Wedding enquiries for Sturry, Westbere, Fordwich, Hersden and Broad Oak

Please contact the Rector or Methodist Minister

Weddings - answers to some common questions.

Which church can I get married in?
I've been married before - can I get remarried in church?
When can I look inside the church?
How much does a church wedding cost?
How do I make a booking?

Which church can I get married in?

The law of England and Wales allows you to get married in the parish church of the parish in which you or your fiancé(e) live -so if either of you live in Sturry, Broad Oak, Fordwich, Westbere or Hersden, then you may get married in either Sturry church or Westbere church.

If you live outside the parish but are on the church electoral roll (church membership list) of this parish, you also have a right to be married in either Sturry church or Westbere church.

Additionally, since the regulations changed in October 2008 (under the Church of England Marriage Measure 2008), you can also get married in a parish church where you have one or more of the following 'qualifying connections':

(a) you were baptised in the parish;

(b) you were confirmed in the parish;

(d) you have lived for at least six months in the parish, even if you have moved away now;

(e) your parent lived for at least six months in the parish during your lifetime;

(f) you have habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least six months, even if you are no longer doing so;

(g) your parent has habitually attended public worship in the parish for at least six months during your lifetime, even if they are no longer doing so.

So if any of these apply to you, you can get married in either Sturry or Westbere churches - but see the remarriage paragraph below.

Fordwich church has been redundant since 1996 and is no longer licensed for weddings.

I've been married before - can I get remarried in church?

If either you or your fiancé(e) have been divorced, you will need to speak to the Rector or Methodist minister before any booking can be made. Depending upon individual circumstances it may be possible to have a church wedding. If not, there is the option of a service of blessing.

When can I look inside the church?

Sturry church is open a lot during the week (see the regular service times). Other good times to visit the church include the Thursday coffee-morning (9:45-11:45am) or Friday cleaning (early afternoon).

Alternatively, see here for pictures of the inside of Sturry church.

Westbere church is open on most Sundays at 11am for a service.

How much does a church wedding cost?

(figures relate to weddings taking place in 2010; fees for weddings in 2011 will be fixed in November 2010).

Please note that fees always go up on January 1st each year, and the fees payable are always those current at the date of the service. You can pay by either cash or cheque; cheques should be made payable to SADAMC (short for Sturry and District Anglican Methodist Church).

The parish is a joint Anglican-Methodist partnership, and so your wedding may be taken by an Anglican or Methodist minister, depending on who is available for the date of the wedding. The majority of weddings are taken by the Anglican Rector, and for these the fees applied are as below. There are slight differences, for legal reasons, in the fees payable if your wedding is taken by the Methodist minister, and you will find details nearer the foot of the page.

The basic fee for a wedding is £616, which includes the service itself, the reading of banns, the marriage certificate, the minister, the verger, a contribution towards maintenance of the church building, use of the organ and the organist.

Optional extras include the following:

Optional Extras		Cost
	Bells	£140
	Heating (needed October-April)	£ 50
	Video/audio permission fee	£100

There are fresh flowers placed in the church most weekends, and so you have the use of those flowers at your wedding at no cost to you. If, however,you wish for additional flowers beyond the normal arrangements, or if you wish for particular colour-schemes, that can be arranged at cost price and would be paid direct to the church florist.

A deposit of £200 is required on booking the wedding, and the balance to be paid at the latest a month before the service.

In the event of a cancellation, £25 is charged to cover administration costs. Weddings cancelled less than three months before the wedding is due to take place, or after the balance of fees has been received, incur a £200 cancellation charge (in other words, the loss of the deposit) to take account of administrative and other work involved.

The basic fee for a service of blessing (Service of Prayer and Dedication after Civil Marriage) is £590 - i.e. slightly cheaper than for a wedding because you are not paying for banns to be read or for a marriage certificate. You can have the same optional extras as for a wedding, at the same prices.

The fee for having your banns read if you are getting married in another parish is £34. This includes the certificate which you give to the minister conducting your wedding.

If your wedding is to be taken by the Methodist minister, the legal preliminaries to the marriage are different. The banns system is not used, and so the fee for calling the banns (£22) is not charged, which means that your overall basic fee for the wedding is just £594. However, you will need to go to the Registry Office in order to give notice of your intention to marry, and they charge a fee. The other fees for the 'optional extras' are exactly as listed above.

How do I make a booking?

To book your wedding, please contact the Rector (01227 710320 or email rector@sturrychurch.org.uk).