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Additional
Flowers at Weddings |
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You will be asked to send
a letter to your florist if they are providing additional items, such as pew
ends. St
Peter’s is a listed building, subject to both government and church rules and
the ONLY legal way in which anyone can do so much as stick a pin into our
building is by applying for a “faculty”.
This is not only a lot more expensive than a ball of string but also takes
about three months, compared to the few moments of thought required to get
most displays in position. We’ve not
been defeated yet by the challenge of getting a display into place without
banging nails into the woodwork but do get your florist to speak to us well
in advance of the wedding if you are having additional flowers. Our
flower ladies create some stunning displays so my personal advice is to come
along and see a wedding before you spend a vast amount on extra flowers. To be honest, pew ends – the most popular
adornment - may get in your way when you walk down the aisle and have a nasty
habit of going “thud, thud” on the floor during the service. The archway is nice and adds a spot of lightness
to the rather dark doorway. The
substance of the letter is similar to this.
Dear
Florist, Each
year we are privileged to conduct about 40 weddings at St Peter’s Church in
Bredhurst. Whilst the church normally
provides a full display of flowers, there are additional items that some
brides ask their florists to provide.
There is no limit to what can be attempted but St Peter’s is a listed
building and much of its structure is very old. So we cannot allow nails, screws, glues or similar fixings to
be used on the fabric or furniture of the church. Having made that point, I hope that the following notes will
assist you if you are asked to provide additional displays. 1. The standard flowers provided by the
church are altar flowers, vestry table posy, and a large display on the
chancel step. Recently, our flower
ladies have also placed flowers in the windows and on the font but we cannot
guarantee this in the future. Please
ask the bride to check if you need to know what we are doing. During Lent (40 days leading up to Easter)
we do not provide flowers but couples are very welcome to provide their own,
though we do ask them to remove the displays afterwards so I suggest you use
your own stands. 2. Potted tree balls are often used
outside the porch door. There is no
restriction on these but be aware that the path is very narrow. Pop up and have a look if you’re not sure. 3. An archway over the door is very
effective. They can be attached by
string (I suggest black or very dark green) as the angled boards are not
structural and have clearance all round, approximately half way up each
side. These boards are in a very
delicate condition and I must again emphasise that no fixings, not even pins,
may be used. Please bring your own
steps – ours are too rickety. 4. Pew Ends are the most popular floral
addition. A hundred and fifty years
of polishing have made the pews exceedingly slippery so the best fittings are
rigid wire clipped over the pew end.
The thin, black, florist’s tape also works but it tends to leave
marks. Pins, screws, nails, etc. are
strictly forbidden. The most
important thing to note is that the aisle is very narrow – if you are asked
for pew ends, check that the bride is not wearing a wide dress. I
hope you found this useful. If you
have any questions please do not hesitate to call us. Yours sincerely Graham
Lewis, Curate |
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