Planning your wedding in

The Abbey Church of the Blessed Virgin and Holy Child, Beaulieu

Now your wedding date is set, you will find these guidance notes helpful as you plan your service.

Interviews with the priest conducting your wedding:

You will meet with Father John or the priest conducting your service, twice, the first time after your marriage booking is confirmed, and again in the weeks leading up to your wedding.

Please make contact with Father John to arrange a date. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Orders of Service

These you will prepare with the help of your priest and the guidance notes enclosed.

Please do not send your Orders of Service to the printers until they have been discussed and approved by your priest. Bring your Orders of Service to your wedding rehearsal (usually the evening before your wedding) to give Fr John (and the choir if you are having one) a chance to see them before the wedding service.

Music

Please discuss all music for your wedding with the Church Organist, Andrew Elliott, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Choir

If you wish for the choir to sing at your wedding please contact the Director of Music, Philip Baxter, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

If you decide you would like the choir, please make 16 copies of the Order of Service available for them. Just the inside is all they need, not necessarily the cover as well.

Flowers

All flower arrangements must be discussed with Jo Cooke-Hurle.

Tel: 01590 612288 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . After discussion please complete and return the Flower form.

Video

If you are arranging for your wedding to be videoed, please discuss with your priest and be aware the organist’s fee is doubled (RSCM approved rate)

Photos in the Cloisters

If you are NOT using the Domus for your reception but you would like to go into the cloisters for photographs after the service, this has to be done by private arrangement with Beaulieu Enterprises You should send an email to both This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. AND This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

They will then check the availability and get back to you. Please do not send this e mail more than two months before the date of your wedding.

Confetti

Within the churchyard we allow you to throw ONLY biodegradable confetti or flower petals.

If you are leaving the church to go into the cloisters, the Beaulieu Estate has a ‘NO CONFETTI policy’

Wedding Q&A

Throughout 2020/2021 we will have Wedding Q&A Sessions in the Abbey Church straight after the 9.30am Sunday Service when you will be able to find answers to all your questions. These are an opportunity for you to meet Father John, the Organist, the Music Director and the Flower Team Leader. You will be contacted when the next event is due.

Photography and Videography at your Wedding within Beaulieu Abbey Church

We hope these comments will prove helpful in the smooth planning of your special day.

No flash photography during the service.

During the service, photographers/videographers may stand at the back of the aisle, in the gallery and on the steps up to the pulpit. (They must wear flat shoes if using the pulpit steps.)

The pulpit may NOT be used.

We do not allow photographers/videographers either at the front of the church or in the chancel during the service.

Once the service has begun, photographers/videographers should not walk around the church taking pictures of the congregation or the wedding couple.

It is illegal to take pictures of the actual signing of the register, photographers/videographers will be invited into the chancel to take posed shots when the signing is completed.

If there is to be a video recording, fees for the organist will be doubled, in accordance with RSCM recommendations. If musicians, other than the Abbey Choir, are performing, their fees are the responsibility of the couple and may also be increased.