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Chester Festival of Romance 2005

Largest Wedding Blessing Service in the UK? Re-Kindle Your Love for one another

As part of the Festival of Romance, and on the Eve of Valentine’s Day (Sunday 13th February) Chester Cathedral is inviting couples to renew their wedding vows in a very special “Love and Rededication’ ceremony.

After a week of romantic events throughout the City and just before the big day itself, this will be the perfect opportunity for Chester couples to do what celebrities like Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne have done, celebrating 20 years of marriage recently.

There can be no finer venue for such an act of rededication than Chester’s historic Cathedral in the heart of the city. The simple service, which will be conducted by Canon John Roff, will begin at 3.30pm accompanied by the wonderful singing of the cathedral singers. All the hymns and anthems used in this ecumenical service will centre around the theme of love and dedication to loved ones. During the service each couple will be invited to rededicate their love to each other.

Canon John Roff: “This is a wonderful opportunity for all couples to reaffirm their love for each other. Pre-registration is advised, but the wonderful thing about this is that couples can decide to partake on the spur of the moment too. You can’t get much more romantic than that!”

According to figures from the Chester Register Office, Chester is becoming an even more romantic City. From the figures, gathered in 1996 and 2004, there has been an increase over the years in couples choosing to get married in their own way, instead of the more traditional church weddings. Overall, when comparing 1996 and 2004, there has been a staggering 437 more weddings in approved premises during 2004.

Jane Harrad-Roberts spokesperson for the Chester Festival of Romance; “I attended the service last year with my family and there were 90 or so who attended and about 35 couples, of all ages who took part with their children, family and friends. Many had dressed especially for the occasion but some had come more informally, obviously from shopping, a measure of the service’s appeal to all. As a married couple, we thought it was a great opportunity to pause and reflect on our relationship and everything we have achieved together. There is a tendency to get “bogged down’ in day to day activities and this was a very special event for us.

I know many couples in the US in particular are renewing their wedding vows in ceremonies which can get as fraught as those for a wedding. This was so simple, it didn’t cost anything and it was completely hassle-free.”

Any couples, their friends and family are welcome to attend, to express their commitment to one another. The ceremony will be made even more special by hearing the Cathedral singers and the first reading of the Chester Festival of Romance Poem for 2005. The service will begin at 3.30pm.

The Festival of Romance is being organised on behalf of Chester City Council with support from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Cheshire & Warrington Tourism Board. For more information contact Chester Cathedral on 01244 324756 or Canon Trevor Dennis on 01244 314404.

For more general information on the Festival, please call 01244 351609 or visit www.festivalofromance.com

 

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