Marriage

Weddings at St Andrews

If you want to make an enquiry about a wedding then please make an appointment with our administrator when we will be delighted to give you further information, enable you to book and point you in the right direction.

Our administrator is:

Mrs Wendy Aykroyd, Tel (01952) 291532 (Mon to Fri 10am-5pm only), email - g.aykroyd@btopenworld.com, office hour is by appointment only.

Further information is given below regarding wedding arrangements.

The service

We normally conduct weddings on a Saturday, when the wedding times are 12pm, 1:30pm and 3pm. We understand the difficulties in booking receptions, etc so try to be flexible on dates. You are asked to choose up to three hymns to be sung during the service. We will also talk to you about music as part of our wedding preparation sessions and will provide you with a list of frequently requested hymns. Except during Lent and Advent there will be some flowers in church, but you are welcome to provide additional flowers. Further details will be given at enquiry evening.

Preparation

A church wedding is a way for a couple to express their life-long commitment to each other in the presence of God. We will invite you to a wedding forum earlier in the year, when the clergy will help couples to think about the deeper significance of their marriage, as well as all the practical arrangements.To prepare for your wedding there will be one or two meetings with the clergy officiating at the wedding to discuss the things that you as a couple need to think about in this new relationship. In addition there will be a rehearsal to enable you to be relaxed and confident on the day . You will also have an opportunity to meet with the organist /choirmaster to discuss the music that you require

Banns

This is the legal method by which we acquire the license to perform your wedding. Banns have to be read here at St Andrews, and if one of you lives in another parish in that parish as well. It is your responsibility to arrange to have your banns read in the other parish. It is worth contacting them well ahead of your wedding date to ensure that they are read. The other parish will need to charge to you, for providing a certificate to prove that the banns have been read. We encourage you to come along to the service here at St Andrews to hear the reading of your banns. If neither of you lives in the parish you will need to worship regularly for a period of six months, after which you may apply for membership of the church which gives you the right to be married at St Andrews. In these circumstances it is better to contact the vicar. If your parents live within the parish you may use their address to give you residency: if not but you have past connections with St Andrews you may apply for an Archbishop's licence. Again in these circumstances consult the vicar.

St Andrews is a marvellous venue for your special day. We can provide a beautiful historic building with a wonderful atmosphere, warm and welcoming. Your service will be conducted with dignity meaning and with a warm welcome for all. We can usually provide up to eight bells. We have an excellent choir with a wide repertoire . We can also provide a printed order of service as well as flowers for the church at very reasonable cost. One photographer said " the best venue for a wedding in this part of Shropshire"

All you need to help you plan a personal, meaningful, spiritual and beautiful church wedding can be found at: www.yourchurchwedding.org

Use these links to go to popular pages:
~Frequently Asked Questions about marrying in church
~Find out 'How much a Church wedding costs'
~Try the unique online Ceremony Planner to help you choose hymns and readings. You can even listen to the hymns first. ·
~Read about the new law which means you now have more churches to choose from
~For detailed guidance about the new Church of England Marriage Measure click here

Congratulations!

You're welcome to marry in church whatever your beliefs, whether or not you are baptised and whether or not you go to church. Also, marrying in church has never been easier thanks to a change in the law which means you now have more churches to choose from.

Who can get married at St Andrew's?

If neither of you has been married before and one of the couple getting married (or a parent) lives in the Parish of Shifnal, it is simply a matter of taking your booking.

If your parents or grandparents, or if you yourself have ever lived in Shifnal you can also be married because of this qualifying connection. Please ask for details from our Administrator.

What if we have been married before?

If one or both have been married before, then you will need to ask for a special meeting with one of the clergy team to see if a re-marriage will be possible. We will ask you to fill in a form to tell us about your past marraige in preparation for this meeting. You can see more about this by following the links above to the Church of England web page.

If this is not the case, you'll need to attend church for a period of 6 months to qualify. We will usually take a provisional booking once you have attended for a couple of months. We ask you to attend at least twice a month and we suggest coming to our weekly 10:30am service on Sunday.

Wedding Blessings and Renewal of Vows

We are very happy to carry out wedding blessings, where the couple repeat their wedding vows. Increasingly people choose to get married abroad, and a wedding blessing is a good way of allowing friends and family to celebrate the wedding, once the couple have returned from their honeymoon. Wedding blessings are also a good way of celebrating significant anniversaries. Further details can be obtained from out administrator.

Do you remarry divorcees?

We are happy to talk to you about the possibility of remarrying in church. We will want to discuss with you what is different about this new marriage, but do not delve into your past relationships. We also encourage you to attend church regularly, as part of the preparation for your remarriage.