What We Do

Weddings

If you are thinking of being married in church and particularly at St Margaret’s, please first look at the Church of England’s guidance (Your Church Wedding) which outlines the necessary criteria for being married in a parish church. You have a right to be married in the church of the parish in which you live, where you regularly worship or where you are a member of the Electoral Roll; if you would like to be married in a different church, you will need to show that you have some link with the community there. All the details are on the website.nt that the marriage is taking place [ie ‘the Calling of Banns’]. As well as to agree the musical content of the service and any readings you may wish to be included. To put together the Order of Service.

If you feel that you are able to provide evidence of a connection with St Margaret’s Church, please be in touch in the first instance with Fr Anthony on 01273 281 302 or email fr.anthony@stmargaret.org.uk

You are advised not to book a reception venue until you know that it is possible to be married in the church of your choice. You should also leave plenty of time for any legal preliminaries to take place.
If it is agreed that your marriage should take place at St. Margaret’s Church, 
the prospective bride and groom will be expected to meet with the Vicar on at least three occasions, depending on circumstances.
  1. To agree the date and time of the wedding and to have a general chat about what you would hope the service to be and the particular elements and customs we have.
  2. To arrange for the public announcement that the marriage is taking place [ie ‘the Calling of Banns’]. As well as to agree the musical content of the service and any readings you may wish to be included. To put together the Order of Service.
  3. Usually in the week before the wedding a rehearsal takes place. At this the bride and groom must attend together with Parents, Best Man, Bridesmaids and any other person performing a function at the wedding.

Music

In normal circumstances you will need to choose the following music.
A. The Bridal Procession
B. Three hymns
C. Music to be played whilst the registers are being signed
D. The Wedding Procession
 
Photography
After proper consultation it may be possible for the professional photographer to take a limited number of photographs during the service. It is also possible, again after consultation with the Vicar for the service to be video recorded.

 

Fees

Fees for weddings in Church are not standard, but will be explained by the Vicar at your meetings. 

 

Wedding Flowers

You are welcome to arrange for a florist to provide flowers for your wedding, but please discuss this in advance with the Vicar.

Baptisms

Normally Baptisms take place on Sundays. They can be part of the Parish Eucharist at 10:00 (usually for regular worshippers) or at 14:00.
If you would like to apply for yourself or your child to be baptised at Saint Margaret’s, please contact Fr Anthony on 01273 281 302 or e-mail fr.anthony@stmargaret.org.uk . 
Those to be baptised at St Margaret’s should be resident in the Parish of Rottingdean (you can enter your postcode on this site to find out which parish you live in: (Parish Finder) or be a regular member of the worshipping community. 
Godparents: Please note that the Church of England requires that all Godparents must be over 16 years old and should themselves have been baptised and, ideally, at least one of them should have been confirmed.

Funerals

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord

One of the most life changing events in life is in fact death. For the person who has died life is changed not ended. For those who mourn them, life will never be the same again.
When a death occurs it is never an easy time. A funeral marks the close of a human life on earth. It is the opportunity for friends and family to express their grief, to give thanks for the life, which has now completed its journey in this world, and to commend the person into God’s keeping. A funeral service in the Church of England – whether in a parish church or a crematorium chapel – may be very short and quiet with only a few members of the family present, or an occasion of great solemnity with music, hymns and a full building. A funeral may also be set within a celebration of the Mass. This is also called a Funeral Requiem.Whatever the pattern of service, the words and actions all speak of a loving God and the preciousness to him of every human being and the Christian hope of resurrection.
The Church of England has centuries of expertise in helping families who are living with bereavement. At St. Margaret’s our Vicar, supported by all who worship here, believe that families deserve the very best of care when faced with death. Our pledge is to offer that care whenever anyone asks for it. 
We have a beautiful Churchyard. Burial of a body is permitted for a resident of the ecclesiastical Parish of Rottingdean (the boundaries of which are not the same as the village of Rottingdean) or a  member of the Parish Church’s Electoral Roll (usually a worshipping member of the congregation). There are some plots available in the Garden of Remembrance for the interment of ashes, again for a resident of the ecclesiastical parish of Rottingdean or a member of the Parish Church’s Electoral Roll (usually a worshipping member of the congregation). Exceptions to this policy may be made at the pastoral discretion of the Vicar. 
(Please note that the Lawn of the Garden of Remembrance is now closed for all interments following legal advice from the Registry of the Diocese of Chichester.)
For further information please contact Fr Anthony on 01273281302 or e-mail fr.anthony@stmargaret.org.uk

For hire

The Church is available for concerts, meetings, lectures and other events. Please be in touch with Fr Anthony for an initial conversation.
A  fee is normally required for Heating and Lighting costs and to support the upkeep of the building.
Organisers are expected to have their own liability insurance and must produce evidence of this when making a booking.