Weddings

[Wedding Bands on the Pages of a Bible] Congratulations on your forthcoming marriage!

Whether you're well into the planning stage or just starting out, we want to help and support you as you prepare for your wedding and married life.

Am I eligible to marry at St Lawrence's?

We want to encourage marriage and so you can marry in St Lawrence's Church if you can answer ‘Yes’ to any one of the following statements:

  • I live in Hungerford parish
  • I was baptised in Hungerford parish
  • I prepared for confirmation in Hungerford parish
  • My parent or Grandparent was married in Hungerford parish
  • I have had my usual place of residence in Hungerford parish for at least 6 months
  • My parent has had their usual place of residence in Hungerford parish for at least 6 months during my lifetime.
  • I have habitually attended public worship at the parish church for at least 6 months
  • My parent has habitually attended public worship at the parish church for at least 6 months during my lifetime.

What are the Banns?

Banns are a legal requirement and an announcement of your intention to marry. They have to be read out on three consecutive Sundays prior to the wedding in the church you are going to get married in and in the parishes where each of you live. To find your parish go to the Church of England web-site and enter your post code in the "Find Your Local Church" box.

The Banns are read at the 10.00am service.

What's the next step?

To help you prepare for married life, we strongly recommend you attend our Marriage Preparation Course.

To start the wedding application process, please complete and return a Banns of Marriage Application Form (return address and contact details below).

Or if you'd simply like to know more about Church Weddings in general, Your Church Wedding is an excellent resource.

We run a Marriage Preparation Course to help couples lay the foundations for a relationship that will last a lifetime.

What will I learn?

During the course, you will discover practical tools to help you build the foundations for a lasting marriage. We look at:

  • the importance of commitment
  • the art of communication
  • resolving conflict
  • making each other feel loved
  • the importance of talking about your goals, values and dreams

The format is very relaxed, comprising of short talks interspersed with exercises and questions for you to discuss as a couple (and at no time in the course will you have to disclose anything personal to anyone else).

Who is the course for?

The course is based on Christian principles but is suitable for people with or without a church background. It is for any engaged couple who want to work at having the best possible start to their marriage.

We strongly recommend you make every effort to attend as those who have done so in the past have found it very beneficial.

When and where will the course be run?

The course is run by Rev. Mike Saunders once a year at the vicarage in Hungerford, usually in February, Saturday - and Sunday - . We can accommodate up to 12 people on the course.

How much does it cost?

It's free!

Interested?

If you're due to be married in the next 12 months, are interested or want to find out more, register your interest using the form below.

*indicates a required field

The marriage service presents the full order of a marriage service but there are a number of choices for you to make.

Readings

We encourage couples to choose up to two of their own readings, one of which must be a Bible reading. You may wish to choose these from a list of popular wedding readings.

Prayers

We also encourage couples to choose their own wedding prayers. We ask couples to choose one from each of the four sections:

  • Thanksgiving
  • Spiritual Growth
  • Faithfulness, Joy, Love, Forgiveness and Healing
  • Children, other Family Members and Friends

Music

Most couples choose two or three hymns, as well as organ music to be played as the bride enters and as the couple leave the church.

To help you in your choice of music you might like to take a look at Hymns for your Wedding.

Bells

We have a peal of bells which you can choose to have rung at the end of the service as the couple leave the church.

Flowers

We recommend you organise your own florist to arrange the floral decorations.

If you want to decorate the church for the wedding the person doing the work must contact the churchwardens (wardens@​stlawrenceshungerford.org.uk) as soon as possible to discuss your plans and arrange a suitable time when the church is available. The church is normally unlocked (weekdays) or (Saturday) up to but is not necessarily available for you to work in it.

The church gate and areas like the vestry and kitchen are locked and will require pre- arrangement if you require access. We do expect that after the wedding any furniture that you have moved is returned and flowers etc. are cleared from the church unless other arrangements have been agreed.

Photographs & Video

We are happy for photographs to be taken once the service is over, at the signing of the Register and subsequently.

Service Sheets

If you plan to have Service sheets printed, we recommend you have them proof read by the vicar.

Rehearsal

Please phone the vicar to make a date and time for a rehearsal which will take about 40 minutes. At the rehearsal we need the couple together with best man, bridesmaid, and parents.

Please bring with you a copy of your order of service, so we know the hymns and readings, and a list of the prayers you have chosen. We will walk through the service with everyone standing in the right place and saying the right words which will help you to feel more at ease on the day and for the service to run smoothly.

For further information please contact:
  • Di Loft
  • 01488 683913
  • Mon - Fri, 9:00am - 6:00pm