Weddings & Blessings

The decision to get married is a life-changing one and perhaps one of the biggest decisions you will make in life. A church wedding recognises the significance of what you are doing and adds both solemnity and joy to the occasion and it uniquely allows those gathered for the wedding to pray for you and invites God’s blessing on your new relationship.

If you are thinking of getting married in All Saints we would love to talk to you.

Can we get married in All Saints Church?

You are entitled to get married in this church if:

a) You live in the parish – please see the map of the parish boundaries to find out whether you live in the parish.
(Holbeach Parish Boundary Map)

b) You don’t live in the parish but you have worshipped with us on a regular basis for at least 6 months

c) If you have what is termed a Qualifying Connection which could be any of the following:

Either of you has lived in the parish for at least 6 months at any point in your life.
Either of you was baptised or confirmed in the parish.
Any of your parents or grandparents were married in All Saints.
Any of your parents lived in the parish after you were born or themselves worshiped in All Saints for a period of 6 months.
If none of these apply you can still be married in All Saints by Special Licence but this does make the wedding more expensive.

What if one or both of us are divorced?

All Saints welcomes applications for marriage from people who have been divorced. We recognise that people make mistakes and that divorce is nearly always a painful experience, but we believe we have a God of forgiveness who always gives us the opportunity to make a fresh start. The vicar will of course, need to be sure that you have properly worked through any previous relationships and that you are prepared to be honest and have resolved any outstanding issues which may jeopardise the new relationship.

How much will it cost?

In 2024, a straight-forward wedding with an organist for the music and with the bells rung both before and after the service will cost £877. If you also want the choir or a recording of the service, or if the church requires heating, then it will be more than this. If you only want a quiet wedding without bells, hymns and music, the cost is about £617.

How do we book a date?

Please telephone the Deanery Administrator – Caz Dennis on 01406 423460 or email EEDeanery@lincoln.anglican.org
Office hours Monday to Thursday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

We have between 6 and 12 weddings a year – so we have plenty of Saturdays free and can easily do 2 or 3 weddings on one day if necessary, so you do not have to book two years in advance unless you want to! We can, if necessary, organise a wedding in less than 2 months, or even more quickly if we do it by Common Licence. We can also do weddings on other days of the week if the church is not being used for anything else.

What happens next?

When you book a wedding, you will be invited to come to a booking interview at The Vicarage. This will last about 30 minutes. During this time the Vicar will enter onto her computer all the correct factual information about names and addresses and dates of birth etc. and she will require proof of your ID and your address – so please bring your driving licence or passport. If you have been divorced, then she will also need to see your decree absolute. This meeting will ensure that you are legally entitled to be married at All Saints and will give you some basic information and answer any questions you may have.

At the beginning of the year of your wedding – in late January or early February – you will be sent a leaflet confirming the date and time of the wedding, informing you of the total cost and giving you some further information. You will be asked for a deposit of £100 to confirm the booking and will be invited to a music evening so that you can begin to think about the music you would like for your wedding.

You will also be invited to contact the minister who will be taking your wedding to arrange two further, hour-long interviews in order for you to get to know them. At these meetings, you will be able to plan the service and choose readings and hymns and talk through what it means to have a Christian marriage.

In the week before the wedding – usually the evening before – you will also be invited to the church for a 30 minute walk through and rehearsal.

This means that you will have met the minister on at least 4 occasions before the wedding and by then you should know each other quite well which helps us make every wedding personal to the couple concerned.

Please follow the link to the Church of England website www.yourchurchwedding.org for further information and some real-life wedding stories.

Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to conduct the weddings of same-sex couples within the Church of England. However, we would be delighted to bless your relationship during a service using the newly authorised prayers for love and faith.