Service of Reaffirmation of Wedding Vows at 4pm on Friday April 29th

Couples at a Chiswick church will celebrate more than 600 years of marriage when they reaffirm their wedding vows at a service on Friday afternoon.

St Michael & All Angels, Bedford Park, is inviting married couples to a Service of Reaffirmation of Wedding Vows, following the wedding of Prince William and Miss Kate Middleton. All are welcome to attend, including family and friends. There will be a display of wedding photographs and a drinks reception afterwards.

At least 30 couples from the church will reaffirm their vows, between them celebrating more than 600 years of marriage. Ten of the couples have been married for over 30 years, including four whose weddings were more than 45 years ago. Others are comparative newly-weds, having married in the past ten years or so.

These include the vicar of St Michael & All Angels, Father Kevin Morris and his wife Miriam, who were married in the church in the year 2000. Father Kevin said: “We hope that many couples will wish to come and celebrate their marriage and reaffirm their loving commitment to each other, whether they are recently married or are approaching their golden jubilee!”

The service is for all those in a married relationship, whether married at St Michael’s, at another church or in a civil ceremony. The service will include some of the best loved wedding readings, hymns and music, such as Jerusalem, Love Divine, and Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.

The 30-minute service will be held at 4pm on Friday April 29th 2011. Afterwards there will be a drinks reception in St Michael's Parish Hall. Tim Rider, the landlord of the Tabard pub, opposite the church, has invited people to continue the celebrations there.

Father Kevin and Tim Rider were interviewed on BBC London this week. You can hear the interviews here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00g5wzg (at 1hr 38 mins in, and 2hrs 06 mins in).

Those who would like to attend the service are welcome simply to turn up, though it would be helpful for catering if they could RSVP to The Parish Office on 020 8994 1380. They’re invited to give the date they were married - and also bring a photograph of their wedding to add to the church’s display.

St Michael & All Angels is in Bath Road, Chiswick, London W4, two minutes' walk from Turnham Green tube station. Bedford Park was the world’s first garden suburb and its Arts & Crafts houses and church are listed buildings.

For more information about St Michael & All Angels, Bedford Park, see our website: www.smaaa.org.uk

May 15, 2011