Some other useful information about getting married at St Columba's, Arbory & St Mary on the Harbour, Castletown
Banns of Marriage
Before you can be married in church your Banns of Marriage must be published. These are read for three weeks (usually at the Sunday morning service) during the 3 month period before the date you set for your wedding.
Banns must be published in the Parish Church where you are to be married and in each Parish in which you both live.
A small fee is payable to each church in which your banns are read. It is your responsibility to make contact with your own Parish Church to arrange for this to be done. You can find this out by speaking to the Vicar.
Banns at Arbory & Castletown will usually be read 6 weeks before your wedding date.
If you are getting married in another church but live in the Parish of Arbory and Castletown and need your banns read, you will be asked to complete a form.
You will receive an invitation from the church to come and hear your banns being read at the morning service. We hope you will make every effort to at least attend once during the 3 weeks.
Marriage Preparation
At the beginning of the year in which you are to be married, you will be invited to attend a meeting to look at the marriage service and the importance of the vows you will be making. There will also be opportunity for you to ask questions and think through some of the practical prepartions that you need to be making for the service.
Best Man & Chief Bridesmaid
Your best man and chief bridesmaid - if they are to sign the register as a witnesses - must be 18 years or over . If either is under 18 years, then someone else must be appointed as a witness when it comes to signing the register.
Other bridesmaids and page boys
If you are having any children aged 5 years or under as bridesmaids or pageboys, please can you arrange for an adult (not one of the bridesmaids or either of your parents) to look after them and take responsibility for them. Small children can become very restless during a wedding service – and can cause you and others some distraction. Younger children do not understand the importance of this day in your lives and you will have to be prepared that they may not co-operate with your plans on the day.
We would encourage you to bring younger bridesmaids and page boys to our family service (1st Sunday of the month at 10.30am at Arbory Church) to enable them to become familiar with the church.
Wedding Rehearsal
The wedding rehearsal usually takes place during the earlier part of the week in which you are to be married, but can take place at another time if required. The rehearsal lasts about 45 mins. The most important people who need to be at the rehearsal are yourselves – but it is helpful if the best man, chief bridesmaid, father of the bride (or who ever is giving you away) can be there. Other bridesmaids and family can attend if you wish, but we would ask you to restrict this to a few family members. Sometimes it is helpful if you have young children as bridesmaids to bring them to the rehearsal just to familiarise them with the church – so it will not seem so strange on the day.
The rehearsal will take place at the church. We will first meet with you to check that I have the right details and to briefly run through the order of service. At the rehearsal,we will need to be given the names of the best man & chief bridesmaid, how many rings will be exchanged, what music has been chosen, whether you want your full names used in the service or just Christian and surnames.
Once we have been through these few details, we will then proceed with the rehearsal. Don’t worry if you don’t take it all in – you will not need to remember it all and the main thing is that you get a feel for what you will be asked to do. You will not be asked to exchange the vows in full at the rehearsal only part, this is to give you an idea of how it will be on the day and help you get over any nerves you may have. There will be plenty of opportunity to ask questions if you have any.