Weddings

Getting Married in Wantage Downs Benefice

1. Qualifying connection

Before we can book you in you'll need to fulfil the legal requirement that at least one of you has a qualifying connection to the parish you wish to be married in (either East Hendred, West Hendred, or Ardington and Lockinge). This can include previous residence, a family link, or regular attendance at church services in the parish for at least 6 months. You can find out more about qualifying connections in the Church of England here. If you have any questions do get in touch!

2. Getting in touch

Once you've worked out how you're going to establish your qualifying connection, the next step is to get in touch with our administrator through the form below. If you can provide any of the following information it can help speed up the booking process:

• Your full names

• Your nationalities

• Whether either of you have been married before

• Which church(es) you might be interested in

• Whether you're currently a member of the parish where that church is

• Roughly what date(s) you might be thinking of.

3. Next Steps

Once you've contacted us we'll get back to you as soon as possible to let you know if we have availability in the church(es) for the dates you're considering.

If we can book you in we'll then put you in touch with one of our clergy who will arrange to meet with you to discuss preparations further. At this stage we can also put you in touch with other members of our team (e.g organists, bell ringers) if you would like us to do so.

Over the course of planning you'll also have the opportunity to attend a marriage course, lead by one of our clergy. This is a great opportunity to discuss the wedding service alongside other couples, as well as to reflect privately as a couple on some aspects of marriage.

Get in touch

Please fill out the form below if you'd like to enquire about booking a wedding or if you have any questions. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Banns

Banns are a public announcement in a parish church of an impending marriage between two specified individuals, usually during a church service. Traditionally, the purpose of banns is to enable anyone to raise any canonical or civil legal impediments to the marriage, so as to prevent invalid marriages. These days it's more of a legal formality and allows the local community to pray for the upcoming wedding.

If you both live in the parish you're getting married in you only need to get your banns read in your parish. However, if one or both of you live outside the parish, you are getting married in, you must also arrange for the publication of Banns at the church(es) where you live. This will cost the same amount as having the banns read in the parish you're getting married in, but you must also pay for a certificate which you must give to the person marrying you before your wedding. If you're not sure which parish you belong to you can find your parish church (which may not be your nearest church) here.

Fees

(2025)

Mandatory:

Service in Church - £544

Banns of Marriage publications - £37

Verger - £80

Church Heating (Mandatory October-March) - £50

Security deposit - £250

Optional:

Candles for candelabra (Ardington and Lockinge only) - £30

Organist - £120

Bells (East and West Hendred only) - £20/bell

Frequently asked questions

Can we throw confetti?

Yes, but the Benefice Churches’ policy is that only biodegradeable confetti (for example, flower petals) may be used in the church grounds (not inside the church buildings).

Do you offer blessings after a civil marriage?

Unfortunately we only have the capacity to offer blessing services to couples who have an exceptionally strong connection to the church and local community.

What if I have been married before?

It is often possible to get married in church even if you've been divorced in the past. Please use the contact form above to contact the Rector for a conversation about this.

How far in advance do we need to get in touch?

As we have a high number of weddings every year, we recommend getting in touch as soon as you can so we can get you booked in on your preferred date. You're also welcome to get in touch to gauge availability if you're in the early stages of planning your wedding.

Why do we need a verger?

The verger is a volunteer from the church who will open and close the church for you and make sure that everything is ready on the day of your wedding. They will enable the delivery of flower arrangements, orders of service, confetti etc; and to allow any visiting musicians, singers, photographers etc. to gain access on the morning of your wedding in order to set up the church. They will then lock the Church one hour after the service, ensuring any lost property, flower arrangements, etc. are placed in the porch.

How can I know if the church is accessible?

Each of our churches has its own page on our website. At the bottom of each of these pages we have information on each of the churches accessibility including steps, ramps, loos and parking. If you have any specific access requirements do get in touch.

Are there any days we can't be married on?

Due to our services we don't have weddings on Sundays. We can, however, generally accommodate for any other day of the week, depending on availability.