We are delighted that you are exploring having your wedding ceremony in church. A wedding is the beginning of a life-long commitment and we are keen to help couples establish a firm foundation for their future relationship. We will help you plan your wedding ceremony in church so that it is a happy and memorable occasion that is blessed by God.
For enquiries, please contact the office through the contact us page.
You can read more about the Church in Wales’ understanding of Marriage by following the link below. Here you will find out about some of the legal requirements. Contact a member of our team to talk this through and we will do our best to help you.
Another link that may be useful is Your Church Wedding from the Church of England. There is a lot of useful advice and information and it is very similar to the advice given in the Church in Wales.
Music for your Wedding
The music you choose for your wedding helps to set the mood for the day but choosing it can be bewildering, particularly if your musical education ended some time ago!
THE MUSICIANS
Organists
The music in the Ministry Area is provided by professional musicians who are well qualified, so you can be confident and imaginative in your choices. James Bull, the Ministry Area Organist and Choirmaster, is a church musician with over 20 years’ experience of playing for weddings. James was Organ Scholar at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Cardiff, and holds various awards and diplomas in organ performance. If James is not available to play for your wedding another professional organist will be booked on your behalf – there is no change in the fee if this is the case.
The choir
The Parish Choir of All Saints Barry is made up of around 20 choristers who sing for Sunday morning services and at weddings. Depending on the date of your wedding, there may be fewer singers – most often this is the case if the date of your wedding is during the school holidays.
Other musicians
If you would like other players or professional singers booked, this can be arranged at an extra cost. The musicians can play at the entry of the bride and during the signing of the register – you might like to think about having a string quartet, harp, trumpet, flute, violin or a vocal soloist – a professional soprano, baritone or gospel singer. If you would like to discuss the options please contact James about this.
THE MUSIC
Choosing your music
There are four sections the service that you can choose the music for: the gathering, the arrival of the bride, the signing of the register and the recessional.
The Gathering
This is music that is played while guests arrive in the church before the service begins. The organist will play a selection while your guests assemble (you don’t need to list these in your order of service).
The Arrival of the Bride
This is music played for the bride’s arrival. You need to choose one piece of music, which is usually stately and regal. The organist will play for the amount of time it takes for you to move down the aisle to the front of the church, so you don’t need to worry about how long it is. The most popular pieces of music played during the processional are:
• Wedding March from Lohengrin (popularly known as Here Comes The Bride) by Wagner
• Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke
• Grand March from Aida by Verdi
• Trumpet Voluntary by Stanley
• Trumpet Tune by Henry Purcell
• Hornpipe from the Water Music by Handel
• Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel
The Signing of the Register
Usually this takes about about 8-10 minutes. During this time, the choir will sing an anthem or the organist will play a piece, which they will choose. If you have a particular request please discuss this with James well in advance.
Pieces that the choir often choose for weddings include:
• For the beauty of the earth by John Rutter
• Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd by Howard Goodall
• Jesu joy of man’s desiring by J.S. Bach
• The Lord Bless You And Keep You by John Rutter
Alternatively you may like to arrange to have a friend, relative or a professional musician sing or play your own choice of music. Please discuss this with James before you make any arrangements.
The Recessional
As you walk together down the aisle as husband and wife, the recessional music is played – triumphant, joyful and celebratory. Traditional recessional music includes:
• Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn
• Toccata from Symphony No 5 by Widor
• Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke
• The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba by G.F.Handel
• Hornpipe from the Water Music by Handel
• Grand March from Aida by Verdi
Hymns
It is traditional to choose three hymns to be sung during the service. The most important things to bear in mind when choosing hymns are:
– that the words are appropriate for a wedding (Fight the good fight, for example, doesn’t bode well for the future!)
– that you choose a tune that lots of people will know. If you particularly want some words that have an unfamiliar tune, it is possible to choose a different tune that fits the words.
Clicking on the link below will direct you to a website with hymn suggestions/ audio samples and lyrics to help you make suitable choices:
Barry Ministry Area 