The Chapel, the Bell, and the “I Do” That Echoes Through History - the Beauty of Kantara House
If walls could talk, the Charlotte Chapel would have a British accent and some excellent gossip
The stunning Charlotte Chapel at Kantara House on the Central Coast is a ceremony space steeped in Australian charm with its custom designed and handcrafted Blackbutt timber pews, stage and altar and, just quietly, is one of my favourite venues as a marriage celebrant.
Charlotte Chapel at Kantara House, home to Australia’s oldest ringing bell.
She’s got sophisticated style and is deceptively roomy; you can pour 140 of your nearest and dearest in to celebrate your love with you in there, and no matter how you dress her, she will always impress with the warm timbers, natural light, soaring ceiling and a magical kind of sense that something big and beautiful is about to happen when you step inside.
But she’s got a secret not many people in the wedding industry, or even couples who have been wed inside her know: ringing from the tower at the end of every ceremony is Australia’s oldest ringing church bell - and she’s got a story that goes back nearly 500 years.
Why the bell makes my history-nerd heart sing
A long time ago in a land far, far away, well before I was a marriage celebrant, I was a journalist. Before I was a journalist, I studied Australian and American history at uni. And before that, I was that kid who did both Ancient and Modern History for the HSC because I just couldn’t get enough of a good story. (I was also on the Chapel Society at school but we’ll leave that for another time). So when I found out the Charlotte Chapel didn’t just look beautiful, it actually housed a bell from 1550, my little history loving, chapel appreciating heart started singing.
Originally from the village of Upton in Somerset, England, this bell once called parishioners to church in the Exmoor countryside. It rang through the English Reformation. It echoed over Elizabethan fields. It stood silent through the world wars. And when the church was rebuilt in 1870 without a bell tower, it was retired. Forgotten. Left to gather dust in the back of the churchyard, with moss growing over it, rains attempting to batter it, memories of ceremonies of celebration and of grief and everything in between, silenced for a little while.
Until Cherie Reid, the visionary behind Kantara House, decided to bring it back to life, some 9,500 miles away.
Cherie Reid with the incredibly historic Somerset church bell at Kantara House.
The bell’s epic journey (featuring planes, cranes and one very determined woman)
Tracking down a 16th-century bell is not your average DIY job. Cherie flew to the UK to collect it, then had to chase it to Cork in Ireland for restoration.
Once it was finally ready to make its journey to Australia, the bell was flown over and hidden in the garage so it wouldn’t get stolen. (Spoiler: no one was going to casually walk off with a 400kg medieval bell.)
Eventually, a crane lifted the roof off the chapel tower, the bell was carefully installed, and the roof was popped back on like nothing happened.
Now, every time I hear Cherie ring that bell after a couple says “I do,” I feel the weight of history, in such a lovely way.
Charlotte Chapel: Heritage and heart (and award-winning timber)
Emily and Luke’s timelessly elegant wedding at Kantara House, where I was their marriage celebrant in the Charlotte Chapel. Shot by Salt Atelier
Beyond the bell, Charlotte Chapel is simply… stunning. It was crafted from certified Australian timber and in 2017, won at the Australian Timber Design Awards in the Certified Timber category.
As someone who’s stood inside a lot of chapels and ceremony spaces, I can tell you - this one is special. The warm tones of the timber, the beautiful light, the way sound moves through the space all combine to create an atmosphere that feels reverent, personal, and deeply grounded. And when I’m in there, a big bit of heartfelt humour’s added, too.
Why I love marrying people here
Central Coast Marriage Celebrant Bec Page at Emily and Luke’s wedding ceremony in the Charlotte Chapel at Kantara House. Shot by Salt Atelier
As a Central Coast marriage celebrant, I get to work in some gorgeous locations. But Charlotte Chapel has my heart.
It gives couples all the emotional weight of a traditional chapel ceremony, without the pressure to include religious elements they don’t connect with. It’s perfect for people who want a ceremony that’s meaningful and moving, but also warm, relaxed, and very them.
This is a space where you can say cheeky vows, rock out to your favourite headbanger down the aisle, include your dog outside, laugh-cry through your ring exchange, and still feel like you're part of something timeless.
Planning your wedding at Charlotte Chapel
If you’re wedding planning and thinking of getting married on the Central Coast, and you’re dreaming of a ceremony that feels grounded, gorgeous, and completely you, with a dollop of very special history on the side - put the Charlotte Chapel at Kantara House at the top of your list.
This is the kind of place where history lives, where love stories begin, and where bells ring out in celebration - centuries later, on the other side of the world.
And if you want a celebrant who knows the history, knows the space, and knows how to make your ceremony unforgettable?
