The minister who will be taking your wedding can help you to think through the choices for your special day and will meet with you before your wedding to do this.
To get you started in your preparation here are some details which you might like to consider.
Music
Music is an important part of all weddings and sets the tone for your celebration. We have an excellent organ and organists. The Bride enters to a piece of music, there is usually music during the signing of the registers, the Bride and Groom leave to music. Usually, three hymns are sung. If you have the choir then they may sing a piece before the prayers. The choice can be quite confusing. This short list of suggestions may help - it is not at all exhaustive.
Entry of the Bride:
- Bridal Chorus, Lohengrin, by Richard Wagner
- Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from 'Solomon', by G F Handel
- Prelude, Te Deum, by M A Charpentier
- Trumpet Voluntary (Prince of Denmark's March), by Jeremiah Clarke
- Trumpet Tune, by Henry Purcell
Exit Procession of the Married couple:
- Wedding March, Midsummer Night's Dream, by Mendelssohn
- Hornpipe, Water Music, by G F Handel
- Nun Danket (Triumphal March), by Karg-Elert March
- 'Crown Imperial', by W Walton
- Trumpet Voluntary, by John Stanley
- Tuba Tune, by C S Lang
- Toccata, Symphony No. 5, by Widor
Choir anthems / during the signing of the register:
- Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring by J. S. Bach
- A Gaelic Blessing, by John Rutte
- Lead me Lord by S.S. Wesley
- God be in my head by Walford Davies
- The Lord’s my Shepherd (Psalm 23) - Crimond
- Ave Maria, various arrangements
Hymns
This is a small selection of popular hymns:
- Praise my soul the King of Heaven
- O praise ye the Lord
- All my hope on God is founded
- Morning has broken
- Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
- Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us
- Come down, 0 Love divine
- Lord of all hopefulness
- The King of love my shepherd is
- Dear Lord and Father of mankind
- Love divine, all love's excelling
- Make me a channel of your peace
- And did those feet (Jerusalem)
- Rejoice, the Lord is King
- O Jesus I have promised
- Father hear the prayer we offer
- Now thank we all our God
- Give me joy in my heart
- Be still, for the presence of the Lord
If you ‘Google’ these hymns you will be able to listen to most of them on the internet. You can also get CDs of most hymns and Brides Magazine will have lists / CDs too. You are welcome to borrow a hymnbook from church. The website: www.yourchurchwedding.org has lots of other help and ideas, and you can listen to hymns and other music there too.
Copyright
If you are having your service videoed you will need to get a copyright licence and show it to your priest before the service. These are very reasonable and can be bought via the website: www.prsformusic.com
Flowers
Flowers can make the church even more beautiful - even simple pew ends. You may bring in your own flowers or the church can arrange them for you at a charge. Rita Salter (01628 634439) will advise you.
Printing an Order of Service
If you are planning to have a printed order of service, the normal outline follows below. You only need to print the words in bold blue type. Please let the priest who is taking your service see a draft so that it can be checked before you get it printed.
Music for the entrance of the Bride
Print the title of your chosen piece, with the composer’s name
The Welcome
Hymn
The first hymn is sung here. You should print the hymn words in full, with the name of the writer in italics at the end.
The Declarations
The Collect
This is a special prayer for use at weddings
The Reading
You may wish to print the Bible reference (the priest can help with this) and the name of the person reading it.
The Address
This is a short talk by the priest, about the nature of marriage
Hymn
The second hymn comes here - see above
The Marriage
The Blessing of the Marriage
Choir anthem
Optional, if the choir are singing an anthem then you may wish to print the details.
The Prayers
The prayers end with the Lord’s Prayer, you may wish to print it in full (see below).
Hymn
The third (or second if you only have two) hymn comes here - see above.
The Blessing of the congregation
Signing of the Marriage document
If you have chosen a particular piece of music to be played or sung during the signing of the marriage document it is usual to print the details here.
The procession of the Bride and Groom
As with the entrance, you should print the details of the music your have chosen.
You may add at the end: Copyright licence number: 209446
Prayers
The Lord’s Prayer, traditional version:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come; thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
And finally…
a note on parking You will notice that parking is not always easy at St. Luke’s. We have a small area for disabled parking but try to keep the front of church free at weddings to allow space for the bride’s car, and for photos. As an eco friendly church we encourage our usual congregation to walk or to use the local borough car parks - less than five minutes away - at the Magnet Leisure Centre. You may wish to let your guests know about the available parking, and even provide them with a map.