Having Your Wedding at Faith
We are pleased that you are interested in having your wedding at Faith.The information here should help you as you make your plans. After you have read this over, the next step is to get in touch with Pastor Stein. And you should come see the church if you have not been here before.
Wedding Options
At Faith Church, couples of all faith backgrounds and walks of life are welcome. You do not have to be a member of the church to be married in Faith’s church building, nor do you have to be married by the church’s pastor.Mostly people either
• Are married at Faith by one of Faith’s pastors.
• Are married at Faith by their own pastor.
• Are married in some other location by one of Faith’s pastors.
For these reasons, we’ve broken the elements of a typical wedding into parts.
Schedule of Fees
There is no cost for the use of the church building for members and their immediate families, and part of the duties of the pastor is to prepare members of the congregation for Christian marriage. For others, the church charges a fee
Item
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Fee
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pre-marriage counseling
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$200
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Marriage ceremony and preparation
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$300
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Use of church building
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$600 (plus a refundable $500 damage deposit)
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Organist
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$300
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Use of fellowship hall and kitchen for reception
|
Varies
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Description of Options
Pre-marital counseling
All couples should spend structured time talking about themselves and their hopes and fears before getting married. If you are going to be married by the pastor at Faith, you must spend this time with the pastor or another approved pastor or counselor. Faith can help you find a counselor near you if you live out of town. If you meet with one of Faith’s pastors, the counseling generally takes two or three 75 minutes sessions. Typically people meet for counseling two to three months before the wedding date.
Marriage ceremony and preparation
Your service may be traditional or contemporary. You may choose to use the Lutheran liturgy or to incorporate elements from other faith traditions. We encourage you to make your ceremony your own. If you choose to have one of Faith’s pastors preside over your ceremony, the pastor will spend time with you planning the service (which includes planning the liturgy, writing vows and prayers, perhaps developing a homily or other remarks).
Use of the church building
You may use the church for the rehearsal and the marriage service.
You will be able to use the church one evening before the wedding for rehearsal. Normally, only one wedding will be scheduled on any one day. The church will be open for three hours before the scheduled wedding and for two hours after its scheduled start.
In some circumstances, you may use the hall and kitchen for a reception or other gathering after the wedding. There is an additional fee for the use of this space; please contact us. No alcoholic beverages are permitted in the church or on the grounds.
You should make plans to remove flowers and other decorations before the end of the day on which the wedding is held. The responsibility to clean up thoroughly after the wedding or rehearsal is yours.
Music
If you use the church building for your wedding, we expect that you will contract with the director of music at Faith for organ music and other music planning. Even if you plan to use other musicians, you must pay the fee for the music director unless he or she is unavailable on the wedding date. This is according to the rules of the Guild of Organists