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Presbyterian Church of Australia in N.S.W.
Guidelines for couples desiring to be married in
the
Hunter Baillie Memorial Presbyterian Church
We welcome you to our Church for this exciting and life changing
experience.
All marriages are celebrated by the Minister or another Minister appointed by him.
The correct title and address of the Church heads this file and should be
used for your invitations.
No booking will be taken until the Minister has interviewed the couple.
Legal Requirements
In order for your marriage to be celebrated, the
Notice of Intended Marriage must be completed and given to the officiating
minister at least a month and a day before your wedding. When submitting, for
those born in Australia, the Minister must also sight full Birth Certificates or
for those born overseas either an original birth certificate or a current Foreign
passport. Australian Passports are not acceptable. For those previously
married, the death certificate or divorce decree absolute must also be sighted
prior to the Wedding. For further details please contact the
Minister.
Pre-marriage interview/counselling
While not yet a legal requirement, couples are strongly encouraged to attend pre-marriage counselling with the minister who is authorised to take couples through the PREPARE/ENRICH Program for a fee of just $50.
Alternatively couples may choose to organise their own counselling through an accredited counselling service
Before the Wedding the bridal party will have the opportunity to
rehearse in the Church and this can be arranged with the Minister usually on the preceding Thursday
evening.
Photographs and Videos
Video recordings may be made with the available light; artificial
lighting of any kind will not be permitted. Photographers are to liaise with the Minister regarding the
position from which photos may be taken.
Signing of the documents
All the necessary documents will normally be signed in the Vestry or at
a side table. It is useful if a soloist etc. is able to entertain your
guests during the completion of the legal documents. Such people
should have the necessary musical skills.
If you do not know anyone and desire suitable musicians to be employed then
this can be arranged for an additional charge.
The normal fee is from $150 per musician.
Confetti
Please advise all your guests that the throwing of confetti
or rice is not permitted in the Church or its grounds.
The use of bubbles is suggested.
Rose petals and other similar items are not permitted within the church under any circumstances, but may be used outside providing they are swept up after the service.
Music
The music for your wedding may be chosen in consultation with the
Minister and the Organist and should be finalised well before the wedding.
You will need processional music for entering and leaving the Church.
Music will be played by the organist for about fifteen minutes before
the scheduled commencement of the service. The Hymn/s and music used in the Church for your wedding should be
sacred music (classical or modern). Current popular songs are best kept
for the reception!
The Church has sufficient copies of the Revised Church Hymnary,
or the new
4th Edition, however, other hymns may be requested but the music
must be provided to the Organist and the words will need to be printed
for your guests.
Order of Service
It is the
responsibility of those wanting to be married to have orders of services
printed. Suitable service folders can be purchased from Christian
Bookshops.
The Groom and his attendants should arrive at the Church at least fifteen minutes before the announced time of the service. The Vestry is available for them to wait for the arrival of the Bridal Party. The bride should be courteous and arrive as far as possible on time .
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Scripture Readings
In conjunction with the Minister, suitable passages from Scripture to be
read during the service can be selected. You may like a member of your
family, or friends to read such
readings during the service, or the Minister can read them .
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Length of service
The marriage service, including the signing of the Register, will normally take from 30 to 40 minutes. The couple should be able to leave the Church 60 minutes after the Bride arrives.
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Church Decorations
The Church can provide end-of-pew decorations.
PLEASE NOTE that if you wish to
provide your own 'end of pew' decoration, such must be attached with
ribbon or string loops only and under no circumstances may blue
tack, pins, glue or any sort of adhesive tape be used, as
this may cause damage to the church's heritage pews. Please ensure
that your flower provider is fully aware of this stipulation.
It is the responsibility of the
bridal couple to provide appropriate floral decorations for their
wedding. Normally, the flowers for such an occasion consist of two
large arrangements for the stands on either side of the Communion
Table. Suggested locations for smaller arrangements are the two
alcoves above the pulpit as well as for the tables at the beginning
of each aisle — six arrangements in all. The Church can supply, as required
and at no cost, attractive white silk flower arrangements for the
ends of pews. The church congregation would
appreciate your willingness to leave some, it not all, of your
wedding flowers in the Church to decorate it for the Sunday Worship
Service(s). Please let the Minister know if this is your wish.
The Marriage Service
This is the Order of Service, which may be printed with such additional information as is desired for your guests. (When requested please stand to welcome the Bridal party.)
-
The Bridal Procession
-
Call To Worship
-
Hymn (Optional — insert details of the Hymn)
Would the Congregation please stand for the singing of the Hymn
The Statement of Intent
Solo
Reading of the Scriptures (see below)
The Marriage - Declarations
Prayer
Giving of the Bride
The Marriage Vows
The Exchange of Rings
The Declaration of the Marriage
The Blessing
-
Words of Counsel and presentation of Bible
Prayer
Hymn
(Optional — insert details of the Hymn)
Would the Congregation please
stand for the singing of the Hymn
The Benediction
The Signing of the Official Documents
The Recessional
A selection of Bible readings for use in the marriage service.
If scripture passages are to be read by a family member or friend it is important that the reader should have a good, clear voice.
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Old Testament
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 Hosea 2:16-23
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New Testament
St Matthew 5:3-10, 19: 4-6 St Mark 10:6-9 St John 2:1-11 Romans 12:1-2, 9-13 1 Corinthians 13 Ephesians 3:14-21; 5: 1-2, 21-33 Colossians 3:12-17 1 Peter 3:1-12 1 John 3:18-24; 4:7-13 |
Any variation to these vows must first be approved by the officiating Minister.
Vows as Questions:
(Groom), do you take (Bride) to be your wedded wife,
and do you in the presence of God
and before this congregation promise and covenant to be to her a loving, faithful and dutiful husband as
long as you both shall live .......
I DO
(Bride) do you take (Groom) to be your wedded husband,
and do you in the
presence of God and before this congregation promise and covenant to be
to him a loving, faithful and dutiful wife as long as you both shall
live.
I DO
Vows as Statement:
I, (Groom) do hereby take you (Bride) to be my wedded wife .... and in the presence of God ... and before this congregation ... I promise and covenant to be to you .... a loving, faithful and dutiful husband .... as long as we both shall live.
I, (Bride). do hereby take you (Groom) to be my wedded husband, and in the presence of God and before this congregation I promise and covenant to be to you a loving, faithful and dutiful wife as long as we both shall live.
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Exchange of Rings
Mutual
exchanges of rings are now very popular. The rings can be engraved with the name of the
marriage partner
and the date of the wedding. Hence, the Groom will wear the ring with the Bride’s name
and Bride with the Groom’s name. You may like to choose one of the
following statements for such an exchange.
a) Repeat Version
With this ring, ........ I thee wed, 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 till death do us part . .......
b) Declaration Version:
(Name) as you place your ring on (name's) left ring finger
Do you promise to take (Groom/Bride) as your wedded (husband/wife)
To have and to hold, from this day forward,
I DO.
Please note variations of above are possible, please liaise with the minister.
Hymns for your Wedding ServiceThe Church has the following hymn books, Revised Church Hymnary.(1925) and the Church Hymnary Edition 4 (Canterbury, 2005) If hymns from another Hymn Book are desired then these must be approved by the Minister and Organist. The most commonly used hymns for weddings are as follows.
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Praise my soul, the King of Heaven.
Praise my soul, the King of Heaven;
Praise Him for His grace and favour Father-like He tends and spares us; Blows the wind and it is gone; But, while mortals rise and perish, God endures unchanging on; Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise Him! Praise the he eternal One.
Angels, help us to adore Him;
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Love Divine, all loves excelling
Love, Divine, all loves excelling, Come, almighty to deliver;
Finish then Thy new creation: |
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Psalm
23
The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want:
My soul He doth restore again;
Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
My table thou hast furnished
Goodness and mercy all my life |
O Perfect Love
0 perfect love, all human thought transcending, 0 perfect life, be Thou their full assurance Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow;
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Minister/Registration $ 225.00 Church $ 400.00 Organist $ 200.00 Total $ 825.00 Where couples only require the use of the building, ie not requiring either the parish (or another Presbyterian) minister or the organist, the Fees for the Use of the Church are $1,000.00. A deposit of $400 is required to confirm booking and is normally due with the lodgement of the Notice of Intention. Church officer (as required) $ 100.00 Please note the Church is not available for civil celebrant Weddings. Change of information Please notify the officiating minister immediately of any changes to the information given or any change in date or time. Check list Your marriage has been booked for Date……………………………….. at …………am/pm.
The
Minister will conduct all the pre-marriage
interviews. 1st Interview: Date……………………………. Time …………… am/pm. 2nd Interview: Date……………………………. Time …………… am/pm. 3rd Interview: Date……………………………. Time …………… am/pm. Beatitudes for a married couple
Blessed are the husband and wife who continue to be affectionate
considerate, loving through all the days of their life together
Minister:
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