Wedding Booklet - Greyfriars Tolbooth & Highland Kirk

GREYFRIARS TOLBOOTH& HIGHLAND KIRKWEDDING LEAFLET

MARRIAGES IN GREYFRIARS TOLBOOTH & HIGHLAND KIRK, EDINBURGHThe Minister and the Kirk Session are happy to make the services and the facilities of thisKirk available to any couple who sincerely wish a Christian service rather than a civilceremony. We hope these notes will be helpful to couples who are planning theirwedding.If you are asking one of the Chaplains from the University or George Heriot’s School toconduct your service, please contact the Chaplain direct.If you are asking the Parish Minister, an initial meeting can be arranged by telephoning thechurch office – 0131 225 1900 – to make an appointment.DO WE NEED TO BE CHURCH MEMBERS TO BE MARRIED IN CHURCH?No. Membership is not a condition of marriage.IS IT POSSIBLE FOR DIVORCEES TO BE MARRIED IN CHURCH?Yes. In the Church of Scotland those who have been married and divorced can beremarried at the discretion of the Minister. You will find that the Minister or Chaplain willnot make your situation into a problem, but you must inform him or her of the situationwhen you first discuss the wedding.IS IT WRONG TO BE MARRIED IN CHURCH IF WE DO NOT BELONG TO IT?Only if you are making use of the Church as a picturesque setting.If you have enough faith to see your marriage as a God-given relationship andacknowledge the guiding role that God should have in your marriage, it is sensible andright that there should be a religious dimension to the wedding. Many couples opt for aRegistry Office ceremony because of a mistaken belief that it would be hypocritical to askfor a Church wedding.If you are in doubt, the Minister or one of the Chaplains will be happy to discuss this withyou.WHAT ABOUT COUPLES WHO ARE ALREADY LIVING TOGETHER?The Church has always been in favour of lifelong commitment in a formal marriagerelationship. If you have been living together and have reached the point of wanting toconvert your relationship into marriage, you will find that this is the point from which theMinister starts.IS THE CHURCH SUITABLE ONLY FOR BIG WEDDINGS?It makes no difference whether there are five people present or five hundred. Theminimum is a bride, a bridegroom, a Minister and two witnesses. For small groups, chairscan be arranged in a semi-circle round the chancel steps.2

WHAT DOES IT COST TO BE MARRIED IN CHURCH?The basic charge for the use of the church for weddings (including a rehearsal and theattendance of the Beadle) is £300 for members of the congregation and regular attendersand their immediate families, and £600 for all others. A deposit of £100 is to be made onbooking, the balance being due 4 weeks before the wedding service. The deposit will berefundable on cancellations intimated not later than three months before the ceremony. Ifthe service’s of the church organist is required the cost will be an additional £125.You will probably also want to have flowers in church.The Flower Convener will be able to help you with this and advise you as to costs. Contactdetails in the following pages.Couples often wish to have printed orders of service. If you are planning to do this,always consult the Minister first.HOW DO WE ARRANGE A WEDDING?Telephone or e-mail enquiries about available dates do not constitute a booking, whichcan only be made after consultation with the Minister or Chaplain involved. Always checkbefore making any firm booking for the reception. Remember that dates for weddings areoften fixed more than a year in advance. The church is sometimes used for more thanone wedding on the same day, as well as for many musical events, so have an idea oftimes as well as dates. As a rough guide, allow at least two hours between the start of theservice and the start of the reception. The service will probably last around half an hour,the photographs may take longer!It is the responsibility of the wedding couple to contact the church organist and the flowerconvener as soon as the wedding date has been confirmed by the Kirk office. For namesand addresses, see the back page of this booklet.THE MARRIAGE SCHEDULEIt is the responsibility of the wedding couple to obtain a fully valid marriage schedule fromthe Registration Authorities and present it to the Minister at the rehearsal in the church.The main Registrars’ office is at 59-63 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1RN (Tel: 0131529 2600).DO WE HAVE A REHEARSAL?The rehearsal is normally held on the evening of the day immediately before the weddingto explain what happens (other arrangements can be made if this is not suitable). It isuseful if the best man, the bridesmaids and the person escorting the bride to church canbe there as well.WHAT ARE THE WEDDING VOWS?I, name, take you, name, to be my wedded husband/wife, and in the presence of God andbefore this congregation, I promise and covenant to be a loving, faithful and dutifulhusband/wife to you for as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow.3

ARE VIDEOS AND PHOTOGRAPHS ALLOWED IN CHURCH?Not during the service. Photographers are welcome to take pictures of the signing of theSchedule, and of the wedding party coming down the aisle after the service.WHAT ABOUT CONFETTI?The Kirkyard does not belong to Greyfriars and is in the care of The City of EdinburghCouncil. Confetti should not be thrown within the church - and only bio-degradable confetti,such as rose petals, should be used outside.FINALLYWe hope this wedding leaflet will help you in planning your wedding at Greyfriars Kirk, soyou can look back on it always with joy. We look forward to welcoming you and yourwedding party to Greyfriars and wish you every happiness in your future life together.On behalf of the Kirk SessionRevd. Dr. Richard E FrazerWedding September 2010 Photos Sandy Young/ www.scottishphotographer.com4

WEDDING MUSIC IN GREYFRIARSHere we try to answer some of the usual questions which wedding parties haveconcerning the music.While music is not essential to the wedding service, many people want music at theservice to enter and leave by and also to enable their friends gathered for the service tojoin in it by singing one or two hymns.The choice of music is up to you, as long as it is suitable for organ and befits the dignity ofthe service. You should consider organ music for the following parts of the service:ENTRY OF THE BRIDE This music serves to announce the arrival of the bride, ideally sothat the congregation will instinctively rise to their feet. The music also accompanies thebridal procession up the church. So a bright piece of march-like character is best,contrasting with the quieter music that the organist will have been playing before the startof the service. Processional music also has to be suitable for cutting and tailoring, so thatthe organist can play for the appropriate duration to allow the members of the bridal partyto reach their places. Only a short pieces is required, or a longer piece out of which ashorter self-contained section can be extracted.DURING THE SIGNING OF THE REGISTER This music serves to entertain thecongregation while the bride, groom, and close family members move off to sign theregister. There is about a five minute wait here before the bride and groom re-emerge. Aquieter piece is a good idea here, because a substantial and louder piece could make theWedding March an anticlimax. However, a wide choice of music exists for use at thispoint.THE WEDDING MARCH This music immediately follows the signing of the register. It is aprocession too, to begin with at least, as it accompanies the bride, groom and familymembers as they move out of the church. The organist can then continue to play as therest of the congregation get up and leave the church. An uplifting and celebratory piece ismost appropriate.Your actual choice of music should be discussed with the Organist, who is happy to meetwith you beforehand; then the enclosed sheet should be completed six weeks before theWedding Day. If you are having printed Orders of Service, they should include the titles ofthe music and the composers’ name. The following list suggests some suitable andpopular pieces:ENTRY OF THE BRIDEThe Prince of Denmark’s MarchTrumpet TuneTrumpet VoluntaryPrélude (arranged, from the Te Deum)Bridal Chorus (arranged, from “Lohengrin”)Jeremiah ClarkeHenry PurcellJohn StanleyMarc-Antoine CharpentierRichard WagnerNote: All the above pieces, except the Wagner, could be suitable music for the WeddingMarch.5

DURING THE SIGNING OF THE REGISTERA piece, or group of pieces, lasting usually from five to eight minutes, is required at thispoint. A wide choice of music suitable for the occasion is available, provided it is organmusic or at least something existing in a suitable arrangement for organ. Please consultthe organist who is playing for your wedding to make sure he knows and can play anyparticular music that you have in mind, or to ask for suggestions. If you do not have anyparticular piece of music in mind, you can suggest particular types of music or perhapscomposers whose music you like, so that the organist can make a choice within that rangeif possible. A couple of examples of suitable and well-known pieces are:-“Jesu, joy of man’s desiring”Prelude on the Welsh Hymn Tune “Rhosymedre”WEDDING MARCH (EXIT)Wedding March(arranged, from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”)Toccata (from Symphony No. 5)Hornpipe (arranged, from the “Water Music”)“Nun danket alle Gott”ToccataJ. S. BachRalph Vaughan WilliamsFelix MendelssohnCharles-Marie WidorG F HandelSigfrid Karg-ElertThéodore DuboisHYMNSYour choice of one or two hymns should be discussed with the Minister. Unless yourfriends attending the service are good singers, you should avoid choosing hymns withlittle-known tunes, or very long hymns. Indeed, if your friends are not likely to sing muchat all, you need not have any hymns. You should also discuss with the Minister whetherto have a Sung Blessing – ‘The Lord bless you and keep you’. It is better said than sung ifyour friends do not know it. If you are producing an Order of Service, always consult theMinister first.The Organist must also know the hymns that you are selecting so that the correct tunescan be chosen. Some hymns (particularly wedding hymns as it happens) have a numberof alternative tunes that could be used, and we would like to take care to pick the right oneif there is a choice.SUGGESTED HYMNSYou might wish to consider choosing from the following list of suggested hymns for yourwedding service.Psalms5 O Lord, Our Lord, Throughout the Earth14 The Lord’s My Shepherd54 Lord, You Have Always Been Our Home63 All People that on Earth do Dwell6

81 I to the Hills106 Bring to the Herd a Glad New SongHymns110 Glory be to God the Father111 Holy, Holy, Holy113 God the Father of Creation124 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation130 Ye Servants of God160 Praise, My Soul167 Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah181 For the Beauty of the Earth189 Be still for the Presence of the Lord193 God is Love212 Morning Has Broken336 Christ is our Light448 Shine Jesus Shine465 Be Thou My Vision468 Sun of God, Eternal Saviour500 Lord of Creation510 Jesus Calls Us519 Love Divine, All Loves Excelling528 Make me a Channel of Your Peace543 Christ be Our Light577 Christ be Beside Me600 Skye Boat Song – Spirit of God622 We Sing a Love696 We Come Dear Lord to Celebrate698 The Grace of Life is Theirs700 As Man and Woman We Were Made722 Spirit of GodIf you wish to ask another organist that you particularly know to play at your wedding, theorganist’s permission must be obtained first, and the usual fee (£125) is still payable. Theperson you have in mind must be a suitable qualified and experienced organist. Please fillin the form regarding choice of wedding music, and make sure it is returned in good time.7

Please avoid embarrassment on your wedding day by making sure that the appropriatefees have been paid in advance.The least expensive arrangement is to have the flowers put in church by the ladies whoknow the building well and look after its flowers week by week. There is no charge for thisother than the cost of the flowers, but we ask that flowers for weekend weddings should beleft in church at least until Monday. If you wish to have someone else arrange flowers, orto engage a florist, Mary Macpherson will explain things to them; but in all cases pleasemake contact with her in good time – at least six weeks in advance.CHOIR The Greyfriars Kirk Choir occasionally sings at weddings, but is not automaticallyavailable as a matter of course. If you would like to have the Choir, please ask theOrganist in good time, at least two months before the wedding. Alternatively, we may beable to provide a solo singer (from the Choir). The Choir or soloist would normally singsome music during the Signing of the Register, instead of just organ music at that point.The Choir also helps to lead the hymn singing. There is an additional fee for the Choir –)approximately £250). Please consult the Organist.SOLOISTS If you wish to bring your own vocal or instrumental soloist(s), this is quiteacceptable, but you should discuss it with the Organist first. If this involves the Organist inmore than one rehearsal with the soloist, an additional fee of approximately £25 is eligible.For visiting singers or instrumentalists requiring organ accompaniment, a suitablearrangement to rehearse the music must be made with the organist.ORGANIST The Organist is happy to see Wedding parties by appointment. After themorning service on a Sunday is not a good time. Please telephone or write for anappointment. The Organist does not usually attend any rehearsals in the church. If he isspecifically requested to attend, an extra fee will be charged.Note, it is illegal to make a sound or video (sound and picture) recording of your weddingservice without the permission of the Organist and the Kirk authorities. If you wish to makeany sort of recording, permission is normally granted as long as it is not intrusive to theservice, but an additional fee will be payable.PLEASE NOTE: NO BOOKING CAN BE REGARDED AS FINAL UNTIL A FORMHAS BEEN COMPLETED BY THE MINISTER (OR IN THE CASE OF WEDDINGSBEING CONDUCTED BY OTHER MINISTERS, A FORM HAS BEEN RECEIVED)AND A DEPOSIT OF £100 HAS BEEN PAID. CONFIRMATION WILL BE SENT BYTHE ADMINISTRATOR, GREYFRIARS KIRK, GREYFRIARS PLACE, EDINBURGHEH1 2QQ.ANY CANCELLATION MUST BE NOTIFIED TO THE CHURCH IN WRITING.8

WEDDING RECEPTIONWe are often asked about suitable venues for wedding receptions and St Columba’s bythe Castle is worth contacting.St. Columba’s by the Castle14 Johnston Terrace Edinburgh EH1 2PWTHE HALLAn ideal Hall for wedding receptions andceilidhs, with access to the church garden,and is within easy walking distance ofGreyfriars.It has a capacity of 200 people (120 seated).and has disabled access.GARDENLandscaped, seating, south facing, with afine view of the Grassmarket rooftops, pavedarea suitable for small marquee.For more information please visithttp://stcolumbasbythecastle.org.ukOr call 0131 622 2277 (Mon-Thurs 2-4pm for more information)9

CONTACT DETAILSMinisterRevd Richard E FrazerGreyfriars Tolbooth & Highland KirkGreyfriars Place,Edinburgh EH1 2QQ0131 225 1900minister@greyfriarskirk.comUniversity ChaplainRevd Harriet Harris, Chaplaincy Centre1 Bristo Square,Edinburgh EH8 9AL0131 650 2595AdministratorGreyfriars Tolbooth & Highland KirkGreyfriars Place,Edinburgh EH1 2QQ0131 225 1900administrator@greyfriarskirk.comOrganistMr Henry Wallacehenry.wallace479@btinternet.comAssistant OrganistMr John Youngsheila_john@young.abel.co.ukFlower ConvenerMary Macphersonmarymacpherson201@msn.com10

NOTESArrangements by the Greyfriars Flower Team11

Greyfriars Place, Edinburgh, EH1 2QQwww.greyfriarskirk.comGreyfriars Tolbooth and Highland Kirk is a registered charity:Greyfriars Tolbooth and Highland Kirk, Edinburgh, Church of Scotland:SCO0376112