|
Wedding
Policies
The ministers, staff and members of
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) cordially welcome you
to our church policy statement and fee schedule for your service of
marriage in our church. Christian marriage is a lifelong covenant
between a man and a woman, their love giving birth to a new home and a
new life. This union is possible when Jesus Christ is the basis of
unity. We wish you every happiness in your marriage and want to help you
in any way to make your wedding joyous and memorable.
You will find
here wedding guidelines
which have been approved by the administrative board of this church.
These guidelines apply to both members and non-members of our church. Member
wedding - either the bride or the groom is a member of First
Christian Church, Non-Member
wedding - neither the bride nor the groom is a member of First
Christian Church. If, after
reviewing this brochure, you
need further assistance, please call the church office at 783-1139. GENERAL
POLICIES ` The use of alcoholic beverages is
not permitted on church property. ` It is expected that members of
the wedding party will refrain from alcoholic beverages before the
rehearsal and before the wedding service. The bride and groom shall be
under obligation to make this rule known to all other members of the
party. ` Smoking is not allowed inside or
outside church buildings or on the church property. ` Birdseed, rice, confetti, etc.,
may not be used inside the church buildings. ` Birdseed or bubbles only may be
used outside. `
The sound system may be operated by a
staff member only. Non-members may move and replace
the small benches and the piano microphone stands. If
these policies are not followed, a surcharge based on the seriousness of
the infraction will be assessed. (The
Altar Guild reserves the right to amend these guidelines.) Page 2 The
Alter Guild Two members of the Altar Guild of
the church will be on duly for every rehearsal and every wedding taking
place in the church. These volunteers serve to assist the bride and
groom and their families. They also serve to protect the interests of
the church. Their purpose is to make the wedding service a meaningful
and memorable experience. The bride should contact the church at
783-1139 for the names of the Altar Guild members who are assigned to
her wedding and arrange for a time for a pre-wedding conference for
planning the details of the wedding. This conference should occur during
the earliest stages of her preparations. THE MINISTER The first person to contact is the
minister
who will perform the service. Before you set the date, order invitations
or make any other plans, call your minister. By law, an ordained or licensed minister
must conduct the wedding ceremony. Visiting clergy are welcome to
officiate with the approval of a staff minister. Licensed lay ministers
must also be approved by a staff minister. By law, ministers outside The rehearsal and the marriage service
are the responsibility of the minister. His/her instructions will take
precedence over any others (including wedding coordinators). Two
representatives of the Altar Guild must be present at all weddings
conducted in First Christian Church facilities. Marriage Counseling Marriage counseling is required
for anyone wishing to be married at First Christian Church. This will be
conducted by the staff minister who performs the ceremony. The minister
and the bride and groom
should schedule times and dates for counseling as soon as
possible. Arrangements for counseling by visiting clergy are subject to
the approval of a staff minister at First Christian Church. (The
Altar Guild reserves the right to amend these guidelines.) Page
3 The
Ceremony The Christian marriage ceremony is a
service of worship before God, conducted within the house of God.
Reverence is expected on the part of all present and the service will be
under the sole direction of the officiating minister.
Church
Calendar As soon as possible following initial
consultation with the Wedding Guild and the minister of your choice,
the dates for the rehearsal and the wedding must be placed on the
church calendar by the church secretary. You will receive a letter
from the church confirming the date you have selected. If the date
changes or the reserved date is no longer needed, please notify the
church secretary as soon as possible. Since the church’s facilities are used
extensively on Sundays, neither the Sanctuary nor the Disciples Hall may be used
for weddings on that day. However, the Disciples Chapel, Weddings
may be scheduled up to one year in advance.
MUSIC As soon as
possible, make an appointment with the Music Director at First
Christian Church (783-1139) to plan your musical selections. Some items
to consider are: ¯¯
Prelude ¯¯
Processional ¯¯
Recessional ¯¯
Vocalists ¯¯
Other instrumentalists ¯¯
Hymns for congregational singing. The
organist’s fee includes: 1)
One-hour consultation with the bride and groom 2)
One-hour rehearsal with soloists or instrumentalists 3)
The rehearsal 4)
The wedding and preparation thereof Further
consultations or rehearsals may result in additional fees.
The
Music Director at First Christian Church must approve any guest
organist. The guest organist may be required to attend an orientation
session with the staff organist concerning the sanctuary organ. Page
4 Photography
and Videography The bride is
responsible for obtaining a photographer and for
scheduling photography sessions before and after the wedding, as well as
plans for photography during the ceremony. A videographer may also be
used. Please consult with the officiating minister for guidance with the
photography and videography. By fire safety laws, aisles may not be
blocked with equipment. ZZZ Flowers and
Decorations ZZZ Scheduling arrangements for the florist
must be cleared with the church office. The use and placement of flowers,
decorations or candles will be the responsibility of the bride. Any
damage resulting from such must be assumed by the bride. The bride is
responsible for the actions of those she hires to decorate and should
notify the florist and/or other decorators concerning the church’s
damage policy. 1)
There
will be no taping, gluing or tacking of decorations to any surface. 2) Water must not remain on any
surface.
3) Floral
fixative (leaf polish) must not be sprayed inside the
church buildings. 4)
Drip-less candles must be used.
5) The
communion table may be used for floral arrangements and/or candles. Wedding decorations must be
removed immediately following the service. A request for any special handling (other
than discarding) of flowers or equipment must be made to the church
office at least two working days before the wedding. Florists should
return to the church no later than the Monday following the wedding to
retrieve their equipment. Many couples
desire to have their wedding floral arrangements remain at the church
for the Sunday worship services. Frequently, they wish to honor or
memorialize loved ones with these arrangements. In order to be assured
the flowers can be used, contact the church secretary as soon as
possible so the information may be placed on the church calendar. Also,
please provide the information to be used in the worship bulletin. Wedding
bulletins and guest book are to be provided by the bride.
(The Altar Guild reserves the right to amend these
guidelines.) Page 5 The
Rehearsal For weddings with processional music, a
rehearsal is necessary and is usually scheduled on the evening prior to
the wedding. The bride and groom,
their families, the attendants, ushers, ministers, organist and
other musicians should be present Allow one to two hours for the
rehearsal. Be certain that all participants are
aware of the time the rehearsal will begin. Also, on the date of the
wedding, all participants should arrive at least one hour before the
ceremony. The wedding license
shall be given to the officiating minister no later than the wedding
rehearsal. After the rehearsal, the bride and groom
and their attendants will be shown the dressing areas and rest rooms
available for their use. Please do not hang gowns or other clothing on
light fixtures, furniture, etc., in those areas. Please note that
the dressing areas cannot be guaranteed to be secure. All
personal property, particularly all valuables and money, are the
responsibility of the owner at all times. The
Reception An Altar Guild member will meet with the
bride to work out the details of having a reception in the Disciples
Hall. First Christian Church (Disciples of
Christ) does not furnish food or drink. There are no catering services available at First
Christian Church. If you are planning to have the reception catered, you
must let us know so we can provide tables and chairs. Fees will be
charged if the kitchen is not cleaned up by the catering service. Facilities: Sanctuary seats 400 Disciples Chapel, Disciples Hall accommodates 400 Church
custodian must be used (See fee schedule).
(The
Altar Guild reserves the right to amend these guidelines.) Page
6 Childcare
and Nursery Nursery facilities are available upon
request (First Christian Church does
not provide a nursery
attendant - that is the responsibility of the bride.) FINANCIAL
ARRANGEMENTS and FEE SCHEDULE All financial arrangements for the
wedding, reception, organist or any other First Christian Church staff
member will be made in the church office before the wedding date. One
half of the fee will be due at the bride’s first consultation
with the Altar Guild and the balance two weeks in advance of the
wedding date, remitted to Altar Guild contact. Fee arrangements between the bride and ministers,
instrumentalists, soloists, etc., who are not members of First Christian Church staff are the responsibility of the bride.
The church will not set, collect or distribute those private fees. Fee
Schedule (The
Altar Guild reserves the right to amend these fees.)
Member
Non-member Minister
Honorarium
$150 Organist Wedding
and rehearsal
$100
$250 Wedding
only
$ 75
$175 Pianist
$ 75
$100 Bell Choir
Honorarium
$200 Sanctuary
Honorarium
$500
Disciples Chapel
Honorarium
$250
Disciples Hall Up to 100
people
Honorarium
$500 Each
additional 25 people
$ 20
$
30 Utilities first
hour
$ 30
$
30 Additional
$10
$10 Page
7 Fee
Schedule (continued) (The
Altar Guild reserves the right to amend these fees.) Table Linens
No
charge
$10
each Custodial Services (Required)
Members
Non-members Sanctuary Monday-Thursday
$20
$50 Disciples Chapel, Monday-Thursday
$20
$40 Parlor
$20
$50 Nursery
$25
$100 (Bride
must provide a nursery worker. Children may not be left unattended.) The following items are available for members
use:
1 Silver
coffee service : (tray, sugar & creamer, tea and coffee pot)
5 Silver trays
2 Silver candy dishes
2 Silver candle sticks
1 Glass punch bowl (w/ ladle and large tray)
110 Punch cups
2 Glass candy dishes
1 Glass divided candy dish
5 Glass serving trays
1 Cake knife
173 Dessert plates
113 Dessert forks
Cake and pie servers Tablecloths
|
