All Saints’ Church is beautiful place to get married but we know that a church wedding is about more than just a building. We consider it to be a priviledge to help you celebrate your committment to each other before God and your loved ones.
This is an exciting step to take and we will do everything we can to ensure you have a wonderful day.
For more information, please download our booklet:
Before the Wedding
Many people like to marry in a church outside of their parish as it may have special significance to you or your family. If you would like to marry at All Saints’ and you live outside of the parish, their are several connections that would allow you to do so. A list of these can be found here:
https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/article/finding-a-church/
- 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 may be invited to pray for you both. It can be quite special and moving to hear this, so do go along if you can.
- 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.
- 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.
- As well as being a legal requirement, your banns readings are special public occasions when people in church hear of your intention to marry. 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.
- If there is not enough notice given for the banns to be read before the marriage is due to take place, or if one or both of you are British but do not live in England (or Wales), the Common Licence procedure needs to be used rather than banns.
- If one or both of you is a national of a country which is outside the European Economic Area, you will require a Superintendent Registrar’s Certificate to marry, rather than have banns read.
You can download a Banns Application Form here: