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Your Wedding at BFPC or LangtonEverybody loves a good wedding - including God! The story of Jesus turning water into wine takes place at a wedding and many people have pointed out the amount of water Jesus changed ... equivalent to about a thousand bottles! The moment when a couple face each other and make promises about spending the rest of their life together is a moving as well as a joyful event and it is our desire to make your special day just that - very special. Most of the wedding service is organised by the Church Office and they will always be pleased to help with any questions you may have - you can email us at .. But we also want to help you to know the meaning of the promises you will be making and so the process of getting married begins from the moment you let us know that you would like to consider getting married in either Blandford or Langton ... |
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Starting Off ........ Congratulations ! You want to get married and you are thinking of having your service at BFPC or Langton. First of all there are some questions we have to ask: Are you qualified to get married in either BFPC or Langton?Anyone who lives in either Blandford Forum or Langton Long is entitled to get married in either Church. So long as one of you lives or has parents living in the parish, then you are entitled to get married in either church.Have you been married before?If you have been married before and your former partner is still living then it is not possible for you to have your wedding in the Church. There are exceptional circumstances which may make it possible (for example, if you are regular members of the Church and there has been a significant break since your previous marriage ended). However, we would be delighted to have a "Service of Blessing after a Civil Marriage" and you will find details of this further down the page.Which Church would you like to use?The beauty of BFPC and Langton are that they complement each other in so many ways! If you are planning a large wedding, with over 100 people attending, then BFPC may be the best place for you. If, on the other hand, you are planning a small, intimate wedding for 40-50 people, then the village setting of Langton maybe the best idea. Both churches are usually open every day in the morning, so pop in and have a look - or, better still, come to a Sunday service and get the feel of the Church "in action" !What date and time are you planning?We will do our best to cater for whatever date and time you would like to book for your service, but it may not always be possible due to holidays and the availability of the people who are needed for your service. The best thing is to suggest a time and date as soon as possible and then we can book it in the diary. You can see lots of information about how to plan your wedding on the next page Planning Your Wedding at BFPC or Langton. |
What next .....?Getting Your Banns ReadOnce you have booked the place, date and time of your service, we will ask you to fill out a Banns Form. Getting married is a legal occasion when the Minister who marries you will act as the Registrar. So it is vital (for all legal reasons) that we have all of your details down correctly from the start. If one of you lives in another parish, then you will have to arrange to see the Vicar of that parish so that you can fill in a Banns Form in that parish. The Banns are an announcement in the Church that you are intending to get married and lets everyone know - as well as being a legal requirement to check you are telling the truth ! The Banns at BFPC or Langton are usually read in one of the morning services of the parish in which you live and are read on the first three Sundays of the month preceeding your wedding. Complicated, yes, but it will become clear !! You will need to check when the Banns are being read in the other parish and bring a Certificate from the Vicar of that Parish to prove they have been read.How Much?Getting married in church is not cheap, but it involves a lot of different things, including the administration costs of the wedding, the Minister, the Organist and Choir, the Verger, as well as a contribution towards the running of the building and a lot more. Some aspects of the cost are "optional", such as having the bells rung or flowers arranged for you - but the office will be able to give you a full breakdown of the cost of your wedding and when it all needs to be paid. |  |
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Then What .....?Getting ReadyOnce we have booked everything, we will arrange for you to come to see the Minister who will be officiating at your wedding. These interviews usually take place at the Rectory on a week day evening and it is part of your responsibility to ensure that you attend all of the pre-wedding meetings. At this meeting, we sort out a number of things:- The dates of two "Wedding Preparation Evenings", when we aim to help you understand the nature of marriage and the promises you will be making at your wedding. - The date of your Wedding Rehearsal, usually a couple of days before the wedding, when we go through the service so that you will be confident of what to say and where to stand on the big day ! - Some material for you to look at to help you think about what you are doing. Planning The ServiceYou will need to start planning the details of your wedding service and if you click here you will find a lot of information to help you. |
One of us is divorcedOne of the great parts of the Christian faith is that God is someone who gives us second chances! The end of a marriage is very sad - but we believe that God wants all marriages to be faithful and happy, and that includes all marriages where someone has been married before. Whilst we are usually unable to offer the wedding service in church, we are able to offer a Service of Blessing, which is similar in many ways. You can read the order of this service by clicking here - but if you would like to talk to someone about this, please email us by clicking here: . |
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