Life Events: Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, Burials And Bell Ringers

Life Events: Baptisms, Weddings, Funerals, Burials And Bell Ringers

Due to their rural setting and beautiful surroundings, the churches of the Exe Valley are a popular for life events including: weddings, baptisms (also known as Christenings) and funerals. Here is a little information for you if you're arranging one and hoping to hold it at one of our churches:

Weddings

Congratulations! We’re so pleased for you if you have recently become engaged!

All couples who wish to get married in one of our churches are very welcome and we are delighted to be able to welcome your family and friends and help you have the most special wedding day. 

First of all, it is best to make an appointment to see the Rector, via the church office, to find out if you have the right to be married in one of our churches. When you go to that meeting it is helpful to bring with you your passport, driving licence and birth certificate. After that, if all is well, you can start making plans!

Not only do we want your wedding day to be one of the best days ever, we want you to have years of happy marriage together. To help prepare you for some of the things that lie ahead, you will receive an invitation to come to our Marriage Preparation day. This usually happens on a Saturday in February and is a relaxed day in which you and your partner can think about the things you think are important in your married life together.

There are set fees for a Church Wedding and additional fees for an organist, bell ringers, flowers etc. Please contact the church office for guidance.

Do also look at: www.yourchurchwedding.org

Update: The following risk assessment has been carried out to apply to all Weddings carried out in the Exe Valley. This is correct as of April 2021.

Risk Assessment for Weddings in the Exe Valley

Baptisms

We are delighted that you are thinking of having a baptism in one of our churches. You will be warmly welcomed in any of our nine beautiful churches!

People of all ages can be baptised and we welcome the opportunity of those of any age who wish to do so. If you are an adult then please contact the church office for more information.

Congratulations if you have recently experienced the wonder of welcoming a new child into the world. It is a very special time, and a time when we often want to say thank you to God for the gift of new life. We would love to join in with your celebrations as in baptism we become part of God’s family. Baptisms are held in the morning service. Please contact the church office so that we can get together and chat.

We don’t charge for baptism but any donation for the work of the churches in our Mission Community is very welcome.

Please download a leaflet telling you about the duties of parents and godparents, here: Baptism leaflet

Also have a look at www.soulfood.me to receive a daily text message explaining what a Christening and Baptism is all about.

Funerals & Graveyards

When someone you love dies it is always sad, confusing and difficult. Some of us may have experienced the loss of a loved one several times and for others is is completely unexpected and new. No one knows how they will react until it happens.

You don’t have to go to church regularly to have a church funeral. We are happy to take a funeral service in one of our churches or at the crematorium. Along with the funeral director we will try and take account of your wishes and be sensitive to your needs, so that you can mourn and also honour the life of the special person who has died. Having spoken to the funeral director they will contact the church office and we will arrange to meet with you to discuss arrangements.

All our churches have open graveyards, but the space is limited and there are regulations in place as to who may be buried in the graveyard. Each church has a graveyard policy. It is best not to assume that if you have a funeral in church you will automatically have the right to be buried in the graveyard.

For fees please discuss with the funeral director.

For pastoral support, both before and after the funeral, please contact the Exe Valley Mission Community Office on 01884 250417.

For regulations regarding graveyards please read the following .

Bell Ringers

Many of our churches have a ringing team. The standard charge for bells to be rung is £20 per rope and a £20 donation to church funds.

Please contact the individual churches for further details.