Christenings & Baptisms · Weddings · Bereavement Support
A note from Julia and Bob:
Whether you're welcoming a new baby, planning your wedding day, or facing the loss of someone you love, we'd be honoured to walk alongside you. As Rectors across all six of our churches — Merriott, Hinton St George, Dinnington, Lopen, Haselbury Plucknett and North Perrott — we offer exactly the same warm welcome and support wherever in the benefice you'd like to mark your moment. You don't need to be a regular churchgoer, or have a particular faith background, to ask us about any of the below. Just get in touch, and we'll take it from there together.
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Christenings & Baptisms
We'd love to welcome your child into our church family. A christening (or baptism) marks the start of a lifelong journey — for your child, for you as parents, and for godparents and family too. You don't need to have been christened yourself, or attend church regularly, to ask about this for your child.
To get started, simply get in touch with us — the Benefice Office can help you find a date that works across whichever of our six churches you'd like to use.
Before the day, we'll ask you to come along to a short, informal preparation session — usually under an hour — where we talk through what christening means, what happens on the day, and answer any questions you or your godparents might have. We know godparents don't always live locally, but we'd encourage them to join if they possibly can, since theirs is such an important role.
For more general information about christenings, the Church of England's website is a helpful place to start: churchofengland.org/life-events/christenings
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Weddings
Congratulations — and thank you for thinking of one of our churches for your wedding day. Whichever of our six churches catches your heart, we'd be delighted to help make your day special.
Your first step is simply to get in touch and let us know:
• Your names
• Your preferred wedding date
• Your address and a contact number or email
• Your marital status (e.g. never married, divorced, widowed)
• Your connection to the parish, if you don't live locally
We'll come back to you quickly to confirm whether your date is available. Before it can be locked in, there's some legal paperwork to complete in person — you'll need to bring original ID (passport or driving licence), a recent utility bill, and any documents relating to a change of name or marital status.
We also run an annual Wedding Preparation morning, which we'd love for you to come along to. It's a lovely, relaxed way to think about your wedding day and your marriage, meet our team, and get to know other couples marrying with us that year.
Wedding fees are set annually by the Church of England and published each January. Fees are due two weeks before the wedding.
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Bereavement Support
Losing someone you love is one of life's hardest moments, and we're here to support you through it, whatever your connection to church.
Arranging a funeral: Please get in touch with us directly — day or night, this isn't something that waits for office hours — and we'll talk you gently through the options for whichever of our six churches feels right.
Ongoing support: Grief doesn't end after the funeral, and neither does our care. If you're finding things hard — whether from bereavement, separation, redundancy, ill health, or any other loss — our bereavement support group offers a quiet, welcoming space to talk, with no pressure and no fee. Everyone is welcome, whatever your circumstances.
Remembering loved ones: Once a year, we hold a special service across the benefice to remember loved ones who have died. If you'd like a name added to that year's list, just let us know.
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Getting in Touch
For any of the above — christenings, baptisms, weddings, or bereavement support — please contact the Benefice Office:
Email: [email protected]
Tel: 01460 76406
Or speak to Revs Julia and Bob directly.
Email Julia: [email protected]
Email Bob: [email protected]
Whatever life brings you to us for, we're glad you're here
