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If you have recently become engaged, congratulations! God has greatly blessed you by providing that special person with whom you will spend the rest of your life. Your wedding ceremony is the moment when you will solemnly promise before God, your friends and your family, to “stick together” all your life. This makes it worthy of a great celebration. Our church is a great place for that celebration to begin.
St Jude’s, with its beautiful sandstone building and famous bell tower, has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the best places to be married in Sydney. At St Jude’s you will make your vows in a Christian ceremony which is both solemn and joyful, using the timeless words of the Anglican wedding service. Flowers for the church and a professional organist are provided.
Many people have a strong affection for St Jude’s because of family connections stretching back generations. This is something we value, because a connection with our church can provide an avenue for you to connect with God. Wherever you may stand with God at the moment, our prayer is that your wedding at St Jude’s would bring you closer to God and his Son Jesus Christ.
No matter what your faith background, we would be happy to talk to you about a St Jude’s wedding. There is no requirement that you be Anglican, and there is no requirement for you to have been baptised into the Christian faith. We simply ask that you take part in our wedding preparation program. This consists of two components:
1. Church attendance
Please attend church with us at least three times. This will help you feel more a part of the church, and our community can join the anticipation of your happy day. Services are held at 8.00 am, 9.30 am and 4.00 pm on Sundays. (Please note that taking communion is not compulsory.)
2. St Jude’s marriage course
All wedding couples attend our marriage course. There are five sessions, running 7.30-9.00 pm on three successive Tuesday or Thursday nights. These are held in a very relaxed environment and the discussion is interesting. There may be anywhere from one to four couples in any given course. We will let you know when these are on.
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.)
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.
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.
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:
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 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.
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
If you would like to proceed with an application for marriage at St Jude’s, please send in your completed application (by email or post). 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:
We look forward to helping make your special day a godly, fun and memorable celebration.