MORE ABOUT GETTING MARRIED

PREPARATION

If you are not attending church regularly, getting married provides an opportunity to make a connection with the church community where you’ll be living and, God willing, raising a family one day. We will encourage you to attend church a few times in the lead up to your wedding.
 
We also run a marriage course (five weekly sessions on a Tuesday or Thursday evening) which will help you prepare for a life together in light of the Bible and the best human wisdom.
 
We hope all of this might draw you closer to Jesus and encourage you to make St Jude’s your church. Either way it will be useful to your relationship.
 
If you are attending another church regularly, you may wish to do marriage prep with your existing pastor. We are very happy to talk about this possibility.

THE CHURCH, GROUNDS AND PARISH ROOM

St Jude’s Church is large enough to have some grandeur and yet small enough to have some intimacy.  It is suitable for a small wedding, but it can seat up to 400 people if necessary.  (While some seats have an obstructed view, the church can comfortably seat 300 people with a good view of the wedding.)  You are sure to have many beautiful photos of the ceremony inside our photogenic church!

After the ceremony, wedding guests are welcome to mingle and chat in the spacious grounds, which also provide more opportunities for photography.

The Parish Room is a pleasant, light-filled room with a small commercial kitchen, which is available for hire for a gathering after the ceremony.  (See below for details.)

THE CEREMONY

Your wedding ceremony will follow the second order for marriage from An Australian Prayer Book.  As you plan your wedding together with the minister, you will have many opportunities to make the service your own, through choosing music and Bible readings that have special meanings for you.

Couples sometimes ask to write their own vows.  We discourage this.  It is difficult to improve on the poetic and powerful words of the Anglican wedding service, which have been in use for nearly 500 years.

Weddings are usually conducted by the rector, Andrew Schmidt.  While it is sometimes possible for another Anglican minister to officiate, ministers from other denominations will not be able to conduct weddings at St Jude’s.

Wedding Ceremonies are usually held on Saturdays.  Weekdays are possible but we do not hold weddings on Sundays.

CLICK HERE to view a more detailed outline of what happens at the wedding ceremony and the decisions you need to make regarding it.

FLOWERS AND PEW DECORATIONS

St Jude’s has a small team of flower arrangers who decorate the Church each week. In our displays we use a mixture of fresh and perpetual flowers and greenery in an attempt to keep the flowers interesting and seasonal.  We generally collect greenery from our own gardens, the graveyard and the neighbourhood. 

The regular church flower arrangements (which look beautiful) will be in place for your wedding. If you would like a more lavish display or have particular requirements, you are welcome to arrange your own flowers. 

If you would like to put ribbons on the pew ends then this can be done on the morning of the wedding or just before if there is more than one wedding.  All decorations are to be tied in place. No form of adhesive (eg blu-tac, tape or pins) are to be used in the church, as it damages the timberwork.  We also ask that no confetti be used.

MUSIC

The organ and the parish organist are an integral part of the services here, and add greatly to the nature of the wedding.  The organist is involved throughout the ceremony, in particular:

  • playing background music as guests arrive
  • during the bridal procession
  • accompanying hymns sung during the service
  • at the signing of the register
  • as the happy couple leave the church.

We will provide you with lists of suitable music (entry and exit pieces, and hymns) to choose from.  The organist can demonstrate these options for you at a Sunday morning appointment (typically after the 9.30 am service).  As well as the wedding “standards”, we will try to accommodate special requests as long as they are suitable to the church context.

The basic wedding fee includes the organist.

Bells (optional)

The bells of St Jude’s have rung out since 1865, announcing thousands of newly married couples and other services.

These “Randwick Bells” have been sung about by Paul Kelly and Jimmy Little. Eight new bells were made in England in 2000 to continue the ancient art of change ringing by a trained team of eight ringers on the ropes.

The bells are an optional choice to be rung at a weekend wedding (other times possible). They are rung before the bridal party arrives, and stop before the bride enters the church, as the organ music ushers in the bridal party. Bells are then rung as the couple leave the church to announce the marriage to the community.

Choir (optional)

The church choir is sometimes available to sing at weekend weddings. This helps with the singing of the hymns. The choir can then also sing whilst the register is being signed.  Early arrangement is essential.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photography and video (without video lights) are permitted during the service, as long as they are discreet, considering the service and the guests. Seats are reserved for photographers 5 rows back.  Photographers and video operators should speak with the verger before the wedding.

COSTS

Basic fee $1,870 (includes flowers, clergy, organist, verger, and church)

Optional bells    $495

Hire of Parish Room (2 hours) $440

We ask that you pay a deposit of $330 to secure your selected date.  An invoice for the balance will be issued to you 2 months before the wedding, to be paid 1 month later.

Payment can be made by cheque or funds transfer to:

St Jude’s Anglican Church Randwick
Westpac Randwick
BSB 032 056
A/c No. 11 1857

NEXT STEPS

If you would like to proceed with an application for marriage at St Jude’s, please fill out our marriage application form that you can find here. To give good time for preparation, please take this step at least six months before your wedding.

After this, we will be in touch to arrange your first appointment with the rector.

When you come to your first appointment, please bring:

  • Completed Notice of Intended Marriage form
  • Birth certificates and driver’s licenses or passports
  • If previously married, decree nisi

We look forward to helping make your special day a godly, fun and memorable celebration.