Getting married in the Church of St Cross in the Parish of St Faith

A guide for Brides & Grooms to plan their special day

About Us - Congratulations!

Many congratulations on your engagement to be married! We are delighted that you are considering celebrating your love for each other with the blessing of a Christian wedding here in the Parish of St Faith's in the Church of St Cross.

All the information you'll need to start the process of planning your special day are in this guide. It will provide you with information about the steps to take and the conversations for both of you to have with each other and with us in order to celebrate your marriage.

We are happy to consider all applications for marriage and we look forward to discussing it with you further.

With blessings

The Clergy & Team The Parish of St Faith The Hospital of St Cross

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018

About the Church

The Church at The Hospital of St Cross is situated in the Parish of St Faith in the Church of England Diocese of Winchester. It is the private chapel of the Brothers of the Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty. It is where the parishioners of the Parish of St Faith have worshipped for more than 500 years after the original parish church burnt down. This is a long standing act of hospitality by the Hospital of St Cross to the Parish of St Faith. Both the Priest in Charge of the Parish of St Faith and The Master of St Cross are responsible for the spiritual well being of the Brothers and the St Faith's congregation under the Church of England doctrine. Although the Church itself is a private one, the Priest in Charge and the activities of the Parish of St Faith operate like the majority of parish churches with a few small exceptions.

Your marriage in the Church of St Cross in the Parish of St Faith will be a Christian one and the Church is legally licensed for Church of England weddings.

About the Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty The Hospital of St Cross and Almshouse of Noble Poverty is one of England's most glorious almshouses and the oldest one in continuous use. The original charitable status of the Hospital - to provide dignified and supportive housing - still continues after nearly 900 years and within the medieval buildings twenty five elderly men reside. The Hospital of St Cross is their home and they attend worship every day in the Church. The Hospital is governed by a Board of Trustees which includes The Master of St Cross. As a charitable institution, all funds contribute towards the continued care of the Brothers and the beautiful buildings and gardens.

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018

Are you eligible to marry here?

A marriage service in a Church of England church is underpinned by a legal process and therefore there are a number of administrative aspects to ensure your service is legally binding. The Church at St Cross is the private chapel of the Brothers, therefore the standard Church of England 'rights to marry' or ‘qualifying connections’ at the Church do not apply here as they might in a regular Church of England church. However, there are various ways that you may become eligible to marry here:

 Option A: You live in the Parish and join the Electoral Roll  Option B: You don't live in the Parish and join the Electoral Roll  Option C: You don't live in the Parish and apply for The Archbishop of Canterbury's Special Licence  Option D: One or both of you are a Foreign National falling into any of the above categories

Regardless of which of the above categories you fall into, we look forward to welcoming you to the Parish of St Faith in the Church at St Cross as part of our church family and worshipping with us as often as you are able to, both before and after your wedding. You will always be ensured of a warm welcome.

Below you will find more information about the criteria for eligibility:

Option A: You live in the Parish and join the Electoral Roll If your main address is within the St Faith's Parish boundary, then you will automatically be able to marry here by joining the St Faith's Parish Electoral Roll. Please note that you must live in the Parish on the date of your wedding. If you live in the Parish when planning your wedding but move away before it, you must ensure you are on the Electoral Roll before you move away to remain eligible. The nationally set Church of England Marriage Fees will apply to your wedding (C £609 for 2018 plus fixed charges for organist, verger and porter), plus a small charge for car parking should you require it.

Only one of you needs to be on the Electoral Roll – but you also need to be baptised to do so.

You can check if you are within the parish boundary by typing in your postcode here: https://www.achurchnearyou.com/parishfinder.php

Option B: You don't live in the Parish and join the Electoral Roll If you live outside of the Parish then you are able to marry here if you are prepared to join the St Faith's Parish Electoral Roll. Only one of you needs to be on the Electoral Roll – but you also need to be baptised to do so. To become a member of the Electoral Roll we would expect to see you for worship at the Church at St Cross at least once a month for six months before applying to be on the Electoral Roll before your Banns of Marriage are read in Church.

Being on the Electoral Roll means that the legal requirement of reading your Banns of Marriage can be done in the Church on three Sundays within three months of the date of

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 your wedding. Effectively this means that you would begin this process nine months before the date of your wedding.

To apply to be on the Electoral Roll you will need to complete the enrolment form (typically at least three months before your wedding date). If you are not baptised then we will be able to help you with that too as part of your wedding preparation.

There is a wide variety of services throughout the week at St Cross, plus the usual festival holidays (Christmas, Easter, Harvest etc). Most couples find this an enjoyable part of wedding preparation, even if you aren’t a regular church goer.

Sunday Services: 8am Holy Communion; 9.30am Main Parish Service (2nd Sunday of the month is the All Age Worship); 11am Sung Matins on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. In addition to the Sunday services, Brothers' Matins is at 10am Monday to Saturday.

In addition to the nationally set Church of England Marriage Legal Fees (£441 for 2018 plus fixed charges for organist, verger and porter), the Hospital of St Cross charge an additional Heritage Fee of £695 (2019 fee) for weddings couples living outside of the Parish. This goes towards the upkeep of the church and ancient hospital buildings, for which constant repair is needed. The charge includes car parking.

Option C: You don't live in the Parish - Archbishop of Canterbury Special Licence If you don't live in the parish, are unable to attend church regularly enough to join the electoral roll but can still legitimately claim a demonstrable connection to the Church at St Cross, then you may be eligible for a Special Licence from the Faculty Office of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Faculty Office have advised us that they would look favourably on applications from couples who can demonstrate a 'qualifying connection' to the Church - examples would include baptism in the church, residents of The Hospital of St

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 Cross and their children, staff and their children, former staff and others who can claim a strong connection to the church. This is not a straightforward process, takes about three months and can only begin within 18 months of the marriage date. It incurs separate costs and the final outcome is entirely at the discretion of the Faculty Office. More information can be found at www.facultyoffice.org.uk/special-licences/obtaining-a-special-marriage- licence and do talk to us more about this if you think this is the route that may apply to you.

Option D: Foreign Nationals Firstly, to be eligible to marry at St Cross you need meet one of the three options outlined above. If however you are not a British Citizen, then there are some additional actions you will need to take:

European Economic (EEA) Nationals) If you are not a British Citizen but are a national of one of the following EU/EEA states (and are able to prove this with a passport, valid national identify card, certificate of registration/naturalisation granted by the Secretary of State) then you are able to be married at St Cross provided you meet one of the previously set out options listed above:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovena, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Non-European Economic (EEA) Nationals If one (or both) of you is a Non-European National, then both of you will need to complete civil preliminaries with the Winchester Registrar at the Registry Office. This process will enable you to receive a Superintendent Registrars Certificate which you will need to provide to us well before your wedding rehearsal to enable us to legally marry you. This process does take a number of months so needs to be actioned early. When a Superintendent Registrars Certificate is issued it also means that we don't need to read your Banns of Marriage in church (see Banns of Marriage) either at St Cross or in your own Parish (if you live elsewhere). However, you would still need to join the Electoral Roll to enable us to legally marry you.

More information can be found at www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/foreign-national

The steps above need to be completed at least three months before the date of your wedding and we recommend that you have an initial conversation with the Registry Office before making wedding plans.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning your Ceremony

If you are happy to proceed and meet the eligibility referred to above, then the real planning can begin!

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 1 Choosing a date

If you already have a date in mind, contact the Office of the Priest in Charge at [email protected] in the first instance to ensure there isn't already a wedding or other event taking place in the Church that day. Provided you meet the eligibility criteria (above) we will be able to hold this date for you until you meet someone from the office of the Priest in Charge.

2 Appointment with the Office of the Priest in Charge

It's important to discuss your wedding at the earliest convenience with the Parish Administrator in the Office of the Priest in Charge. At this meeting you can talk about your expectations of your special day, what you might need to do to prepare yourselves spiritually for a Christian wedding and what other plans you need to put in place. The meeting usually takes about an hour and you will complete some of the legal preliminary paperwork at this point too. You will liaise with the Priest in Charge's office to find a mutually convenient date for this meeting.

If either of you have been divorced, a further meeting with one of our Clergy team will be arranged.

3 Who will marry you?

At St Cross we have access to an excellent team of Clergy who are delighted to carry out weddings. When the rotas for each wedding season are finalised we will advise you who will carrying out your wedding in order for you to meet them and begin fine tuning your special day.

4 Your "Wedding Team"!

On the day, it is customary to have a small team of people there to help you ensure your day goes smoothly - commonly known as bridesmaids and ushers!

Ushers

There should usually be two to four ushers - polite but firm, with a least one from each family to make sure people will be recognised where possible if you decided to have the

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 brides family on one side and the grooms on the other side of the church. If this is the case, a seating plan for the front few rows is often useful if you have a large number of people coming to ensure that the key members of the family and those taking part in the service (e.g. readers) have easy access to the front. If you do a plan then make sure the ushers have a copy on the day.

Bridesmaids

Usually at least one bridesmaid/matron of honour who will take the bride's bouquet during the service once she has walked up the aisle, look after the dress/veil etc. If you have smaller bridesmaids, one of the adult bridesmaids should be put in charge of them, leaving the principal bridesmaid free to help the bride.

Best Man

The Best Man is there to support the Groom and will need to arrive at the church at the same time as the Groom on the day of the wedding - up to an hour before the service is due to start. He is there to support the Groom, look after the rings and generally be his 'wing man' in that special time before the bride arrives and the wedding begins.

The 'Giver Away'

Traditionally this is the Father of the Bride, however with so many different ways of 'doing family' these days it may not necessarily be so. Whomever you choose to escort the bride down the aisle (or indeed no-one) there is a part in the service where there is the option for the Priest to ask who is giving the bride away. This isn't necessary - but is very traditional and therefore expected by most.

Witnesses

After the marriage service itself, the bride and groom will sign the registers in the presence of two witnesses of your choice. Often this is other family members (e.g. both Mums) or friends. It is your choice who, but it will need to be decided before hand to enable us to prepare the registers for signing.

5 Planning the Service

As you are probably beginning to discover, there are many aspects to planning a wedding and it helps to give early thought to all of the aspects listed below:

Vows The vows you take and the signing of The Register forms the legal part of your service. This is the most important part of the service and whoever is taking your wedding will talk these through with you so you understand their importance. For example, will your vows be equal, or will the bride obey and the groom worship? Would you like to include the prayer that you will have children? Will there be one ring or two?

You can also write a prayer of your own to be used during this part of the service.

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 Readings There are usually two readings and at least one of them should be from the Bible. There are many suggestions on the internet if you need some inspiration and of course the person taking your wedding will also be able to advise you if you need further help.

Music

When it comes to music for your ceremony - the choice is yours (with the exception of church bells - we have none!). You may already have hymns and music in mind or may be starting from scratch. Either way, our experienced resident organist Derek Beck can help. Derek recommends that you meet him in the Church so that you can hear how the organ sounds and to give you firsthand experience of what pieces of music sound best in the unique acoustics of the beautiful church.

What music do you need?

Traditionally, you will need to choose three key pieces of music and two or three hymns:

1 The arrival of the bride and bridal party (it takes on average just 45 seconds to walk up the aisle!)

2 Signing of the registers:

 An organ piece; or  You may have friends of family members who would like to perform; or  A choir can be hired (see below); or  CD's can be used and can be operated by the Verger (tested in advance at the rehearsal)

3 Exit of the Bride and Groom

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018

Hymns

You'll need to choose two or three hymns. In the majority of cases, wedding guests are multi-generational and ideally you would like everyone to be in good voice and know the hymn - or at least the tune - so keep that in mind if you are choosing very modern hymns or worship songs. Attached at the end of this guide is a list of some of the most popular hymn choices for weddings.

Choirs

A choir can add another dimension to your special day. We recommend the Romsey Choral Society www.romseychoral.org.uk and their fee ranges from between £200-300 depending on the size of the choir. If you do chose to have a choir, it is important to make sure they have copies of your Order of Service before the day to ensure they are literally singing from the same hymn sheet as you! It is worth noting (and asking) that if you have your ceremony recorded, their fee may be double, depending on their own criteria.

Using your own Organist

If you have a family member or friend who would like to play the organ for your wedding then we do ask that you please have a conversation with our resident organist, Derek Beck so that he is confident that your organist will find their way around our instrument. Strictly (according to Royal School of Church Music guidelines).....where the parish organist is available but is replaced by a 'guest' player then a fee should be paid to the parish organist. This is usually included on the invoice you will receive from the Priest in Charge's office along with the other legal marriage fees etc.

Using other musicians

You may indeed choose to have no organist and bring your own musicians. This is absolutely fine and incurs no charge.

Using CD's

If you would rather not have an organist (although it would be real shame as the organ at St Cross is superb) then you can use CDs. They are operated by the Verger during the ceremony and need to be brought with you to the rehearsal to be tried and tested on our audio system.

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 Organist Fee

Our standard Organist Fee is £75 for traditional requirements as detailed above. There may be a small additional fee if more unusual music needs to be sourced/rehearsed. If you have your ceremony recorded, then this fee is doubled in accordance with guidance given by the Royal School of Church Music. This is customary practice in all churches.

Flowers

The St Cross Flower Guild is the small in-house team of experienced volunteer flower arrangers based at the Church. They are skilled at creating wonderful displays in our ancient buildings almost every week of the year, complementing the worship and reminding us of the beauty of God's creation. Whatever kind of wedding you choose to have, a display of beautiful flowers will enhance your most special day. The fabric, wood and stone of the church is fragile and ancient and great care is taken to preserve this when flowers are designed and installed. With that in mind, no external florists are permitted to work in the Church.

Our regular church flowers are funded purely through donations, therefore we do charge for wedding flowers as this makes a small contribution towards the displays in the church for the rest of the year. We are lucky that our volunteers give freely of their time and expertise in service to the church, enabling us to keep the prices for wedding flower arrangements reasonable. With this in mind, we are most grateful that wedding parties consider at least two pedestals, if budgets allow.

Choosing your flowers The Flower Guild are here to help you to choose flowers to match your style and budget. The best way to do this is to come and meet with a member of our Flower Guild in the Church, take a walk together around the Church, view the portfolio of photographs and imagine how it will be on the day.

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018

Prices Prices vary depending on the size and number of displays you require, plus seasonal fluctuations. Following the meeting with you we will provide you with an estimate. As a guide, the pedestals at the Lectern and Pulpit (i.e. framing you on either side as you take your vows) are approximately £80 each.

You can find more detailed information about flowers for your wedding in the Appendices.

Photography & Recording the Service

Photography is usually a traditional part of your wedding day and we welcome you to take as many photos as you like to capture those special moments. We request that any photographs taken during the service are as unobtrusive as possible and that goes for video cameramen as well.

The use of drones is not permitted.

Wedding Cars

While we don't allow any parking within the quadrangle of St Cross itself (the green square within the main walls), we do allow Wedding Cars delivering the bride/bridesmaids etc to drive right up to the church through the ancient archway to deliver them to the door and to remain parked for the return journey.

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 Order of Service

The Order of Service is seen by many couples as an opportunity to create a souvenir of the day for the guests - so as well as the order of service, words of hymns and details of the music, it may also include the names of the bridal parties, those doing the readings, who took the service and a brief history of St Cross itself.

A draft needs to be signed off by the Parish Office before you have it printed.

(Remember to print enough copies for all your guests - plus extra for the Priest, Verger and Porter - plus a choir if you are having one - plus a few extra for you!)

Banns of Marriage

Reading of Banns if you live in the Parish Your Marriage Banns will be read on three consecutive Sunday's at the 0930hrs service at some point in the three months prior to your wedding. It is always special to come and hear our Banns read at least once if you can.

Reading of Banns if you live elsewhere If you live elsewhere then you need to arrange for your Banns of Marriage to be read on three consecutive Sundays at the 0930hrs service at some point in the three months prior to your wedding AND in the Parish Church where you live. You will need to contact your Parish Church and request that your Banns be read. They will advise you of the dates, and (in most cases) will suggest you attend the final reading where they will provide you with a Banns Certificate (in exchange for the standard Church of England fee of around £40). You will need to bring this certificate with you to your wedding rehearsal.

Rehearsal

The wedding rehearsal is usually held at some point in the week before the wedding, depending on availability. It lasts about an hour and is essential that both the Bride and Groom are there. If bridesmaids, best man and family are able to come along then great - but not imperative - particularly if they are not local. It is an opportunity to walk through the service (although often not saying the actual words), ask any questions about logistics, and test out the music if you are using CDs.

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018

Confetti

We do allow confetti at St Cross - dried or fresh petals or biodegradable confetti. Many couples choose to buy it for their guests to use and ask the Ushers to distribute it just before the all-important confetti photo shoot! We ask that this takes place only once you are outside of the main doors after the ceremony - and well into the quadrangle please - otherwise it blows back into the church and gets stuck under pews/in heating ducts etc.

Parking

Provision for parking is organised by the Hospital of St Cross Office rather than the Priest in Charge Office. If you live outside the parish and are paying the Heritage Charge then it is included in the price. If you live in the parish, it is an additional charge of £125 for which the Hospital will invoice you. There are two options for parking depending on the amount required:

The Meadow 40 cars (near the main entrance to St Cross on the WaterMeadows) The Park 40+ Cars (Near the West Door of the Church beyond the railings)

The St Cross Office will confirm which parking you require as part of their booking procedures plus there will be someone onsite on the day to direct your guests. Both The Meadow and The Park are utilised by The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust for

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 grazing and therefore appropriate notice needs to be given to ensure the area is clear from livestock for your special day (although there may well be evidence they have been there!).

Winter Weddings: It is worth noting that if you are getting married during the colder, wetter months, there is a high chance that parking would not be available due to the fact that the parking is on grass. Some couples choose to make other arrangements (The Bell pub up the road and other local churches/halls may allow you to book their parking facilities) and this may be an option to explore. If you are eligible to pay the St Cross Hospital Heritage Charge then there is no difference in the charge if parking is provided or not (i.e. there is no refund element if The Hospital cannot provide it).

Access for elderly/disabled guests

We allow cars to drop less mobile guests off right at the church door early - as long as they return cars immediately to the car parking areas in plenty of time to ensure they are not then 'bumping in' to the bride as she arrives through the one-way arch!

The West Doors (large double doors) are always unlocked for disabled access for services and ceremonies and there is a ramp.

Toilets

There are toilet facilities at the main front entrance which is a fair walk from the Church. There are no facilities inside the church itself.

The Big Day!

When all your planning is completed - what happens actually on the day? Here is an example:

About an hour before the ceremony, guests will begin to arrive. They will park in the Meadow or The Park and walk through to the quadrangle and meet and greet either outside the church or in the church itself. The Groom and Best Man will check inside the church that

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 everything is ready - Order of Services are there to be handed out, chat to whoever is officiating at the service, greet the organist/choir, have some photos taken etc.

Guests will take their seats in the Church - directed by the Ushers, ensuring that anyone playing a part in the wedding (i.e. those reading) and key family members sit up the front.

About 15 minutes before the ceremony the Bride will arrive by car (or carriage) via the main archway and drive right through the quadrangle to the side porch of the church. The Porter will be waiting for her arrival and will notify the Verger (via a walkie-talkie) that the Bride is arriving so that he can ensure all the guests are seated and that the Groom and Best Man are in position….

…..a word to Brides - a minute or two late is OK - but not longer!

The Vicar will greet the Bride and Bridal party at the side door (photos of bridesmaids etc – factor this in when planning what time to depart for the church) and everyone will process into the church quietly via the side door and prepare themselves for the walk down the aisle (once inside the Church the majority of the congregation can't see the Bridal party due to the large pillars - so it gives you a moment to get settled, straighten veils etc).

The music begins and the Bridal party then process down the central aisle for the ceremony. At the top of the aisle the principal bridesmaid will take the bride's flowers and move to the side. The main ceremony will then begin. When you are legally married and the hymns have been sung, prayers said and readings finished, the Registers will then be signed (you'll need two witnesses to sign alongside you both). Prayers are then said at the High Altar and the Bride & Groom process back down the main aisle and straight out the West Door at the rear of the Church for photos/congratulations/confetti etc. They are joined in the procession by the Principal Bridesmaid & Best Man, Other Bridesmaids, Mother of the Bride 7 Father of the Groom, Father of the Bride and Mother of the Groom - or any amalgamation of any/all of the above which best suit your own family circumstance. The rest of the congregation leave the Church via the North Porch (i.e. the one through which they entered) to rejoin the main party at the West Door.

There are usually then photos outside the church before you all then go on to your reception venue to celebrate this most wonderful occasion!

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 Your Reception at St Cross

In addition to a Church of England wedding in our beautiful church, the Hospital of St Cross team is able to offer you a unique venue for your reception within this exceptionally beautiful and tranquil location. This includes drinks and photographs in the Master's Garden after the service and/or a fully equipped marquee on the Bowling Green to complete your special day.

While the Wedding Ceremony is organised through the Parish Office, all arrangements for the Reception are made with the office at the Hospital of St Cross.

The wedding breakfast is held in the Old Bowling Green; an enclosed lawned area used exclusively for private functions. It is adjacent to the Church and big enough to cater for a large marquee. The specialist marquee provider can offer a complete and personal service for wedding receptions and can recommend caterers experienced with the set up at St Cross.

The Master’s Garden is also available to hire for a short drinks reception where a gazebo, table and chairs are provided and you provide your own refreshments (note: the pond has deep water and children must be supervised).

The walled gardens and pond are beautiful spaces to have photographs.

All aspects of the Reception and parking are organised and administrated by the office at the Hospital of St Cross and not by the Parish Office.

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 Money

As no doubt you are discovering, even a modest wedding can be expensive. To give you a guide for budgeting purposes, these are the expenses you should expect to incur if you have your wedding ceremony at St Cross:

Example Invoice for Wedding Ceremony Fees issued by the Office of the Priest in Charge of (2018 prices)

INVOICE FOR THE WEDDING OF Belle Bride & Beau Groom

Statutory Church of England Legal Fees £441.00

Statutory Fee for the Marriage Certificate £4.00

Statutory Fee for reading banns at St Cross £29.00

Services of the Organist £75.00

(Additional Fee to Organist if service is recorded (£75.00)

Services of the Verger £35.00 Services of the St Cross Porter £25.00

Payment is due 7 days before your wedding rehearsal

via BACS please

You will received this invoice from the Priest in Charge's office approximately four weeks before the wedding and it must be paid 7 days before the rehearsal via BACS.

Additional costs:

Heritage Charge & Parking Charge (if applicable) This invoice is issued separately by the Hospital of St Cross Trustees Office to couples living outside of the Parish and separate parking charges if applicable. (to be paid 28 days before) £695 - includes parking (2019 prices) £125 - parking charge for couples living in the parish (and not paying the Heritage Charge)

Banns at your local Church (if you live outside the Parish) To have your banns read three times at your local church will cost £43 to be paid to them (in addition to the fee to have them read at St Cross). You will be given a certificate to give to us on the third reading which we must have in order legally to marry you.

Flowers Prices will vary based on your specific requirements. After your first meeting with a representative from the Flower Guild you will receive an estimate of the costs based on your

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 requirements. You will receive a final invoice from the Flower Guild shoprtly after the wedding.

Who to Contact

Marriage in Church: Parish Administrator at the Office of the Priest in Charge To check a potential date and/or book your initial visit with the Parish Administrator: Email the Office of the Priest in Charge: [email protected]

Receptions at St Cross To make enquiries about Receptions at St Cross: Julie Winks, Deputy Clerk to the Trustees, on 01962 878218 [email protected]

Music Resident Organist Derek Beck 01962 860681 [email protected]

Flower Guild Flower Guild Team Lead Trish Spiers 01962 851699

Foreign Nationals Hampshire Register Office (Foreign Nationals) 0300 555 1392

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 APPENDIX - FLOWERS

THE ST CROSS FLOWER GUILD

The St Cross Flower Guild is the small in-house team of experienced volunteer flower arrangers based at the Church of St Cross. They are skilled at creating wonderful displays in our ancient buildings almost every week of the year (with the exception of Lent and Advent1), complementing the worship and reminding us of the beauty of God's creation. Whatever kind of wedding you choose to have, a display of beautiful flowers will enhance your most special day.

The fabric, wood and stone of the church is fragile and ancient and great care is taken to preserve this when flowers are designed and installed. With that in mind, no external florists are permitted to work in the Church.

Our regular church flowers are funded purely through donations, therefore we do charge for wedding flowers as this makes a small contribution towards the displays in the church for the rest of the year. We are lucky that our volunteers give freely of their time and expertise in service to the church, enabling us to keep the prices for wedding flower arrangements reasonable. With this in mind, we are most grateful that wedding parties consider at least two pedestals, if budgets allow.

Choosing your flowers The Flower Guild is here to help you to choose flowers to match your style and budget. The best way to do this is to come and meet with at member of the team in the Church, take a walk together around the Church, view the portfolio of photographs and imagine how it will be on the day. This will give you a much better idea of what type of flower arrangements can be provided for you and where in the church they can be placed, e.g:

High Altar Chancel Steps Lectern Pulpit Entrance Pillar Font Arches for the South Porch Either side of the West Door Drops on pillars

You may already have a colour scheme in mind - or perhaps you may be looking for guidance and suggestions. It is worth bearing in mind that during Easter, Harvest and Christmas, our festival colours take precedence2.

Prices Prices vary depending on the size and number of displays you require, plus seasonal fluctuations. Following the meeting with you, a written estimate will be provided. As a guide, the pedestals at the Lectern and Pulpit (i.e. framing you on either side as you take your vows) are approximately £80 each. Full payment is requested four weeks prior to the wedding to enable the team to order all materials.

Additional information Please meet the Flower Guild as early as you can (with final details in place no later than 6 weeks before the wedding). This enables planning of rotas for the year and ensuring the right number of florists are available. Should there be more than one wedding that week, the Flower Guild will coordinate between the wedding parties to negotiate agreements on a mutually agreed colour scheme, design and division of the cost. Unfortunately, due to the

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 size of the team we are unable to change flowers where weddings occur very close together.

1 During the period of Lent and Advent (generally the time before Easter and Christmas) there are traditionally no flowers in the Church as this is a period of deeper contemplation for worshippers. For weddings that fall during these dates, we limit flowers to two pedestal arrangements.

2 Easter, Harvest & Christmas are particularly busy times in the Church calendar and there are usually significantly more arrangements on display. At these times we are particularly grateful for financial contributions from wedding parties due to the volume of flowers we need to buy.

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 APPENDIX: MOST POPULAR HYMNS FOR WEDDINGS

With St Cross Hymn Book Number and number of verses in brackets

21A All things bright & beautiful (5vv.) 27 Amazing grace (5vv.) 33 Angel-voices ever singing (5vv.) 56 Be thou my vision (5vv.) 90 Come down, O love divine (4vv.) 106 Dear Lord & Father of mankind * (5vv.) 137 For the beauty of the earth (5vv.) 153 Give me joy in my heart (4vv.) 170 God is love (tune No.26) (3vv.) 188 Guide me, O thou great Redeemer (3vv.) 293 Lead us, heavenly Father, lead us (3vv.) 313 Lord of all hopefulness (4vv.) 321 Love divine, all loves excelling (3 or 6vv. depending on tune) 328 Make me a channel * (3vv.) 337 Morning has broken (3vv.) 349 New every morning is the love (6vv.) 354 Now thank we all our God (3vv.) 387 O perfect love * (3vv.) 388 O praise ye the Lord (4vv.) 414 Peace, perfect peace (5vv.) 422 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven (4vv.) 425 Praise the Lord, ye heavens adore him (3vv.) 427 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty (4vv.) 467 Tell out, my soul (4vv.) 405 One more step

* Possible difficulties with choice of tune

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 APPENDIX: MOST POPULAR PIECES OF ORGAN MUSIC FOR WEDDINGS

ENTRY: Charpentier Prelude from Te Deum Clarke Trumpet Voluntary Purcell Trumpet Tune Stanley Trumpet Voluntary in D Wagner Bridal March from Lohengrin Karg-Elert Now thank we all our God (opening) Handel Hornpipe from Water Music (opening) Handel Overture from Fireworks Music (opening)

REGISTERS: Bach Jesu, joy of man’s desiring Handel Slow mvts. from Water Music Pachelbel Canon in D Peeters Adagio (Suite Modale)

EXIT: Mendelssohn Wedding March from Midsummer Night's D. Walton Coronation March Crown Imperial Widor Toccata from 5th Organ Symphony Karg-Elert Now thank we all our God (complete) Handel Hornpipe from Water Music (complete) Handel Overture from Fireworks Music (complete) Handel misc. mvts. from Organ Concertos Handel Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Vierne Carillon from Pieces en style libre Bach Fantasia in G (BWV 572) Mozart Fantasia in F (K 594)

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018 YOUR WEDDING A ST CROSS : CHECKLIST

TICK ACTION WHEN?

Congratulations! You are Engaged! Now you can As early as you can begin planning your special day! Decide on a date - cross check with key family/friends and reception venue Check the date with the Office of the Priest in Charge Typically a year before - but at St Cross can be longer or shorter Meet a representative from the Priest in Charge's Office to talk about the ceremony Confirm via email that you would like to go ahead and complete the booking paperwork 9 months before the wedding, begin coming regularly At least 9 months before to services the wedding Contact the St Cross Flower Guild to meet and talk As early as you can about flowers Contact the St Cross Organist Derek Beck to begin As early as you can talking about music/hymns Complete the Electoral Roll form and return it to the At least 3 months before the box at the back of the church for processing wedding Meet the member of Clergy who will be taking your Approx 3-6 months before wedding and begin getting to know them the wedding Decide on Best Man, Bridesmaids, Ushers and who will 'Give Away' the Bride If you live outside the Parish, arrange to have your Within three months of the banns read at your local Parish wedding Arrange to have your banns read at St Cross on three Within three months of the consecutive Sundays wedding Begin thinking about your Order of Service, firming up hymn choices, readings and vows Agree who will be your Witnesses when you sign the Register Pay your Hospital of St Cross Heritage Fees (if Four weeks before applicable) Pay for your Flower Guild invoice Four weeks before

Ensure your Ushers, Best Man and Bridesmaid know A few weeks before what their role will be at the Church Provide us with a final proof of your Order of Service A few weeks before to approve before it is printed Pay your Marriage Ceremony/Organist/Verger/Porter 7 days before your rehearsal Fees Wedding Rehearsal -remember to bring your Banns The week of your wedding Certificate if you live in another Parish (not necessarily day before) The Big Day! Groom to arrive at least half an hour The Big Day! early; Bride to arrive approx 15 minutes early

Parish of St Faith: Office of the Priest in Charge Last Edited 26 July 2018