Wedding Planning

Guide to Planning Your Wedding Day

The booklet below will guide you through what a wedding in Upper Stour might look like, and how we can help you begin your marriage in a way which suits you both. The booklet is focused around St Peter’s specifically, however, it is relevant to all of our churches. As you read through you will find some details about the service, details about Banns, readings, hymns, music, flowers and bells. At the back of this booklet you will also find a helpful check list to work your way through.

Wedding Booklet

Wedding Day Choices Form – Word

Wedding Day Choices Form – PDF

Before Your Wedding

Banns – Banns are an announcement in church of your intention to marry and a chance for anyone to put forward a reason why the marriage may not lawfully take place. Banns are an ancient legal tradition and have been read out every week in churches across the land for millions of couples, over many centuries. After your forthcoming marriage is announced, the congregation will be invited to pray for you both. It can be quite special and moving to hear this, so do come along if you can. It’s an exciting and happy time, so you’re welcome to invite your family and friends to hear your banns too, if you’d like.

  • Banns need to be read in the parish where each of you lives as well as the church in which you are to be married, if that is somewhere else – that means that might be three separate parishes. You must have your banns read out in church for three Sundays during the three months before the wedding. This is usually done over three consecutive Sundays but does not have to be.
  • Before you can marry in Upper Stour the Parish Office needs to see your Banns Certificates which will be given to you by each church where you have your banns read.

 

Hymns and Readings

Choosing the hymns, readings and music for your wedding day is a very personal thing and it is worth thinking about it for some time. Most weddings will have three hymns and two readings with at least one reading being from the Bible.

The Church of England “Your Church Wedding” website (click here) is a fantastic resource when it comes to choosing your Bible Readings (Click here), Additional Readings (Click here) or Hymns (Click here). Before you meet with the priest taking your service, it is really helpful to have looked at these readings and hymns. When printing your order of service please use the words of the Hymns from the “Your Church Wedding” website.

Getting a Copy of Your Marriage Certificate

To ensure that you receive  a copy (or multiples) of your  marriage certificate please contact  Wiltshire Copy Certificate Service  to order before your wedding. Copy Certificate Service – 0300 003 4571 – certificates@wiltshire.gov.uk

Photos in the National Trust Garden

If you would like to have photos taken in the gardens of Stourhead, please get in touch with the Stourhead Events Team to book this. “Capture moments to remember on your special day with our wedding photography experience.
Contact the Stourhead events team for further details and package costs.” email: stourhead.weddings@nationaltrust.org.uk

Order of Service

When printing your order of service you may wish to look at the documents bellow. The “Order of Service” document will help you work out how to layout your order of service, and the “Full Wedding Service” will show you what will happen during the service, and is helpful if you need a translation.

Order of Service

Full Wedding Service

2024 Fees

The fees are set annually and these are the fees for Services from January-December 2024.

Marriage Service in Church £531
Publication of Banns £36
Certificate of Banns (If being married outside the Parish) £18

Verger £50
Heating (chargeable 15th Sep – 31st May) £80
Organist £100 approx
Bells £180

 

 

 

Local Reception Venues

If you are looking for a local venue to celebrate your marriage after the service, the Stourton Memorial Hall (Click here), or the Spread Eagle (Click here), can both provide a fantastic place for your family and friends to celebrate.