So you have decided to get married: Many congratulations!
We welcome your interest in celebrating your special day at Christ Church, Brunswick.
Christ Church is an historic Anglican parish church. Built in the 1850’s it is one of the oldest in Melbourne, and with its attractive fountain courtyard garden, provides a beautiful setting for a wedding in this part of Melbourne. A ceremony in a church provides the opportunity for you to take your wedding vows in Church, thanking God for bringing you together and asking for his help, protection and blessing on your life together.
The parish hall has recently been restored and may be available as a venue for your reception. The toilets are certainly available on your wedding day. Last minute nerves and long journeys for guests make this a necessity!
The church is generally open during the day from around 7 a.m. until 6.30 p.m. You may want to pay a quiet visit as you make your decision.
If you decide to marry at Christ Church, we are committed to doing everything we can to help your special and sacred day be memorable and full of joy.
Here at Christ Church we love the thought of couples marrying in this lovely building, and can be assured that a great deal of care and love will be offered to you.
Normally the Vicar, Bishop Lindsay Urwin will officiate at the wedding.
If you wish to use another celebrant, the ‘Canon Law’ of the Church requires that he or she must be an Anglican priest, appropriately licensed and registered. Sometimes couples have a close family friend or relative who is ordained. If you have someone you know from another denomination who you’d like to participate in the ceremony, then we can try to facilitate this.
THE FIRST STEPS IN BOOKING YOUR WEDDING
You should contact Bishop Lindsay as soon as you decide on your date, to see if the church is available on that day. We appreciate that finding a venue for your reception is not always easy and that the date for your wedding might have been decided before you contact us. Please be aware that there are certain months of the year when it is advisable to book well in advance.
Bishop Lindsay’s phone numbers are (03) 9380 1064 or 0407097870. Phone is the best way to contact, or you can email him on lindsayurwin1@gmail.com.
Bishop Lindsay always likes to meet couples early on in the process to talk about Christian marriage. He will also hope that you will want to experience worship at Christ Church by attending the 10 a.m. service on Sunday. He will not demand that you to become habitual worshippers which must always be a person’s free choice, but it is important that you experience the purposes and beliefs of the community founded by the One whose blessing you will seek on your wedding day.
There will be legal forms for you to fill in when you meet with Bishop Lindsay, and you will need to bring with you an original copy of your birth certificate if you were born in Australia, or your passport if born overseas. If you have been married before, you will need to bring evidence of the dissolution of your marriage. Given that the ideal for Christian marriage is that it be life long, Bishop Lindsay will want to talk a little about the circumstances that surrounded the break up of any previous marriage but he will do this without improper prying. And at this meeting planning for the ceremony will also get underway.
SOME REQUIREMENTS FOR MARRIAGE AT AN ANGLICAN CHURCH:
- You do not have to be Anglican to be married at Christ Church. However you will be married according to the rites of the Anglican Church, and your celebrant will be an Anglican Priest.
- To be married in the Anglican Church there is an expectation that at least one of you has been baptized. This can be in any denomination, not just the Anglican Church.
- If a previous marriage has ended in divorce, you can be re-married in the Anglican Church once you have provided formal documentation regarding the ending of your previous marriage and had a discussion about the circumstances.
SO HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
You will probably find that the cost of of the church is a relatively small part of your overall budget even though it is the most important aspect of the day!
The fee for a wedding at Christ Church includes the pre-marriage counselling, use of the Church, the celebrant and music director’s fees, flowers in the church, pew bows on the day, the verger, and the preparation of all your documentation. (Some of these things are of course options)
The fee for getting married at Christ Church is currently $1,250 which includes all the above.
We can also produce the Order of Service if required.
A deposit of $300 is required to secure your booking ($150 of which is non-refundable). Final payment will be required 7 days prior to the service.
ABOUT THE CHURCH BUILDING
Seating Capacity: 140
There is a fine organ
A piano is also available
There is an audio and sound system that allows the playing of CDs