All Saints west Ham

WEDDINGS AND BAPTISMS

WEDDINGS - the situation as at January 2012.



To be married at All Saints', usually either the bride or groom or both must live in the parish. If neither partner lives in the parish it is still possible to be married here by becoming members of the church with your name(s) on the electoral roll. This involves at least one of you attending services regularly (once a month is the minimum) for six months. You may also be married here if you dont live here and you are not on the electoral roll but you have a significant historical connection with the church: 1.at least one of you was baptised here; 2. at least one of you was confirmed here (separately from being baptised) 3. at least one of you have had your usual place of worship in the parish for 6 months 4. a parent of at least one of you has had his/her usual place of residence in the parish for at least 6 months 5. a parent of at least one of you has habitually attended Church of England public worship in the parish for at least 6 months 6. a parent or grandparent of at least one of you was married in the parish according to the rites of the Church of England Anyone who would like to be married here, whose previous marriage has been dissolved and their partner is still living will need to meet the Vicar to discuss their situation in detail before arrangements for the marriage can be made. Foreign nationals who need to be married by Common Licence will be visited at their home address(es) in the parish by the Vicar, before they may apply for a Licence. They will need to give proof of their identity, their residential status, and their place of abode to the church volunteers who run our Parish Surgery (Thursdays, 8-8.30pm).They will then need to see the Surrogate, to whom a fee is payable, before the application for a Licence is made to the Diocesan Registrar. The Licence will be sent to the address they have given. If the Church believes that an attempt is being made to have a false marriage, the immigration authorities will be informed.

Wedding Planner
For initial information please attend our Parish Surgery in St Thomas' Chapel, entrance via Church Street, E15 3HU on Thursdays from 8-8.30pm. The Surgery will be closed from time to time because of holidays etc, in which case ring 0208 519 0764.
Our commitment to you (2005) Marriage is a gift of God and the service is an act of worship. Here at All Saints we have a sparkling heritage for weddings. We aim to make your wedding day one to remember with joy. To do this we regard it as a privilege to help organize your day and our hope is that you come to appreciate the Christian ideals by which we try to live our lives. Getting married needs planning! As a rule of thumb the following gives a timetable that you should bear in mind. * Wedding booked (between 6 - 18 months in advance). * Reading the banns (if one of you lives in the parish and both are British nationals - within three months of the wedding). * Deciding the order of service and music (two months). * Wedding preparation with the minister by arrangement (usually two weeks before the wedding) * Rehearsal in church (week before wedding).

Wedding Fees for 2012

Basic Fees for marriage involving the calling of banns £287.50 Basic fees for marriage via Common Licence £265.50 (but NB there is also a fee payable to the Surrogate to apply for the Licence, in 2011 £85)) Optional Fees Organist £110.00 Choir £ 70.00 Verger £40 Soloist £ 30.00 Bell ringers £130.00 Flowers £ 50.00 Copyright Licence £120.00
The 2013 fees should be known in December 2012.
MUSIC

Our organist will be happy to advise on music. Normally in a service there are two or three hymns. We always recommend having the choir. Please bear in mind the fact that having the choir greatly adds to the atmosphere of your wedding. Having three hymns and no choir can be a struggle, so, if you are not having the choir it is best to have one hymn!

FLOWERS

We have at least two large arrangements at the front of the church. You might wish to provide extra flowers which is fine but please discuss this with us first. Extra flower arrangements stay at the church until all weddings have ended for the day to avoid delays.

ORDER OF SERVICE

We have a specimen order of service on this site. If you have a printed order please have it checked with the Vicar before the final print !

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO IN CHURCH

There is ample opportunity after the service for photos. Only the official photographer is permitted to take shots/video during the service itself. BAPTISMS All those who live in the parish are entitled to be baptised in their parish church. Those who have a strong historic family connection with this Church will be considered for baptism here. Baptisms usually take place on the third Sunday of the month at 11am. However, in certain circumstances, other arrangements may be made. Please attend the Parish Surgery for a discussion on Thursdays from 8-8.30pm. There is no charge for a baptism, but a baptism certificate costs £12. Usually a child has 2 godparents of the same sex, and one of the other. He/she may have more godparents. A godparent needs to be a Christian who will be required to express belief in Jesus Christ as Lord publicly during the Baptism service. They should usually be both baptised and confirmed themselves, although the requirement for confirmation may be waived. Godparents should not be chosen simply because they are friends of the parent(s). This is an important issue which the parents should consider carefully well before the Baptism to save disappointment and resentment. We cannot waive the requirement for godparents to be baptised. The fact that comparatively few people have been baptised during the last 20/30 years means that eligible godparents are now quite rare. NB: Godparents will need to produce evidence (their baptism certificate, or a copy of their entry in the Baptism register of the church where they were baptised), that they have been baptised, before the baptism date is confirmed. The Vicar will usually need to see the parents and at least one godparent in the week before the service. While we do not insist that parents attend Church, we would expect parents to make every effort to attend church since they wish their child to be baptised into the Christian faith
ADULT BAPTISM. Adults who wish to be baptised are usually prepared for Confirmation, then baptised and confirmed at the same time. Please attend the Parish Surgery in the first instance.