Wedding

How do I arrange a wedding?

If you're newly engaged... many congratulations!

If you hope to be married at St Peter’s, we want you to:

  • enjoy the planning and
  • have a truly happy day

so, we aim to ensure that the church arrangements are as straightforward as possible.

Useful website

It’s important to give yourselves enough time to plan carefully for your wedding.

You can find help for planning a personal and meaningful church wedding at the Church of England’s wedding website.

Legal requirements

To be married at St. Peter’s, you must be able to satisfy the following requirements:

  1. One or both of you must be able to establish a qualifying connection with the Parish of St Peter’s, Heversham.

The possible connections are:

  • you were baptised at St Peter's Church, or
  • you had your confirmation entered in a church register at St Peter's , or
  • you have, at any time, lived in St Peter's parish for at least six months, or
  • you are on St Peter's Church's electoral roll, or
  • you have at any time regularly attended public worship at St Peter's for at least 6 months;
  1. You are also connected if:
  • a parent of one of you has lived in St Peter's parish for at least six months; or
  • a parent of one of you has regularly attended public worship in St Peter's parish for at least six months, or
  • a parent or grandparent of one of you was married in St Peter's parish.
  1. If either of you will not be 18 by the date of the wedding, we will need to know that you have the consent of your parents or guardians.

    You must not be closely related to each other.
     
  2. Please tell us, early on, if either of you:
  • has been married before
  • had a previous civil partnership, or
  • is not a UK national
  • has ever changed your name

If so, our vicar will need to discuss with you the special issues that arise.

Banns of marriage

It is important to have your forthcoming wedding announced in church. This is called reading the Banns.

It is a legal requirement that this happens on three Sundays in a row, so must be at least four weeks before your wedding day.

If you are getting married in St Peter's, they must be read at all of the following that apply:

  1. St Peter’s
    – when your wedding date is confirmed, we will ensure that your banns are read at St. Peter’s.
     
  2. The church in the parish where you live as well, if one or both of you live outside St Peter's parish.
     
  3. in the church where you are on the electoral roll as well, if one or both of you are on the electoral roll of another parish church.

If 2 and/or 3 above apply, you need to contact each local vicar(s) concerned, and arrange for your banns to be read in each of the church(es). When this has been done, the vicar (of each church, if more than one) will give you a certificate to give to our vicar. You will nay a fee for this.

How much does it cost to marry in a parish church?

You may need to watch the cost of your wedding.

The legal fees are fixed by the Government. There is a list of costs on the
Church of England wedding website.

You can find out the cost of other services (for the organist, bells and so on) from the churchwarden.

Contact

Our church also helps you, as a couple, to work through the details of your service.

We would be delighted to welcome you to St. Peter’s for your special day!

To discuss getting married at St. Peter’s, please send an email message to the churchwarden.