On the assumption that you are looking here because you intend to get married, many congratulations to you!
This page is intended to help you find out about having a wedding at West Malling or Offham in order to mark the occasion.
St Mary’s in West Malling and St Michael’s in Offham are both beautiful locations in which to hold your marriage ceremony and we’d be delighted to speak with you about arranging a service.
Did you know the rules have changed about where you can get married?
To recognise the changing nature of our society, the Church of England has introduced some new rules to enable couples to get married in churches that might be special to them.
The legalities
Getting married is a legal ceremony and, inevitably, there are a number of legalities that need to be sorted out if you wish to get married in church. We’ve created a page on this website to help you find out more but please do speak to the Vicar if you are unsure about any issue.
Can we get married in the church?
Unfortunately, there are many myths about who can and who cannot get married in church. You can get married in church whether or not you have been christened and whether or not you regularly go to church. We’ve created a page on this website to help you find out more.
When can we get married?
To be legal a church wedding must take place between 8am and 6pm. Actual dates are usually arranged in conjunction with the Vicar. Any day of the week is technically possible to hold a wedding, but Sundays are often difficult (but not impossible) because of regular church services. Please note that Christmas and Easter are particularly busy times of the year for our ministers and the wider church community. It is not always possible to accommodate requests for a wedding during these major Christian festivals.
What does it cost?
There are certain fees and costs that come with a church wedding, but some depend on how you want to customise the day to suit your needs. We’ve created a page on this website to help you find out more.
National website
The Church of England have provided a national website at yourchurchwedding.org with even more useful advice, answers to questions and stories of other couples. Definitely worth bookmarking if you are planning on getting married.