What is a church wedding?

There are four expressions of your marriage:

Legal, Ceremonial, Relational, Christian

L E G A L

The Federal Government has certain requirements which apply to couples who are intending to marry:

1. The wedding must be conducted by an authorised celebrant.

2. A Notice of Intended Marriage form must be completed and lodged no later than one month before the wedding, and no earlier than 18 months before the wedding date.

3. You must provide your birth certificate, and sign a statutory declaration regarding your marital status.

4. During the marriage service, you will complete the legal documents when you sign the church register and your marriage certificate

C H R I S T I A N

This is the ultimate key to a happy marriage.

God cares for the people He has made and ordained marriage in which couples will grow together and and enjoy deepening support.

Christian marriage is based on the love God has for His church through Jesus Christ.

We will discuss christianity during your interviews with the minister.

C E R E M O N I A L

This is the public declaration of marriage. The formality of this ceremony indicates the seriousness of your commitment to one another.

R E L A T I O N A L

This is of lifelong significance. Both the church and the government encourage people to learn about relationships before their marriage. Therefore, the church requires couples to attend the Marriage Education program, conducted by the Anglican Counselling Service (or equivalent). This preparation teaches communication skills and offers insights that will help you build and maintain your marriage.

The Wedding Service.

There is so much that goes in to your special day, so read on to learn more about each aspect of having your wedding service with Gunnedah Anglican Church.

The Minister

The minister who discusses your wedding details and the christian model of marriage will most likely be the person who conducts the service. On rare occasions, a situation may arise which prevents this and if so, you will be given sufficient notice before your service.

A Commemorative Order of Service

An attractive, printed order of service will not only enable your guests to follow the sequence of events, it will provide a memento of your special day for your guests and yourself to enjoy. If you are planning to print an order of service, please discuss this with your minister before printing. This will allow your minister to provide you with an outline of the official wedding ceremony to include in the printed order of service.

Music

The music in the wedding service is subject to approval by the minister, and agreed upon by yourself, the organist (if required) and the minister. This is because some songs and music are more suited to the reception, rather than the wedding service. If you’d like to include organ music, then arrangements with the organist need to be completed no later than two weeks before your wedding. It is also important to consider carefully the hymns or songs chosen for both community singing and the guests. Unless people attend church regularly, they may not know the christian hymns or songs.

Flowers and Pew End Displays

The church has flower arrangements already in place. If you would like extra flowers or to include pew end displays, then please discuss these during your meeting with the minister.

Photography and Videography

You are more than welcome to commemorate your wedding with photos and videos. In order for you to get the most from your photographer/videographer, please discuss your plans with the minister before your special day.

Punctuality

The groom and his party should arrive at the church 20 minutes before the starting time, in a sober condition. The bride and her attendants should arrive at the time that the wedding is scheduled to begin.

Confetti

Due to WH&S requirements, sadly no confetti (of any form, including rice or petals etc.) may be thrown on the church premises.