Amazing Grace named favourite wedding hymn

Amazing Grace is the hymn most frequently chosen by the 400 couples planning their wedding each month through the Church of England’s new online ceremony planner.

More than 1,300 couples have registered to use the new ‘listen and choose’ service, which gives couples the choice of 25 hymns for weddings and 12 readings from the Bible.

John Newton’s Amazing Grace is the most popular choice for a wedding hymn, closely followed by Make Me a Channel of Your Peace and All Things Bright and Beautiful.

The most popular Bible reading is wedding favourite 1 Corinthians 13, which ends with verse 13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Readings from Song of Solomon take second and third place.

The wedding planner was launched last October to coincide with the introduction a new Church law making it possible for more people to wed in the church of their choice.

The Rev Peter Moger, the Church of England’s Worship Development adviser, is part of the creative team behind the planner.

"The tradition of the church wedding is alive and well, and recent changes will make it possible for even more couples to marry in church,” he said.

“The Church of England Marriage Service is a powerful mixture of words, actions and music which speaks deeply and beautifully of God’s love and human commitment.

“The ceremony planner is a wonderful resource which helps couples discover these riches and make choices as they plan a service which is personal to them."

On the web: www.yourchurchwedding.org