Stories

Planning a Wedding as a Neurodivergent Couple: Why a Smaller Wedding Could Be the Perfect Fit

Weddings are often seen as the happiest day in a couple’s life. However, for those who are neurodivergent, the process of planning a wedding can present unique challenges. The sensory overload, social expectations, and...

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Why Planning for End of Life is Essential

Why Planning for End of Life is Essential: The Peace of Mind in Securing Your Final Resting Place at Holly Barrow Columbarium When it comes to major life events, most people don’t think twice...

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The rise of nature based Handfastings

The recent rise in the popularity of nature based Handfastings as the principal element of marriages is a sign of changing times. Rewind some twenty years – as the owner of a wedding venue...

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Win Your Wedding Competition

**ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THE COMPETITION** Elope to The Lost Village of Dode! Tell us your love story for a chance to win your wedding Imagine running away to get married, just the...

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Handfasting – 5 facts you may not know about Handfasting ceremonies at Dode.

1. Handfasting ceremonies predate Christian wedding ceremonies. Handfasting ceremonies were first documented almost 9,000 years ago, in Ireland. The Celtic tribes would symbolically join a couple using cord, ribbons or plaited cloth. The couple...

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Celebrate your pet with the ‘Best Day of Their Lives’ Package

Within a our small landscaped Ollies garden is a tranquil resting place for your pets.  Here we provide a serene and secure setting for honoring your departed pets. Exploring the concept of offering a...

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Experience Owls at Dode

Experience the wonder and beauty of owls in a unique setting at Dode on Sunday, 28th April from 12-3pm. The Kent Owl Academy invites you to join them for an enchanting afternoon filled with...

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Holly Barrow Columbarium at The Lost Village of Dode

Completed in 2022, Carefully designed and constructed to blend in with the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in which it is situated nestles a modern interpretation of the Neolithic Long Barrows that many centuries...

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Real Weddings at The Lost Village of Dode Church

A wedding band is circular with no beginning and no end symbolising eternal union and endless love, a promise that cannot be broken. This is very much in keeping with Dode and our circle...

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What people say about Dode

At The Lost Village of Dode, Kent we are blessed to have such wonderful people using the church for their wedding, afternoon tea, naming ceremony or celebration of life.  Feedback is an important aspect...

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Intimate Weddings

We live in an ever-changing world, however recently there has been a rise in the number of small intimate weddings, not just because of Government restrictions, but because a couple chooses to surround themselves...

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Our very own magic maker – also known as Ceremony Co-ordintor Becky

Getting married is a very special life event. Helping you to make your wedding extra special and guiding you through your ceremony is our Ceremony Coordinator Becky.  Becky has been at Dode for several...

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Behind the scenes at Dode with Graham

Behind every unique and special wedding are helping hands. Dode is very lucky to have Doug and Mary, along with Becky and Graham, to ensure your wedding day goes without a hitch. On your...

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The return of weddings at The Lost Village of Dode Kent

Dode has missed you all. It is a long time since Dode hasn’t seen visitors for this long, probably since it was bought by Doug and Mary thirty years ago. The Church has however...

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A Perspective Like No Other

Deep in the North Kent countryside is a small ancient building with soul, it is all that remains of the village of Dode. The structure was built in 1100 and was once a place...

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Congratulations on your engagement!

This blog gives an insight into weddings at The Lost Village of Dode, and has important information to think about with your wedding. We hope you enjoy reading, and remember we are here to...

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Christmas Wedding Ideas

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? At Dode we cannot guarantee snow, however we can guarantee a unique venue set in the heart of the Kent Countryside.  There are many ways to have...

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Accommodation at The Lost Village of Dode

Who doesn’t love a break? With a rise in UK staycations, and some beautiful spots in the UK our accommodation at The Lost Village of Dode is becoming increasingly popular.  Available all year round,...

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Halloween Wedding Ideas

With October being a big month for Halloween weddings, it seemed only right to dedicate this month’s blog to them and give you some tips and ideas.  Being a 900-year-old Norman Church The Lost...

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How to Organise a Naming Ceremony

Bringing a new life into the world is a very special event. At The Lost Village of Dode we love to celebrate occasions.  For those who are not looking for a ‘traditional’ christening in...

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All you need to know about MICRO-WEDDINGS

You might be hearing the term ‘micro-wedding’ being used a lot more frequently nowadays, but maybe you aren’t too sure what it actually is… What is a micro-wedding? Micro-weddings are somewhere in between a...

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How to plan a wedding on a budget

Avoid huge guestlists Although its can be tempting to put everyone & anyone on your guestlist, sometimes it’s good to take a step back & look at who you really want to be there...

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Dode in Olden Times

Becky has been badgering me to tell some of the stories about the ‘old days’ at Dode -to her & many others thirty years is of course almost a lifetime, to me and some...

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Wedding planning essential apps

When you’re planning your wedding there are so many things you need to think of, so much to remember & being organised is a vital part of planning any wedding and we are lucky...

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10 things to do after you get engaged…

You may well have been dreaming about this forever, or maybe it has come as a total shock, but you officially have a ring on your finger, YOU’RE ENGAGED! The days, weeks, months that...

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Till death do us party at Dode

Halloween is becoming an ever more popular time to tie the knot & without a doubt, Dode is the perfect Halloween wedding location. Due to its age, Dode is steeped in history & with...

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Top 5 ideas for a Christmas Inspired Wedding

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and we love Christmas here at Dode! As a beautifully romantic and enchanting venue, The Lost Village of Dode is the perfect location to indulge in...

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Thinking of a Halloween Wedding…?

We love Halloween at Dode, but one thing we love more than Halloween is a Halloween Wedding. Dode, unsurprisingly lends itself to a Halloween theme and allows you to go wild with your Spooktacular...

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Why historical venues are a popular choice for weddings

Finding and choosing your wedding venue can seem a little daunting and we can understand why; it’s an important decision and probably one of the first decisions that you make in your wedding planning...

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Our top 20 picks of fun and quirky entertainment

Entertaining your guests is a really important part of your wedding day! Every bride and groom wants their guests to leave happy, with full bellies and lots of amazing memories and our top 20...

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Top tips for choosing a wedding caterer

Your wedding is one of the biggest days of your life and you want everything to be perfect and one of the most important things to get right is your catering, after all, your...

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Unusual Ring Bearer Ideas

Have you thought about whether your going to have a ring bearer for your big day? Some people like to entrust the Best Man with the rings, others like to involve someone else in...

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Top tips for planning the perfect intimate wedding

Our top 8 bits of advice for planning the perfect, intimate wedding First & foremost, always remember that it’s your day, so you have to do what makes you happy, not what makes other...

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This Sacred Place

Thanks to everyone who ‘braved the mud & puddles’ to attend our little Carol Concerts this month; without people, Dode would, once again, be very lonely although as each year passes this unthinkable possibility...

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Ant’s Bees

On Monday we held the first of our Carol Concerts, amongst a very full church it was lovely as always to see a good ‘smattering’ of couples whom we have married, unfortunately, with a...

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White Wedding

The history of Dode is not the history of Kings & Queens, of great people- it is the story, individually and collectively of ordinary everyday people, people like myself, and if you will excuse...

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The Church of Dode – By Graham Clarke

Wooded and winding in the road That leads to the mystery church of Dode Hiding high on Holly Hill Holy then and holy still At first they said “just a touch of ague” But...

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Confession at Dode

One of the interesting things about looking after Dode is that you never know who you will meet next. Over the last 30 years I must have met literally thousands of people, I have...

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Ladybirds move into Dode

It may not seem it with today’s glorious weather but these little guys who are nesting inside the church return every year and signifies that winter is on the way… Just think, it’s likely these...

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