Weddings
Congratulations!
You have decided to make a lifelong commitment to each other and are planning your wedding. The Christian faith holds marriage to be an important and sacred part of life and so planning for a wedding should include preparation for your life together; not only just on the details of the day. That is where the Church can help you embark on your life together. Preparation is an important part of the whole process and so the minister is required by the wider church to help make sure that your marriage is for all the right reasons and you have thought about what Christian marriage means, not only for now, but also for the future.
Yes, there are flowers to arrange and music to choose; there are dresses to buy, but there are also vows to consider, vows that will last a life time.
Flowers
Flowers can be placed in the Church for a wedding and it is customary to leave flowers in place for the following Sunday service. Prior access for florists should be arranged through the Church office.
Vows
There are various choices and should be discussed between the minister and learned so that on the day they are said between the couple and a covenant is entered into between the couple and God.
Music
The music should be discussed with the organist and the hymns with the minister.
Rehearsal
Usually the night before there will be a rehearsal. All the various parties should come so that everyone knows what they are doing and everyone has their questions answered.
Photographs
Please note that photographs are only permitted before and after the ceremony, and during the signing of the schedule. The day you get married should be the most important day of your life, and the ceremony is more important than the reception!
Legalities
Then there is the legal part of the service. You must give Notice of Marriage to the local Registrar in good time before the date of your wedding. Other documents which you might have to supply include birth certificates and divorce papers. The Registrar's Office is at 59-63 George IV Bridge , Edinburgh.
The Registrar will issue a Marriage Schedule shortly before the wedding. It should be collected by the bride or groom and brought to me as soon as possible. This is the document that we will sign on the day, and without it the marriage cannot go ahead. It's as important as that! After the ceremony the Schedule must be returned to the Registrar within 3 days and a Marriage Certificate will be issued