LIFE EVENTS

Parents and godparents make the promises on the child's behalf and commit to helping them grow in faith in Jesus. It is a wonderful way to thank God for your child and to begin their journey of faith. 

Parents and godparents come together to a single preparation session of about an hour, looking at the meaning of baptism and the promises you will make, and you will be given a short handout to keep. Godparents should themselves be baptised, and chosen as people who will encourage your child in the Christian faith — we are happy to advise if you have questions about who to ask. 

We warmly welcome those who live within the parish and those who worship here with us. 

For those old enough to speak for themselves, who want to publicly profess their faith in Jesus and be baptised. If you have come to faith, or are exploring it and want to take this step, we would love to talk with you. 

Preparation is usually two relaxed sessions exploring what baptism is — God's action first, then our response — and what it means to follow Jesus. We also highly recommend the Alpha Course as part of the baptism journey, whether before or after you’ve been baptised. 

If you would like to give thanks to God for the gift of a child and seek his blessing, but are not yet ready to make the promises of baptism, a service of thanksgiving is a fitting alternative, and a first step towards baptism.  

If you were baptised earlier in life and now wish to reaffirm your faith publicly, we would be delighted to re-affirm your baptism as part of our Baptism Sunday Service.  

Preparation is a normal and valued part of baptism at St John's. It is not a test — it is time to understand what God is doing and what you are saying 'yes' to.

By law, a Church of England marriage takes place where a couple has a genuine connection to the parish. You can usually marry here if at least one of you lives within the parish, is on our church electoral roll, or has a qualifying connection — such as having been baptised or prepared for confirmation here, having lived in the parish or worshipped here regularly for six months at any time, or having a parent or grandparent with a connection of their own. 

If you are not sure whether you live within the parish, just ask and we will gladly help you check, or visit achurchnearyou.com. If none of these apply but you would still like to marry here, do still get in touch — there are sometimes other routes, and we are happy to talk it through. 

Our full guide also covers marriage after divorce, and the additional steps that apply if either of you is a national of a country outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland. We treat every situation with care and confidentiality. 

Every wedding is personal, but the shape of the service follows the Church of England's marriage service, and there is plenty of room to make it your own — hymns and songs chosen with the vicar, up to three readings, and music for your entrance, the signing of the register and your exit. 

The vicar guides you through every word and every movement, so you never have to remember what comes next. 

Marriage preparation with the vicar is a normal and valued part of marrying at St John's. It is not a test — it is time set aside to invest in the relationship that the day is all about. 

It is also when we shape the service itself, choosing the words, music and readings that will make the day yours. 

Fees are set nationally and locally and are reviewed each year; the figures below are correct as of January 2026. You will receive an itemised invoice, and optional items are only charged if you choose them. 

Item 

Fee (2026) 

Wedding service in church 

£566 

Publication of banns of marriage 

£39 

Certificate of banns 

£20 

AV and sound system operator (optional) 

£75

Musician  / organist (optional) 

£150 

Verger (Optional)

£75 

A £100 deposit secures your booking once your date is confirmed, and the balance is due no later than 28 days before the wedding. All invoices are issued by email and paid by bank transfer; St John's does not accept cash or cheques. 

Banns are the traditional way a Church of England marriage is announced publicly and authorised. They are read aloud in the parish where each of you lives, as well as in the church where you are marrying, on three Sundays in the three months before the wedding. 

Speak first with the vicar of the church where you are marrying, who will let you know whether banns are needed. If you are not sure which parish you live in, achurchnearyou.com will tell you. 

1. Speak with the vicar of the church in which you are marrying. 

2. Check that you live within our parish at achurchnearyou.com. 

3. Download our banns of marriage application for which will ask you to fill in details like both your full names, your address and your wedding date.

4. Share your application form with us at info@sjuh.church.

5. We will confirm the three Sundays on which your banns will be read at our 11am service. 

6. After the third reading we will issue your banns certificate to take to the church where you are marrying. 

There is a fee of £39 for the publication of banns and £20 for the certificate. 

To arrange banns, email info@sjuh.church with your complete banns application form.