Getting married at St Peter's Church St Albans

Couples who want to celebrate their wedding at St Peter's are very welcome. To find out more, please explore the Wedding pages, or come to the office on Saturday mornings between 10.30-11am.

As from 1 October 2008 the Church of England Marriage Measure states that a person may be married at St Peter's if they were baptised in this parish; or had his/her confirmation entered in the church register book; or has at any time had his/her usual place of residence in the parish for at least six months; or has at any time habitually attended public worship at St Peter's for at least six months; or if your parent has at any time during your lifetime had his/her usual place of residence in the parish for at least six months; or has habitually attended public worship for at least six months; or if one of your parents or grandparents was married in this parish.

To find out which Church of England parish you live in try the following website:

www.acny.org.uk/parishmap.php

If a licence is required, one party must be baptised. In order to join the Church Electoral Roll you need to have been baptised/christened. Please talk to the clergy if you think you have not been baptised.

If you are getting and married at another church and want us to read your banns then please let us have the following information:

• Full names of bride and groom and address(es) including post code(s)
• Date and place of your wedding, including the name of the church where you will be married
• The dates you want us to read your banns - this has to be three consecutive Sundays, and we shall read your banns at the start of our 9.30am Holy Communion service.
• There is a fee to pay (currently £34) when you collect your banns certificate.

You can email this information to us - mail@stpeterschurch.uk.com.

Booking the date of your wedding at St Peter's

Before booking a date it is advisable to have made previous enquiries about the availability of a reception venue.

On reserving a date a non-refundable deposit of £200 is required, which is deductible from the marriage fees.

Documentation

Three or four months before the date of your marriage we need to take details for the Marriage Registers. If you are not both living in St Peter's parish we need to know the names of other parishes of residence.  

Click here to download the form.

The cost of a wedding

We can usually arrange for an organist, a choir (in term time), and a team of bellringers to be available.

For 2009, fees are:

Type of Service	Total**
Wedding only	£440
*Wedding with Organ	£540
with Choir and Organ	£620
with Organ and Bells (after service)	£740
with Organ and Bells (before and after service)	£790
with Organ, Choir and Bells (after service)	£820
with Organ, Choir & Bells (before and after)	£870

* An extra fee of £20 is payable for accompaniment of an outside soloist.

** Payment is due in full 1 month before the wedding. Please pay the balance (you have already paid a deposit) in cash or by cheque made out to St Peter's Church St Albans.

If you wish to film the service on video there is a fee of £160 to pay and a form to fill in. We do not supply the video camera.

If you wish to have candles in the pew candle holders the extra fee is £20.

Banns of marriage

These will be called automatically at St Peter's but if one party is not resident in the parish banns must also be called in the parish where they reside. It is the responsibility of those getting married to arrange this and to obtain a Certificate of Calling which is given to the St Peter's Clergy. (Banns are only current for three months and without a valid certificate a marriage cannot take place.) In certain circumstances banns are inadmissible (e.g. If one party is a foreign national). Discuss this when you book your wedding.

Service details

These should be discussed at an early stage with the clergy. There are two forms of service available, one uses traditional language, the other modem language, (both offer the choice of including the word 'obey' in the brides promise). You should also choose Organ music for the beginning and end of the service and two or three hymns to be sung during the service.

Rehearsal

In the week before the wedding we like to go through the service with you. (Others need not attend.) Please arrange a convenient time with the vicar.

Service Sheets

These are not necessary but if you are producing them please submit your copy to us for checking before you place the order with your printer. (On the back page of this sheet there are some details which will be helpful for your Wedding Service Sheet.) On the wedding day please let us have 12 copies of the printed order of service for organist, choir and the vicar.

Music

Please phone the Director of Music, Nick 07817 281370 to discuss the music for your wedding.

Flowers

One pedestal of flowers in the nave and an arrangement in the Lady Chapel are included in the cost ofyour wedding.
Additional pedestals will cost from £100 each, flowers round the candlesticks will cost from £100.
To make arrangements and discuss extra flowers please contact Annie Apsey by phone: 01582 769566.

Queries

We are available every Saturday morning between 10.30 and 11am in the Church Office to make preliminary arrangements. Please use this facility whenever possible. In emergency or for a brief question our telephone numbers are:

Church Office (Tues-Thurs 9.30am - 1.30pm): 01727 855485
 

St Peter's Church, St Peters Street, St Albans, Herts AL1 3HG

More detailed questions may be dealt with by e-mail. Our e-mail address is mail@stpeterschurch.uk.com.

Basic Order of Service for a Wedding

Music at the Entrance of the Bride
(e.g. Bridal March [Lohengrin] - Richard Wagner)

Opening Hymn (printed in full)

The Introduction

The Marriage

Minister:    Will you, the families and friends of N and N ,
support and uphold them in their marriage
now and in the years to come?
All: We will.

The signing of the Registers
(details of anthem if desired)

Hymn - printed in full - optional

Reading(s) from the Bible and/or other sources - optional

Address - optional. If you want the Vicar to speak then mail him some basic info eg how you first met, what you most appreciate about one another, and any other incriminating evidence...

The Prayers (you might like to include the Lord's Prayer,
text printed out in full)

Hymn (printed in full)

The Blessing

Music for the exit of Bride and Groom
(e.g. Wedding March - F. Mendelssohn)