License must be issued ‑ at extra cost.
If your Banns are read in another parish you will need to collect the Banns certificate and deliver it to the Wedding Administrator at Holy Trinity Church Office in good time for your wedding.
How do I find out which is my parish church
You can Google ‘Find my Parish’, put in your postcode and it will come up with a map and your parish church details.
Do we have to inform anyone if we move house before the wedding
Yes, contact the Wedding Administrator in the church office of your new address as soon as you move.
If you have moved to another parish up to 3 months before your wedding you will have to have your banns called in the new parish.
The address where you are living goes on your wedding certificate and in the wedding registers, so we need the correct information to complete these accurately and legally.
What happens if we have to change the time of our wedding after booking?
As soon as you realise this might happen, please contact the Wedding Administrator in the church office, who can then check to see if the church is free at the altered time and that the member of clergy who will be taking your wedding is free at the altered time.
We will do everything we can to try to help if the time of a wedding needs to be changed, but it is not always possible to rearrange a church diary or the diary of a member of clergy. The sooner we know, the more likely the changes can happen.
How far in advance of our wedding does the Order of Service need to be ready?
The Order of Service needs to be ready in draft form not later than 6 weeks before your wedding and emailed to the member of clergy taking your wedding; they will then be able to go through it with you to check running order etc before you print them off.
Also please email the Wedding Administrator a draft copy
When can our flowers be delivered to Holy Trinity?
Flowers can be delivered to the church on Fridays for a Saturday wedding. Contact the Wedding Administrator in the church office to arrange a convenient time for the florist to deliverer and or arrange your flowers.
There are some pedestals and vases that can be made available to your florist.
Because of the cost of flowers we encourage you to take the flowers from the church to the reception, however the pedestals must be left at the church.
We will advise you of any other couples getting married on the same day, so that you can get together to save costs, should you wish to do so.
When will our rehearsal take place?
This will usually take place on the Wednesday/Thursday/Friday before the wedding and is organized with the member of clergy taking your wedding.
This is an occasion not just the bride and groom, but for anyone who is taking part in the Wedding Service e.g. best man, bridesmaids, a family member or friend who might be doing a reading or the prayers.
If someone is playing a CD for you during the service, they will need to attend the rehearsal so that they understand the PA system at Holy Trinity.
Please use this as a time to ask all your questions so that on the wedding day you can all relax and not worry about the small details. At the rehearsal, mention any special requirements you may have such as how you want to be called by name.
Can we take photographs in church?
We are generally happy to allow photography and the taking of videos at wedding services here in Holy Trinity.
However, a wedding service is first and foremost a celebration of a marriage and whilst the images of the day will prove a priceless memory we are keen to ensure that the taking of the images does not intrude on what for many are both sacred and special moments.
We have therefore devised some simple guidelines which we would ask the bridal party to adhere to and all photographers and videographers to abide by. These need to be non negotiable in order to avoid the embarrassment of having to turn people down!
We therefore thank you in advance for complying with these simple guidelines and trust that the record of the day will still be a rich source of warmth and memory in the years to come.
1. Photography
Generally we set no limits on photography outside of the building and photographers are encouraged to use any of the surrounding area for posing group or couple shots.
Photographs of the various members of the bridal party are welcomed before the actual service but once the Clergy have met the bride and her attendants in the Foyer we would ask for the photographer to refrain from taking photos as she enters the church.
No flash photography is permitted during the service, except for posed photos during the signing of the register.
No photographers are permitted in front of the congregation during the service.
Photos may be taken from a point 2/3 way back down the aisle or from the balcony at the rear. Access to this area needs to be arranged with the clergy involved.
The couple get married facing each other on the steps at the front so these positions will lead to excellent shots for the photographer.
Photos may be taken as the couple leave the church.
2. Videography
The same general principles apply for videos as for still photographs. Generally we ask that no person is active in front of the congregation during the service as this proves to be distracting to both the bride and groom and to the congregation.
However we are happy for fixed cameras to be placed at the front of the church, within reason, and after consultation with the clergy.
The ideal locations for these are on the organ console, near the piano or at the rear of the apse. These would need to be turned on before the service begins and not accessed till the service ends.
No additional lighting is permitted and provision can be made for sound recording as long as the various wires and microphones are discreetly placed. This needs to be agreed on a date prior to the actual wedding.
If the whole of a service is videoed the person responsible is liable to arrange for copyright licenses so we recommend that video is limited to clips taken at key times throughout the service. Licence information is provided when booking a wedding.
What time should we arrive at the church for our wedding?
The groom, best man and ushers (who give out the Order of Service and direct the guests to their seats) should be at the church 25 minutes before the wedding service.
The bridesmaids should be at the church together with the bride 5 minutes before the wedding service so that there is enough time to take photographs.
There may be more than one wedding on your wedding day. If so these will be scheduled to be at least 2 hours apart. So, for the smooth running of your wedding and any other on the same day please be punctual!
Feel free to have one of your ushers positioned in the car park to direct latecomers.
How much will the wedding service cost?
The cost of a wedding at Holy Trinity Church in 2011 was £330.50. The charges are revised each year in accordance with Church of England guidelines.