Special Services at Abbey United Reformed Church
The decision to get married is one of the most important we can make, affecting the whole direction our lives will take. Here at the Abbey United Reformed Church we see the marriage service as celebrating and strengthening the couple's commitment to each other.
What's the first step?
Having decided that you want to get married at the church, your first step needs to be to contact the minister, Revd Terry Hinks by telephone on 01794 512163 or by email, to arrange an initial interview. This is very informal and normally takes place at the minister's home, an opportunity for you to ask questions and to see if getting married at the church is the right decision for you.
What's involved?
A wedding here is both a religious and a legal ceremony. The Minister is authorised to conduct marriages at the church, but couples are responsible for giving adequate notice to the Registry Offices in the areas where they both live. To be married at the church you need to be free to be married (either single or divorced) and one of you needs to live in the Romsey Marriage District (an area that covers approximately the Southern half of the Test Valley District).
The church provides preparation evenings to help you look at marriage and prepare for the wedding service. The minister will provide a leaflet to answer the practical questions surrounding arranging your wedding service, and meet with you to look at the details of the service.
What do we promise?
The church sees marriage as a partnership of equals and so the vows are exactly the same for husband and wife:
in accordance with God's holy will,
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 us do part. This is my faithful promise.
What's the cost of a wedding at the church?
At present the fees are £190 in total (with an additional £40 if the ceremony is videoed). The minister can provide more details of these fees.