St. Peter's United Church of Christ
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Worship at St. Peter's > Rites and Sacraments
Your Wedding at
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ
St. Peter’s United Church of Christ
Congratulations! The church shares your happiness. We are pleased to help you in the planning of a beautiful wedding and a blessed married life together. This brochure has been prepared in order to assist you in making the church service portion of your wedding day as special and uncomplicated as possible.
In order to schedule your wedding it must be written on the official calendar, after the date and time have been cleared with the officiating pastor. Non-members must pay all fees before the date is entered on the church calendar.
When you come here to request a wedding, you are saying that you believe marriage is a sacred relationship of life, and therefore the wedding ceremony should be an act of worship. With all the activities that go with getting married, the wedding service is the most central and the most important! Because it is a service of the church we ask you to recognize both the responsibility and the experience of the church in this, and to support these basic guidelines.
Please
contact the pastor as soon as you have a date. It is very
important that this be entered on the church calendar as early as
possible. You should also talk to the pastor as soon as you
have some
ideas about your service so that he or she can help you with some of
your questions. At a later time, the pastor will want to talk
with you
about our Christian understanding of marriage. Feel free to
talk to
the pastor with your questions and concerns.
If you choose you can have a candlelight setting. This can be done any time of the day. The church has the candles and candelabra for the chancel, but candles in the pews or aisles are prohibited. The sanctuary lights can be dimmed on a rheostat so that a soft mood is created during the ceremony.
The space in front of the church is limited so that more than eight attendants total makes it crowded. Please be thoughtful about including children. Flower girls and ring bearers, who are too young, can detract from the service, so please have them at least school age.
The setting in the sanctuary is beautiful without adornment. A centerpiece, and/or vases are usually just the right touch. If you have no other preference, use one of our local florists. They know the church and the altar from making floral arrangements for Sunday worship services. Please do not use an aisle runner. Real flower petals may not be thrown in the building.
Music is an important part of your service. Because this is a service of the church, the church organist should play. She or he should be consulted well in advance, and will be glad to play parts of different musical selections for you to choose. A guest soloist may be used, and should contact the organist will in advance for rehearsal. We can recommend someone from the congregation and the community. Sometimes, the organ music is sufficient. Romantic music, secular music, while enjoyable in itself, may be inappropriate in a worship service. The music should be of a religious spirit. Check with the pastor performing your wedding.
Services at St. Peter’s are done with reverence and dignity. One of the most important things you will ever do in your life, getting married, should be done with one of the most genuine and real worship experiences you and your family ever had.
The church office will prepare a wedding bulletin for the service if you request one. We can order them for you. We have catalogs of covers you can choose from, or you can buy them yourself from most Christian Book Stores. Please bring the information two weeks in advance.
Please be thoughtful about picture taking. We do not allow flash photos by anyone during the service. There is a graciously printed and worded sign to that effect in the lobby. The photographer you choose should have this sensitivity to the church and worship. He or she should consult with the pastor before the service. We will be glad to cooperate all we can with them. No photographers, either video or still, are allowed to intrude in the service by being in the front of the church during the ceremony.
We list here a statement of cost for your wedding at St. Peter’s. You will find that the most important part of your wedding, the church service, is the least expensive. In fact, these charges are made not for any commercial purpose, but simply to cover the added costs involved for the church staff who serve you.
The wedding rehearsal begins the entire wedding experience. It is usually held the evening before, and is important in getting acquainted and setting the tone. Schedule this with the pastor when you make arrangements. Remember to bring your wedding license at this time.
Please do not throw rice, birdseed, confetti, etc. It is hard on our environment and does not clean up with a carpet sweeper.
If you choose you can have a candlelight setting. This can be done any time of the day. The church has the candles and candelabra for the chancel, but candles in the pews or aisles are prohibited. The sanctuary lights can be dimmed on a rheostat so that a soft mood is created during the ceremony.
The space in front of the church is limited so that more than eight attendants total makes it crowded. Please be thoughtful about including children. Flower girls and ring bearers, who are too young, can detract from the service, so please have them at least school age.
The setting in the sanctuary is beautiful without adornment. A centerpiece, and/or vases are usually just the right touch. If you have no other preference, use one of our local florists. They know the church and the altar from making floral arrangements for Sunday worship services. Please do not use an aisle runner. Real flower petals may not be thrown in the building.
Music is an important part of your service. Because this is a service of the church, the church organist should play. She or he should be consulted well in advance, and will be glad to play parts of different musical selections for you to choose. A guest soloist may be used, and should contact the organist will in advance for rehearsal. We can recommend someone from the congregation and the community. Sometimes, the organ music is sufficient. Romantic music, secular music, while enjoyable in itself, may be inappropriate in a worship service. The music should be of a religious spirit. Check with the pastor performing your wedding.
Services at St. Peter’s are done with reverence and dignity. One of the most important things you will ever do in your life, getting married, should be done with one of the most genuine and real worship experiences you and your family ever had.
The church office will prepare a wedding bulletin for the service if you request one. We can order them for you. We have catalogs of covers you can choose from, or you can buy them yourself from most Christian Book Stores. Please bring the information two weeks in advance.
Please be thoughtful about picture taking. We do not allow flash photos by anyone during the service. There is a graciously printed and worded sign to that effect in the lobby. The photographer you choose should have this sensitivity to the church and worship. He or she should consult with the pastor before the service. We will be glad to cooperate all we can with them. No photographers, either video or still, are allowed to intrude in the service by being in the front of the church during the ceremony.
We list here a statement of cost for your wedding at St. Peter’s. You will find that the most important part of your wedding, the church service, is the least expensive. In fact, these charges are made not for any commercial purpose, but simply to cover the added costs involved for the church staff who serve you.
The wedding rehearsal begins the entire wedding experience. It is usually held the evening before, and is important in getting acquainted and setting the tone. Schedule this with the pastor when you make arrangements. Remember to bring your wedding license at this time.
Please do not throw rice, birdseed, confetti, etc. It is hard on our environment and does not clean up with a carpet sweeper.
Member:
Each check or envelope is to made out to each individual and given to
the pastor, along with the license and the envelope for mailing the
license, on the night of the rehearsal.
Non-members: Must pay all fees in advance to reserve wedding date.
Use of the Church: $600 for non-members for a formal service. There is no charge when either the bride or groom is a member.
Officiating Pastor: An honorarium of at least $175 for members and $400 for non-members would be appropriate for the officiating pastor.
Church Organist: $200
Wedding Rehearsal: If the organist is desired at the wedding rehearsal, an additional fee of $50 will be required for the first hour of rehearsal time. If the rehearsal lasts for more than one hour, a fee of $25 for each hour past the first will be incurred. Rehearsals with instrumentalists/vocalists: $50 for each rehearsal with each instrumentalist/vocalist.
Custodian: Use of the sanctuary, $100 for 4 hours. Each additional hour, $25. Use of the Parish Hall for receptions, $100 (Parish Hall receptions are for St. Peter’s members only.)
Soloist: (if contacted through the church) $40 for member, $50 for non-members.
Candelabra and candles: $30 for members, $50 for non-members.
Church Secretary: $40 if bulletins are printed, plus the cost of the bulletins.
We invite members of the church to use the Parish Hall for a reception or a social period of some kind after the service. No alcoholic beverages are to be served either in the church or on church property.
Amended April 2005
Non-members: Must pay all fees in advance to reserve wedding date.
Use of the Church: $600 for non-members for a formal service. There is no charge when either the bride or groom is a member.
Officiating Pastor: An honorarium of at least $175 for members and $400 for non-members would be appropriate for the officiating pastor.
Church Organist: $200
Wedding Rehearsal: If the organist is desired at the wedding rehearsal, an additional fee of $50 will be required for the first hour of rehearsal time. If the rehearsal lasts for more than one hour, a fee of $25 for each hour past the first will be incurred. Rehearsals with instrumentalists/vocalists: $50 for each rehearsal with each instrumentalist/vocalist.
Custodian: Use of the sanctuary, $100 for 4 hours. Each additional hour, $25. Use of the Parish Hall for receptions, $100 (Parish Hall receptions are for St. Peter’s members only.)
Soloist: (if contacted through the church) $40 for member, $50 for non-members.
Candelabra and candles: $30 for members, $50 for non-members.
Church Secretary: $40 if bulletins are printed, plus the cost of the bulletins.
We invite members of the church to use the Parish Hall for a reception or a social period of some kind after the service. No alcoholic beverages are to be served either in the church or on church property.
Amended April 2005