Weddings
WEDDINGS: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
How do the legal changes in the new Marriage Measures affect my wedding?
You can see the main points covered in a section at the bottom of this page by clicking here.
Is it possible to marry in St Peter's Church, even though we don't live in the village, or have a family connection with Dumbleton?
​
Yes you may marry at St Peter's Church by establishing a connection with it by regularly attending services once a month for a period of six months.
​
When is the church open?
​
The church is normally opened every day at around 9 am and locked at dusk.
​
Who is the Vicar?
​
The Revd Julia Hook. See the home page for contact details
​
How do we go about booking a wedding at the church?
​
Please contact Tricia Steggles for a friendly chat on 01386 882049, or by email.
If you wish to go ahead with a firm booking the documents are completed at Tricia's home.
​
What will it cost? Do we have to pay a deposit or cancellation fee?
​
The Fees for 2024 are £567 for a spoken wedding ceremony (which includes: service £531, banns £36). There is no deposit payable, and no cancellation fee in that event. (NB: due to changes in marriage registration, it is the local Register Office, and not the church, that issues marriage certificates. See details of these changes at the bottom of this page by clicking here.)
​
Are there any extra costs?
​
Yes. Banns of your Wedding (a legal requirement) are published at St Peter's Church at three consecutive Sunday services (this cost is covered in the fee above). You also have to arrange for Banns to be published at your own home Church of England parish (or parishes), and a certificate, or certificates, has/have to be handed to the vicar here as evidence that this has been done. For 2024:
​
-
Local Publication of Banns £ 36
-
Local Banns Certificate £ 18
​
... also there may be some optional extra costs:
​
-
If you want the church to be heated for your wedding there is an optional charge of £30. (May be subject to change due to increasing energy costs).
-
If you want a video taken of your service there will be a fee of £109 for the organist. Permission has to be sought and obtained from the vicar, and the video must only be taken by the official videographer and not by any other person (e.g. by smart phone).
​
Can we have an Organist, Church Choir or Bell Ringers?
Yes. 2024 fees are:
​
-
Organist £ 137.50
-
Choir £ 100
-
Bells £ 175
​
What time can we get married and is confetti allowed?
​
You may marry between the hours of 8 am and 6 pm. Yes we are happy for confetti to be thrown in the churchyard, but not in the church. No plastic or metallic-sheen items, or nylon petals please. The biodegradable kind please (flower petals, paper, rice).
When do we pay?
​
You will be invoiced five to four weeks before your wedding; payment by cheque or Electronic Funds Transfer to be cleared before the wedding takes place.
​
Can we pay in instalments?
​
Yes, this can be arranged.
​
Are photographs allowed inside the church?
​
Yes, during the service by your appointed photographer.
​
Is a video allowed?
​
Yes, but permission has to be sought and obtained from the vicar, and there is an extra fee of £109 for the organist. The video must only be taken by the official videographer and not by any other person (e.g. by smart phone).
Couples can find lots of helpful information at www.yourchurchwedding.org and there is a weddings page for the Gloucester Diocese here.
​
In some circumstances, couples may prefer a wedding blessing following a civil wedding at home or abroad. Please see here for more details.
​
How do the legal changes in the new Marriage Measures affect my wedding?
​
CHANGES BY HM GOVERNMENT TO MARRIAGE MEASURES IN ENGLAND AND WALES
HM Government has passed laws which have amended the way in which Marriages are recorded in England and Wales.
How will this affect us?
As from 4th May 2021 Marriage Registers are no longer maintained by churches, neither are vicars allowed to issue Marriage Certificates. Banns, however, still need to be published in church in the usual way where appropriate.
What will happen when we marry in church after 4 May 2021 when these regulations come into effect?
A “Marriage Document”* is produced by the vicar , which is signed by you both, by your witnesses, and by the vicar officiating. The number of witnesses can now be from two up to six individuals. The number of witnesses within this range is for you to decide. The Marriage Document is the only document to be completed for the registration of the marriage.
* Please note that if you would previously have needed a Superintendent Registrar Certificate to marry (https://www.yourchurchwedding.org/article/superintendent-registrar-certificates/) a Marriage Schedule would be signed instead. Otherwise what follows also applies reading Marriage Schedule for Marriage Document.
Who is responsible for getting the Marriage Document to the Registrar in Cheltenham?
The officiating Minister is responsible for getting this signed document to the Registrar in Cheltenham within 21 days.
What parental details are entered into the records?
Another major change is that you may each now opt to include details of up to four parents. These can be your fathers and mothers (birth parents), and also adoptive parents, and/or step parent/s. The order in which they appear in the Marriage Document is up to you. You will have to provide their full names and occupations. Please state whether they are retired or deceased, if either should be the case, and if so their most recent occupations.
How can we get a Marriage Certificate?
You should use:
This service is provided at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub (01452 425060). The registration of your marriage by the register office will be made by the seventh day after the Marriage Document is received at the register office. A certificate will be available after this time. The basic fee for a certificate is £11.
​
Will we receive any record of our marriage at St Peter's?
We will give you a Keepsake record of your marriage at St Peter's, but please note: this will not be a marriage certificate, it is a memento only and has no legal significance. We can also issue you with a letter, if you need this for whatever reason, confirming that your marriage did take place here at a certain date and time.
Will there need to be any amendment to the wording of our Order of Service?
Towards the end of your ORDER OF SERVICE, where previously Signing of the Registers is written, you will need to change this to Signing of the Marriage Document
​