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The Lost Village of Dode
The Lost Village of Dode
Dode
Dode
Dode
Dode
The Lost Village of Dode 36
The Lost Village of Dode 36
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The Lost Village of Dode 41
Love
Love
Bubbles at Dode
Bubbles at Dode
Confetti
Confetti
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The Lost Village of Dode 45
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The Lost Village of Dode 40
Dode interior
Dode interior
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The Lost Village of Dode 43
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The Lost Village of Dode 39
Dode
Dode
Girl with bubbles
Girl with bubbles
Dode
Dode
Dode
Dode
Bride with Owl
Bride with Owl
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The Lost Village of Dode 34
Dode
Dode
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The Lost Village of Dode 40
Dode
Dode
Bride looking up at the Minstrels Gallery
Bride looking up at the Minstrels Gallery
Wedding at Dode
Wedding at Dode
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The Lost Village of Dode 37
Amazing Dode Wedding Cake
Amazing Dode Wedding Cake
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The Lost Village of Dode 44
Dode
Dode
Wedding Couple
Wedding Couple
Hand fasting
Hand fasting
Christmas Wedding at Dode
Christmas Wedding at Dode
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The Lost Village of Dode 38
Horses at wedding
Horses at wedding
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The Lost Village of Dode 43
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The Lost Village of Dode 39
Pets at wedding
Pets at wedding
An & Krista
An & Krista
Outside by candle Light
Outside by candle Light
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The Lost Village of Dode 42
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The Lost Village of Dode 41
Rhiannon & Rocky
Rhiannon & Rocky
Ian and Chris
Ian and Chris
The Lost Village of Dode 42
The Lost Village of Dode 42
Wedding Here
Wedding Here
Dode in Winter
Dode in Winter
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The Lost Village of Dode 46
The Lost Village of Dode 47
The Lost Village of Dode 47
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The Lost Village of Dode 48
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The Lost Village of Dode 49
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The Lost Village of Dode 50

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Dode
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About

Unique, exclusive-use, lovingly restored Norman Church is available for intimate civil ceremonies, hand fastings and private events for up to 42 people.

Far, far away, in a magical place, where time has stood still, in an almost forgotten valley between Luddesdown and Holly Hill, nestled in the North Kent Downs in the South East of England, there stands a beautiful, charming, enchanting, privately owned, romantic, former Norman church – the only trace of the now ‘lost’ village of Dode.

The Lost Village of Dode is perfect for couples who want to begin their tale of love, romance and desire, either inside or outside. You can choose from an intimate indoor Civil Ceremony or Partnership and Renewal of Vows. Or for an outdoor Blessing or Pagan Handfasting Ceremony, you can hold your event within the ancient Stone Circle followed by a lavish Wedding Reception, with dancing and then stay overnight, onsite, in one of the two superb award-winning cottages.

We offer bespoke weddings, tailored to each couple, or package weddings, so you can have your perfect day exactly the way you want it. After your ceremony guests usually spend time in the stunning grounds, enabling you to have your group photos and enjoy a glass of bubbles and perhaps a selection of canapes. And for your evening reception, we work alongside a number of fantastic professional caterers who can provide a Medieval Style Banquet Wedding Breakfast Reception with all the trimmings. Your Wedding Breakfast might include a hog roast or a roast lamb or we can cater for various dietary requirements...We can also offer a number of unique additions to your day including Ollie the Owl to deliver your rings, or bubbles as you leave the church.

No hidden charges and no corkage charge either!

To end the evening why not choose to add a final chapter to your epic love story by booking one of our award-winning on-site cottage retreats.

For more information please contact our Wedding Coordinator Becky who would be more than happy to discuss your requirements with you.

  • Kent Countryside venue with a Church for non religious civil ceremonies
  • Exclusively yours for the day
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Animal friendly
  • Winter/Christmas Weddings
  • Professional team of caterers and no corkage fees
  • On-site award winning cottage retreats including hot tub
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  • The Lost Village of Dode
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Frequently asked questions

Venue type:

In the country
Unusual weddings
Historic
Landmark
Church
Outdoor license
Unique weddings

Ceremony options:

Chapel or temple on-site
Civil ceremony licence

Dining options:

Seated meal facilities
Private catering allowed
Buffet meal facilities
In-house catering

Evening entertainment:

Live band facilities
Evening reception facilities

Overnight accommodation:

Overnight accommodation for wedding couple
Overnight accommodation for guests

Venue staff assistance:

Wedding coordinator

Venue leisure facilities:

Hairdresser

Other features:

Exclusive use
Car parking
Confetti permitted
Pet-friendly
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Reviews for The Lost Village of Dode

We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to make your big decisions easier.
4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
154 reviews
99% recommend it
Write a review
  • Quality of the service
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Value for money
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating
Write a review
The Lost Village of Dode - 1
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+13 User photos
The Lost Village of Dode - 4
Tasha
Tasha A. Sent on 26/09/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Very special venue

I recently got married at Dode and highly recommend this place! It’s very peaceful, calming, unique and unlike other wedding venues. Becky was very helpful with the wedding planning and Paul was brilliant on the day. A big thank you to all the staff involved. All our guests absolutely love the place, you won’t be disappointed if you choose here for your venue.
RomanticYellowConfetti28082
Amanda H. Sent on 14/09/2024
4.2 out of 5 rating

24/08/24 Sam and Amanda

Such a beautiful and peaceful place. Everyone, including us, were blown away by how pretty the place was on the big day. Paul, our help for the day from the venue, was a god send and ever so kind, putting my mind at rest.

Stayed in the cottages overnight before and after the day, and arrived to a personalised card :) room with a hot tub which was wonderful, hard to control and couldn't find the switch that was described.

All in all, wouldn't have wanted to go anywhere else. Thank you
  • The Lost Village of Dode - 5
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Lucy
Lucy Sent on 01/07/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Exceptional venue, incredible team

The Lost Village of Dode provided the most magical setting for our wedding celebration. This unique, lovingly restored deconsecrated church exceeded all our expectations as an exclusive-use venue.

Becky and Charlotte were incredibly attentive throughout the day, ensuring our guests felt relaxed and welcome in this stunning location. Their professionalism and dedication to making our day perfect were truly outstanding.

The venue itself is breathtaking, with its Norman architecture and picturesque grounds creating an intimate and romantic atmosphere. Our guests were in awe of the beauty and history of the Lost Village of Dode, and many commented on how wonderful they found the location and service.

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect setting to exchange our vows and celebrate our love. The Lost Village of Dode will forever hold a special place in our hearts, and we highly recommend it to any couple seeking a truly unique and unforgettable wedding experience.

Thank you to all the team at Dode for having us, and we look forward to visiting again in the future.
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Sue
Sue N. Sent on 30/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Wedding in May

I had always wanted my wedding to be in an intimate, candle-lit venue, but living in Kent I wasn't sure I'd find "it". Thankfully after an Internet search, up popped Dode Church in the Lost Village of Dode. We arranged to meet Becky, who became our co-ordinator, and she must have thought me quite strange because as soon as I walked into the Church I was struck dumb and whenever I did go to speak, I let out a sob instead! It was just perfect, the venue of my dreams. We had the Dode package using their recommended suppliers for catering, flowers, photos, bar etc and having had to cancel our first date due to covid restrictions, Becky took care of contacting them all with the new date. On the day, Graham was hand to ensure the smooth running of proceedings and was a godsend. All our guests were blown away with the venue, food etc as were we. Thank you so much Team Dode, especially Doug for having the vision and Becky and Graham for all their assistance. Dode will forever be in our hearts.
Eddy
Eddy M. Sent on 20/09/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Venue

We got married here on 19.9.20 and had an absolutely amazing day the pictures do not, do this place justice Graham was very helpful and made everyone welcome and at ease and was very accommodating
Thank you to everyone at Dode for making our day amazing
Eddy & Cheryl
L
Lexie R. Sent on 07/08/2024
5 out of 5 rating

A perfect, magical wedding

Dode is a magical place. It has a stillness, peacefulness and a history to it that culminates in an atmosphere that is not easy to put into words. We had a wonderful wedding here. All of our guests commented on just how unique the wedding and the venue was. Becky was very responsive to all of our questions in the year leading up to the event. Paul and Charlotte were amazing on the day for organising and making sure things ran smoothly. We also chose to do a hand-fasting which was also very special and allowed us to say more meaningful vows. Despite being a nearly 1000 year old church, Dode was able to accommodate for my family members that had access needs.
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Nicola W. Sent on 30/11/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

Incredible. Great team, great value

This venue is an incredibly special place. The team have a friendly approach with a real personal touch. A safe, spiritually calm place where everyone can feel at ease. Your guests will love being there.
Ceremonies can be what you choose and have the relaxed, informal atmosphere with the schedule/formalities of a regular wedding in place and you have the flexibility to create exactly what you want for your special day.
B
Becky B. Sent on 30/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

A childhood dream come true....

Ever since I knew of this place as a little girl I had always dreamed of my wedding there one day and finally it came true. It was everything I had dreamt off, rustic, romantic and relaxed. We couldn't have asked for a better day and all our guests commented on how magical it was.
C
Claire C. Sent on 31/08/2021
5 out of 5 rating

The perfect venue!

We got married at the Lost Village of Dode in August 2021. We had to re-arrange our wedding twice because of COVID, and everyone at Dode was so professional. We had heard horror stories from couples who had had to cancel their weddings, but the team at Dode made sure that everything was changed seamlessly. The wedding day was perfect. We had a rehearsal with Becky a couple of days before so we knew exactly what we were doing, and then Graham was amazing on the day, making sure that everything ran smoothly. The venue is stunning, and all of the suppliers were used were fantastic - The Flying Pig Kitchen, Moody Blooms and Matt James Photography. Another great thing about Dode is that the venue is animal-friendly so we were able to bring our dog Stanley along to celebrate with us.
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Phoebe W. Sent on 31/08/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Incredible 11/10!

We had the most magical and beautiful wedding day. The entire team at dode we’re amazing and we couldn’t have wanted more! From rearranging and postponing to just listening like a friend would. Just wish we could do it all over again!! Thanks so much! Love and light always. Phoebe and Joel xxx
L
Len Sent on 12/06/2021
5 out of 5 rating

Everything was perfect on the day

Good afternoon,

I am the father of Jon Hughes, who was married to Liz last Thursday, at your beautiful venue.

I really would like to thank you for the wonderful occasion you helped to create. Everything was perfect on the day and whilst I am sure you cannot take credit for the lovely weather, everything else could not have been better.

Graham was excellent, making sure everything ran smoothly whilst maintaining a friendly reassuring but low profile presence. I am not sure whether the bar and catering people were introduced by you but their contributions to the day were equally as good.

Thank you, again, for helping to make it a memorable day.

With best wishes,

Len
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Rachel Sent on 16/10/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Best time ever...

Becky we had the best time ever! So happy we chose dode it was truly magical
Flying pig were fantastic flowers from no were just perfect and the cottages just topped it off. Ray and Graham were brilliant too. So helpful and really friendly made it run smoothly x
A
Anonymous Sent on 16/10/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Truly incredible day

We just wanted to thank you for what was the most truly incredible day. Everything was better than perfect, the ceremonies, the food, the venue itself, just magical. The whole wedding party said it was the most amazing wedding they'd been to. We can't express our gratitude enough. The official photos haven't come back to us yet, but we would love to share them with you. It would be wonderful to visit again.
Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts.
Mr and Mrs Gibbons
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Rachel Sent on 11/10/2019
5 out of 5 rating

6th September 2019

What can I say about this venue?! If you’re looking for somewhere truly magical, unique, romantic and want a wow factor, this is the place.
The lost village of dode had always been on my wedding wish list and when we went to view it, we looked no further.
We viewed it in June 2019 and got married here on the 6th September 2019, that’s how brilliant the package is, supportive and helpful the team there are!
We loved the place so much we couldn’t wait to get married there!
We can not put into words how friendly, helpful and special the whole team at the lost village of dode are. Particularly Doug and Graham, who put my bridal worries to rest and kept me calm on a few occasions!
We highly recommend the package, as the catering team, florist and photographer are simply amazing. I can not stress enough, you will not find any better than them guys!
We also did the hand fastening, which was such a lovely, spiritual touch to our special day. We can’t wait to go back in a year and one days time to renew them. Thank you Lost village of dode!
S
Sally Sent on 09/09/2019
5 out of 5 rating

It is truly a magical tranquil place...

On Saturday I felt as though I was the luckiest bride to ever have walked down the aisle & take their husbands hand, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, but we both feel as if we’ve been blessed with a new chance at life we thought we’d never experience again.

So a huge ‘THANK YOU’ once again to Team Dode for all of your hard work it was really appreciated, however big or small your role, everyone played an important part in our journey making our special day go as smoothly as it did, you all have helped contribute to memories that we can cherish & keep in our hearts for always.

To think that almost a thousand years ago ceremonies took place at Dode not to dissimilar to ours & on the 17th August 2019 we now all played a part in Dode’s history, it is truly a magical tranquil place & our wedding felt like a fairytale, a perfect start to our new life as husband & wife.

We wish you & your team & families every happiness & all the best for the future & we are so pleased our paths crossed, May the future hold greater joys for you all to treasure.
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Map

Location of(The Lost Village of Dode) Open map
Great Buckland DA13 0XF Luddesdown (Kent)
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