Congratulations! If you are looking at this page you have recently got engaged and are looking for a date to get married here in St Dunstan’s. We are so happy for you and look forward to celebrating your day with you; not just celebrating your marriage, but also celebrating your love for each other.
We very much look forward to marrying couples in St Dunstan’s. Each wedding day is a unique and particular day and we will work with you to make it a special day. Below is a testimonial from a couple who recently married here:
“We wanted to say a HUGE thank you to Fr Michael and St Dunstan’s for the most wonderful, unforgettable service. From the moment we first met Fr Michael we felt incredibly relaxed and at ease, and this was the case throughout the rehearsal and the whole of Saturday. We so enjoyed it and we hugely appreciate the support you gave us throughout the process. Saturday is a day we will never forget and the church service was a particularly special part.”
Are we allowed to marry in St Dunstan’s?:
To be married in St Dunstan’s the land’s law insists you must have a connection with the church. If you live within our parish then that is sufficient. If either of your parents currently live in the Village or you lived within the parish for at least six months, or were baptised here, or went to Mayfield or Five Ashes Church of England primary schools then that too is sufficient. If none of these apply please do not be down-hearted – there are other legally valid connections which we can explore with you – in which case please contact Fr Michael on 01435 873431.
What we can offer you for your wedding:
A basic service with yourselves, a smaller number of guests and our priest. This is a shorter service as it involves no music and no bells, but you do leave our church married.
A full service, with yourselves, your guests (we can seat up to 300) and our priest. Our organist will play your choice of music and up to three hymns; there will be a reading from the Bible talking about love (and an option of a second reading chosen by the bride and groom) and our bells will be rung as you leave the church announcing your wedding to the world. In addition, you might also like our Choir to lead the singing.
We are very fortunate that St Dunstan’s has a wonderful, very experienced Flower Guild – some of whom are qualified florists – who can work with you to provide bespoke floral arrangements for your wedding. We can share their contact details with you upon request.
If you wish to download our initial information leaflet, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
What do we do next?:
To arrange a wedding please contact our Parish Office (01435 873484). We will take a provisional booking of a date and time of your choosing (subject to any other weddings or events scheduled). [We will hold that date and time for you for the next four weeks.] If in those four weeks you would like to look inside the church you will be very warmly welcomed to do so (it is open every day from 9am to 4pm (winter) or 5pm (summer) and if you would like to meet our vicar, Fr Michael, we can arrange this with you.
We ask you to confirm your date and time with a £100 deposit within those four weeks, after which we will send you a booklet with more details about your wedding to help you prepare for your special service. We also ask you which service you would like and whether you would like the Choir to sing and St Dunstan’s Flower Guild to arrange your flowers.
Each year, in November, the Church of England sets the statutory legal costs to marry in church during the following year. When you contact us we can only advise the current year’s fees but as soon as we know the fees for YOUR wedding we will write and tell you.
We will begin the formal preparation for your wedding three months before the actual date of your wedding (although, of course, you will have made many decisions yourselves by this time) and we will also set a date for your wedding rehearsal in the few days running up to your wedding.
At St Dunstan’s we are happy to marry couples where one, or both, of you have previously been married and have been divorced. Please let us know if this is the case when you contact the Parish Office as Fr Michael will need to have a confidential conversation with yourselves.
We look forward to welcoming you to St Dunstan’s.
Fr Michael Asquith