Although there are a great many faiths practised in Britain today, which bring with them a wide variety of cultural and religious traditions, church statistics show that over a quarter of marriages in the UK still take place within the Church of England.
When it comes to the service and vows itself, you have a choice of authorised Anglican marriage services. There is the 1662 Book of Common Prayer version with its old-style language, the Series One Service or the New Order of Common Worship. Whatever you choose there is usually some room for manoeuvre on declarations such as the wife promising to ‘obey' her husband and the husband bestowing ‘all his worldly goods'.
Generally, your ceremony will follow something similar to this format:
- Welcome and introduction by the minister
- First hymn
- The minister addresses the congregation to ask if anyone knows of any reason why the couple may not marry
- Declarations - you will be asked to promise that you will love, comfort, honour and protect each other, to which each of you answers ‘I will'
- Exchange of vows, which have changed very little since the Middle Ages, and contain the section:
‘To have and to hold,
From this day forward
For better, for worse
For richer, for poorer
In sickness and in health,
To love and to cherish,
‘Til death us do part
- Blessing of the ring/s, after which the groom or both of you says the words:
‘I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage'...
- Second hymn (if you are having three)
- The readings
- The minister's address
- Registration of the marriage/signing the register
- Prayers and communion (if you are having full communion). This is where you may have to decide whether to recite the traditional or updated Lord's prayer ie will you forgive those who ‘trespass against us' or ‘sin against us'.
- Third hymn
- Recessional as the couple walk back down the aisle
Details of the choices of services, prayers and a full draft of the ceremony can be found on the Church of England website at www.cofe.anglican.org/worship
Roman Catholic services
Around 10,000 weddings a year in the UK are conducted in the Roman Catholic faith and the format of the Catholic service is very similar to that of the Church of England, particularly the Anglican or ‘high church' ceremonies. The main difference facing couples in a Catholic marriage is whether or not to have a full mass. If they do choose a mass, it is usually conducted after the marriage and the registration, along with the prayers.
Photo Christopher Shield Studio
