Initial enquiries and bookings are normally made at the church on Saturday mornings between 10.00am and 11.00am when one of the clergy is available in the clergy vestry (to the left of entrance at the west end of the church). Before taking an enquiry further you may find the following information useful.
To be eligible to be married or to have a child baptized at the church, you normally have to live within the parish. The parish boundaries are Deptford Creek, Norman Road, Greenwich High Road, Blackheath Road, Blackheath Hill and Shooters Hill Road, Maze Hill, Hoskins Street and the River Thames.
If you are living outside the parish, but are a regular worshipper at St Alfege and on the electoral roll of the church at the time of booking, then it is possible to go ahead with booking a marriage by banns or a baptism. For infant baptism the agreement of the priest in the parish of residence may also be required. In the case of marriage, if you are not regularly attending the church but can show a sufficiently strong connection with the parish, it may still be possible to marry here by Archbishop’s special licence as long as you have not been married before.
If a previous marriage has been terminated by divorce, the clergy will need to enquire into the circumstances and see a copy of the decree absolute before being able to proceed. Ceremonies of blessing after a civil ceremony or renewal of marriage vows are not limited by the rule about residence in the parish.
These fall into two categories: statutory fees required by the Church of England and charges for music etc which are at the discretion of the local church. Statutory fees do not apply to marriage blessings.
Publication of banns of marriage ... £19
Certificate of banns (if required) ... £12
Marriage Service ... £240
Marriage certificate ... £3.50
£40 ... Verger (including registers/certificate)
£90 ... Organist
£200 ... Choir of four experienced singers
£140 ... Bells
£85 ... Permission to Video (this also requires an additional sum of £45 for the organist and £5 for each choir member under music copyright)
£250 ... Discretionary Donation towards the costs of heating and lighting, cleaning and upkeep of the historic fabric of the church. Please Gift Aid this separately from the other charges (for every £100 you give, we can claim another £28 from the government in reclaimed tax as a charitable body). If paying by cheque, this should be made out to "St Alfege PCC".
We require everyone who wishes to be married at St Alfege to bring a passport as proof of identity.
There are no set charges for baptism which is the sacrament of welcome into the universal Church and normally takes place at St Alfege as part of the main service on specific Sundays through the year.
For further information please contact the clergy