Frequently asked questions
How do we arrange our wedding at St Hilda's?
Once you have contacted St Hilda's either by phone or email the rector will arrange a meeting with you. you will be shown all the legal requirements, be given a copy of the service with information about what must be in your service (the Government has a registered copy of our services and weddings must comply) and what you can do to make the ceremony special for yourselves. Subjects like flowers, music, bows on pews, number of rings, groomsmen and bridesmaids are all discussed. You will be invited to undertake some marriage preparation with a professional body, usually Kinway, using a questionnaire called Prepare. Other meetings are set. We look at the church and where different parts of the ceremony take place within the building
What do we have to do legally to get married?
Wherever you get married in Australia you will need to fill out a Notice of Intention which gives details required by the Government Registrar and which appear on the certificates which you sign on your wedding day. This can be filled out about 12 months and not less than one month before your wedding day. You will also need to sign a Statutary Declaration which is on the back of one of the certificates saying that you are of marrigeable age (at least 18 years old) and you are not married to someone else. The priest will show you these at the first meeting
How many meetings will we need?
We usually find that after the initial meeting three other meetings allow us to cover everything well. Thefirst of these finalises the detailsof the wedding service and your requirements for flowers and music. At a second meeting, usually about a week before the wedding you are invited to come in and we spend about an hour looking at the meaning of each part of the service so that when you say the words on the day you say them with deep understanding. The last meeting is the rehearsal, often the evening before the wedding. We practice the processions in, the vows, moving to the altar to sign the register and the procession out. You also sign your Statutary Declarations.
What other preparation is there?
You will be invited to take part in some marriage education. This takes the form of either couples weekends or of a questionnaire in a series called Prepare which you fill out individually, the answers are compared and you are taken through them by a marriage educator/counsellor who will show you your strengths and where you might have to do some work. This is not done in the parish. We refer you to Kinway which is part of AngliCare. Kinway's webpage is http://www.anglicarewa.org.au/relationship-services-kinway/default.aspx and their phone number is 08 9263 2050.
Who can officiate at the ceremony?
Any Anglican priest who is an Authorised Minister of Religion may officiate. While the rector normally officiates, if you have someone else in mind, we are happy for other Anglican priests in good standing to officiate. If your minister is not Anglican they may not officiate but may take a significant part in the service (e.g. read from scripture, give the sermon or address, pray and give the final blessing)
What about flowers?
We are happy to provide flowers, this is included in the costs, however if you want a lot of flowers other arrangements may need to be made. In Lent (approximately the seven weeks before Easter) we have no flowers in the church.
Is there any Saturday or Sunday we can't get married?
We do not do weddings on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. It is a particularly solemn time for us and also a time when we prepare the church for Easter.
What about music?
There are many options - we have a pipe organ and an organist, an electric piano, and a CD player linked to a good system. If you wish to bring in other musicians e.g. trios or soloists this can be discussed and is usually easily arranged
How much will this all cost?
We have a fee of $600 which covers flowers, costs of cleaning the church, the minister's fee and a donation to the church. The organist is extra - $100. If you don't want flowers we reduce the fee by $100.
