Baptisms, Weddings & Funerals

The birth of a child is the happiest of events in any family. The Baptism (or Christening) is a happy event too, shared by all of us in the wider family of the church.​It usually happens during the second part of our Sunday morning service, which always begins at 11am. When the Baptism part of the service begins there are some words of introduction, the parents are asked to confirm that they desire their child to become a member of the church. The parents are also asked to confirm that they themselves acknowledge the teachings of the Christian faith.​

The whole congregation is then invited to stand, and we confirm our faith as set out in the Apostles’ Creed (words at Hymn 628), then after a short prayer by the font the minister will baptise the child. After the baptism, a blessing is sung by the congregation. The parents then undertake to bring the child up in the Christian community and to teach the child by prayer and example the truths and duties of the Christian faith. The congregation then promise to welcome the child into the church and to share with them the knowledge and love of Christ.

A prayer is offered for the child and the family and then the service proceeds to its conclusion.​Every Sunday a Crèche is available in the church lounge, where babies and toddlers are looked after by authorised members of the congregation. Why not plan to make use of this excellent facility on future visits to Alyth Parish Church? And don’t forget our Primary Sunday School caters for children aged 3 to 8 years. You will automatically be invited to their Cradle Roll service in June, where you can see your child’s name on the Cradle Roll.

Weddings

Congratulations on your decision to get married. Whether you’re married in Alyth Parish Church or elsewhere, there are certain things you will need to know as you begin to make your plans and preparations for the big day. By law you are required to give a Notice of Marriage to your local Registrar between 3 months and 3 weeks before the date of your wedding. You might also be required to supply such documents as birth or death certificates, or divorce papers.

For Alyth the appropriate Registrar’s office is at 46 Leslie Street, Blairgowrie Tel: +0044 (0)1250 871 310. All being well the Registrar will issue a Marriage Schedule shortly before the wedding. It should be collected by the bride or groom and delivered to the minister as soon as possible. It is this document that will be signed on the day, and without it the marriage cannot go ahead. It’s as important as that! After the ceremony the Schedule must be returned to the Registrar within 3 days and a Marriage Certificate will be issued in due course.

The fee for this process is currently £100 (1stNovember 2024). Some couples like to arrange a rehearsal, usually a day or two before the wedding. This is a good opportunity to take along the Marriage Schedule, and the other fees required for a church wedding, which are minimum donations of £200 to the Church. There will also be a fee for the organist which will be agreed direct. Also, it is customary to leave at least some flowers in place for the following Sunday service. It is essential that a meeting takes place with the minister to discuss such details as the music to which you will enter and leave the church, and the hymns and readings to be incorporated into the service.

You might also like to be aware of the vows that are exchanged at a traditional Church of Scotland wedding:I, A... now take you, B..., to be my wife/husband. In the presence of God and before these witnesses I promise to be a loving, faithful and loyal husband/wife to you, so long as we both shall live. The minister will prompt you phrase by phrase - you don’t need to learn the words by heart! But think about them, for they sum up the deep commitment you will make to each other on your wedding day.

As time goes on you will need to make arrangements for flowers and photographs etc. The day you get married should be the most important day of your life, and the ceremony is more important than the reception! If you have any requests or questions - and soon you will have lists of them - don’t hesitate to get in touch with the minister. In the meantime, you would be warmly welcomed at a morning service in church any Sunday at 11am.