You will be able to meet one or more members of the Ministry Team and our team of Wedding Vergers. The Ministry Team consists of the Priest-in-Charge, the Revd Anne-Marie Renshaw, two retired clergy, the Revd Roger Hoare and the Revd John Leaworthy, and our Reader, Harold Toms. Our Wedding Vergers, Lorna Crick, Sue Copsey, Jenny Hornett and Stella Barnes, have a wealth of experience in helping couples prepare for their wedding in church and will be delighted to meet you.
Wedding bookings are taken on Saturday afternoons between 2.00 and 3.00 pm in the church office at St Luke’s Church, Church Road, Tiptree. CO5 0SU. Bookings will take place on the following Saturdays in 2012:
14th January 18th February 10th March 21st April
26th May 23rd June 21st July 15th September
13th October 10th November
You can turn up on any of these dates, but please be prepared to wait your turn to be seen. Please note that you should attend a service at All Saints at least once before coming to book your wedding. If you would like to check in advance whether your choice of date is available, please ring the Priest-in-Charge on 01621 815260 or email amlrenshaw@btinternet.com.
You may find the following information useful in determining whether All Saints is the right place for you to be married.
1. Under current legislation you have the right to be married
a) in the parish church where you live.
b) in the church in a parish where you have a qualifying connection. This would apply if:
- you were baptised in the church
- you have ever lived in the parish for at least six months
- you have ever habitually worshipped in the church over a period of at least six months
- your parents were married in the church
- your parents have lived in the parish for at least six months during your lifetime
- your parents have habitually worshipped in the church for at least six months during your lifetime
c) in a church where you have habitually worshipped for at least six months.
2. If you do not live in the parish of Great Braxted and you have no existing qualifying connection, you will need to make a commitment to worship at All Saints at least once a month from the time of booking your wedding until the date of your marriage. This must be a period of not less than six months.
3. If either of you has been married previously, it may be possible for you to be married in All Saints. You will need to contact the Priest-in-Charge to discuss this possibility.
4. If either of you is a foreign national, you should contact the Priest-in-Charge to discuss the necessary legal preliminaries to marriage in church.
5. Weddings can take place on any day of the week except Sunday. Wedding bookings are not accepted for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, on Bank Holidays or during Holy Week (the week before Easter Day).
6. If it is not possible for you to be married at All Saints, we would be happy to discuss with you the possibility of a service of blessing after civil marriage.
You will find plenty of helpful information on the website www.yourchurchwedding.org
We look forward to meeting with you and to helping you plan for your marriage.
The Ministry Team
