The Parish of
Berkswich
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Contents Page
Arranging A Wedding in Berkswich Parish
If you are thinking about getting married in the Parish of Berkswich, that is at either St Thomas Church at Walton or Holy Trinity Church in Baswich Lane please click here to download an information book. We appreciate that the booklet is quite long but some of the information in it is very important so please do spend some time reading through it.
You may also find it helpful to read through the frequently asked questions below.
When you have read through the booklet, assuming neither of you have been married before and one or both of you live in the Parish you will need to contact the Parish Office to arrange the date. You will then be asked to collect a set of forms. If you don’t live in the Parish or have been married before you will need to speak to one of the clergy. You can email them by clicking here.
When your wedding is booked you
might want to start thinking about your order of service. Please begin by
clicking here for a template. This includes
all the headings and responses the congregation will need, so please do follow
it.
Frequently asked Questions
We were hoping to get married at All Saints Church at Brocton. Is this possible?
Yes, but as the church isn’t licensed for weddings you would need to pay for a special license. You would need to discuss this with one of the Clergy.
Can we choose what time of day we get married?
We will usually offer you a choice of 11.30 am, 1.30 pm or 3.30 pm. This is to allow us to arrange up to 3 weddings on the same day.
Can we get married on Christmas Day?
The answer to this is likely to be no as Christmas is a particularly busy time for the Clergy. We would encourage you to get married on a Saturday, but if you would particularly like another day please ask. We do charge an additional fee for weddings which are not on Saturdays.
Will we be able to choose the flowers we would like in Church?
Yes, you can choose what flowers you would like to be in the church over the weekend of your wedding. We have a team of volunteers who can decorate the Church for you. We would strongly recommend that you use them, particularly if yours is not the only wedding on that day. You can find details of the charges in the booklet. You can see pictures of the types of pedestals and arrangements you would get by clicking here.
Can we take the flowers away with us?
Unfortunately no you can’t. It takes 4 or 5 hours to assemble all the pedestals and arrangements for a wedding, therefore if yours is not the only wedding on the day you will need to share the flowers, also there would not be time for our volunteers to put together new arrangements in time for the Sunday services.
Will we have to pay a deposit when we book our wedding?
No you won't. What will happen is that you will receive an invoice for the full amount which is payable six weeks before your wedding. Payment should be sent to the Parish Office, please don't leave it until your rehearsal.
What should we do if we move house after we have booked our wedding and before we get married?
If you move house please make sure you contact the Parish Office as soon as possible with your new details. Assuming one or both of you are still resident in the Parish there will be no problem with you getting married here. As your address will appear on your marriage certificate and in the registers it is very important that it is correct. If they are filled in incorrectly it causes problems not only for us, but for the Registrar and yourselves as well.
If however you are moving out of the Parish you will need to discuss this with one of the Clergy.
Can the bells be rung at our wedding?
If you’re getting married at St Thomas Church the answer is no as there aren’t any bells there. There are bells at Holy Trinity Church but as we only have a small number of bell ringers we cannot guarantee their availability.
How many people can St Thomas Church hold?
St Thomas Church will seat about 120 comfortably. Holy Trinity Church will hold up to about 300.
Can we have a look round the Church before our wedding day?
You would be very welcome at any of our services. If you would like details please click here. If you don’t feel you want to attend a service you could come along after a service. Also if you’re getting married at Holy Trinity Church you can come and look round any weekday morning as the church is open between 10.00 am and 12.00 noon. Unfortunately St Thomas Church is not usually open other than for services.
Will we have to learn our vows?
We will ask you to try. But please don’t worry if you don’t remember them. To quote someone who’s been there recently. ‘I’m really glad I tried to learn my vows as it helped me think about what we were actually saying to each other. Luckily Fr Peter was there to help me out on the day when I couldn’t remember a word.’
Can we video our wedding?
Yes you can. The person taking the video will need to take sign 2 video copyright and 2 video agreement forms and you will need to pay a copyright fee. You will need to fill in a set of forms and pay a fee for each camera you have. This includes mobile phone and digital camera clips and even your Grandma’s cinecamera.
What if we’ve booked our wedding and then change our mind.
Please, please let us know as soon as possible. You don’t need to give us a detailed account of why you want to cancel your wedding, you can simply ring the Parish Office and let us know. If however things have gone wrong and you feel you would like to talk to someone about it please feel free to contact one of the clergy.
Can we get married as part of a Communion Service?
This would be called a Nuptial Mass and the answer is yes you can. If you think you would like to do this please speak to one of the clergy.