Weddings

What does the church offer?

St Nicholas Church in Thanington offers an historic venue for a small church wedding. It can comfortably seat 70 people but can hold up to 100 people. We would be glad to be involved in your special day. If you are interested, please get in touch.

A minister will conduct your marriage service. A verger will makes sure the church is open and ready for use. The verger can also assist with welcoming guests, giving out orders of service and seating arrangements. There is also a flower-arranging group who can decorate the church with flowers if required.

The church has an organ, as well as facilities to play recorded music. There is also a bell-ringing group who can ring the church bells to add something special to your day. Although the church does not have its own choir, we can put you in touch with other local choirs who may be able to help.

Planning a church wedding

Provided the church is available, we can plan the church part of your wedding day in a few months. However, most couples prefer to plan a bit further ahead. Here’s what is involved, step by step:

Visit the church, meet the vicar and discuss possible wedding dates.
Complete an information form and ID check, so that we have all the information for a legal marriage document.
Meet with the vicar to plan the marriage service. Some aspects of the marriage service are set. Other aspects can be tailored to make it more personal to the couple – for example the choice of songs and music, readings and prayers, and decoration.
No earlier than 3 months before your wedding day, your Banns of Marriage must be read out in church on three Sundays.
A week or two before the wedding day, a walk through the wedding service in the church to help ensure your special day goes as smoothly as possible.
Finally, your wedding day, after which the church will return your marriage document to the registry office and they will provide your official marriage certificate.

For lots of helpful information about planning a Church of England wedding, visit the Your Church Wedding website.