Churches, veterans and civic representatives will be marking Remembrance Sunday across St Albans and Harpenden this weekend.

Representatives of local groups will lay wreaths and observe two minutes’ silence at war memorials in the district.

A giant wreath of poppies was created for the St Albans Remembrance Sunday service and parade. The wreath, which was created by Herts Belles St Albans Women’s Institute, has been unveiled at the war memorial in St Peter’s Street.

The parade will begin at 10.37am from outside the former BHS store in St Albans, and proceed to the war memorial outside St Peter’s Church. The service will start at 10.50am, led by Reverend Mark Dearnley, the vicar of St Peter’s Church.

The service will be attended by representatives from the Royal British Legion, air, sea and army cadets, the Guiding and Scout movements and the police, as well as councillors and religious leaders.

Reverend Dearnley said: “In our continued pursuit of peace in our world today these acts of Remembrance are so important. Remembering those who have given their lives for freedom inspire us to value one another.”

Harpenden’s Remembrance Day service and parade will take place at the war memorial in Church Green. The parade will start at 10.30am from Rothamsted Park and will make its way down to the war memorial via the High Street.

The outdoor service will start at 10.45am with a silence at 11am. Afterwards, the parade will return to Rothamsted Park.

St Stephen Parish Council will mark Remembrance Day from 2.45pm. Harpenden Pipes and Drums Band will open the event by leading a parade from the railway bridge to the Parish War Memorial in Park Street. There will also be a Poppy Day collection at the start and finish of the service.

Parking in the vicinity is limited and there will be a road closure between Hawfield Gardens and Park Street Lane between 2.15pm and 4pm.

The parish council said: “The service has grown substantially in recent years and we will be using the whole of the road and footpaths to ensure that large numbers of people can safely see the parade and service.”

St Leonard’s Church in Sandridge will hold a memorial at the lych gate outside the church at 10.45am on Sunday, followed by an all-ages remembrance service in the church.

The annual act of remembrance will take place at Redbourn war memorial on the Common at 10.50am, followed by refreshments afterwards.