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Introduction
The marriage ceremony is one of the most sacred worship
services held by any church. We are delighted that you are considering College Grove United Methodist Church for the joyous occasion in your lives We want to help make preparing for your wedding a meaningful time, which is as free from stress as possible. As the time for your wedding approaches, one or more church members, who have been designated by the church trustees, and / or the pastor will work with you in preparing for the wedding and may be present at the rehearsal and at the wedding to assist you in any way possible. Please feel free to ask for information or advice.
Although your wedding day will be one of the most special days in your life, please remember that a wedding is also a worship service and must be treated with the reverence it demands. To consider all the possible elements of your wedding and to ensure the integrity of the worship service, you should plan to speak with the pastor of College Grove United Methodist Church as early as possible in the planning process. In order to extend every help and courtesy to you, our customary procedures and policies are outlined for your information on this page.
God bless you as you make plans, not only for your wedding day, but also for a lifetime together.
Sincerely,
Pastor and Trustees
Making the Reservation
Call the church office as far in advance as possible to make a tentative reservation. At that time, your names will be “tentatively” entered on the calendar, along with the date, time, and facilities requested. Please note, due to possible scheduling conflicts or other requests for church use, unconfirmed tentative reservations will only be held for two weeks.
Confirmation of the wedding reservation will be made upon receipt of the signed reservation form statement (see insert sheet), and a fifty percent deposit of the total fees. Any remainder of fees must be paid two weeks prior to the day of rehearsal.
Ministers
Only the currently appointed pastor of the College Grove United Methodist Church may officiate in wedding ceremonies held at College Grove United Methodist Church, unless the current pastor approves a qualified alternate. Please note, pre-marital counseling is strongly encouraged for all couples and, at the discretion of the pastor, may be a pre-requisite to receiving a reservation confirmation.
Music
Since you have chosen to be married in the church, all aspects of the wedding, including the music, should be appropriate for use in a worship service. You should carefully select the music to accentuate the reverent and celebrator atmosphere of the service. Understandably, choosing the musical selections for your wedding can be one of the most difficult aspects of the service. While many sacred, classical, contemporary Christian, and traditional selections will be appropriate, some songs that may be deemed “secular” may also be very appropriate. To prevent any embarrassments, the pastor should be informed as soon as possible about the songs for your wedding and if the church's sound system will need to be used. Remember, the pastor has an obligation to the church to ensure a sense of reverence at all worship services, including weddings. Therefore, if the pastor feels that a song is inappropriate for a church wedding, then that song will not be used. We recommend, but do not require, that you use the church organist or pianist. If a guest organist or pianist is to be used, he or she must be approved by the church organist or pianist and / or the pastor. Please remember to allow the vocalists and the accompanists plenty of time to learn and become familiar with your selections.
Caterer and Florist
Care must be taken to protect all church property
against damage. The following regulations must be observed and should be called to the attention of your florist and/or caterer.
The pulpit must have 3 or 4 people to remove it from or return it to the platform. Be very careful when moving the communion table and baptismal fount.
No nails, pins, tacks, glue or staples may be used to attach any decoration or equipment to walls, woodwork, furniture, or floors.
Only mechanical, drip-less candles may be used, except for the central candle of the unity candle.
If you plan to leave any flowers for use in the next Sunday worship service, please notify the church office in advance; otherwise all decorations must be removed immediately following the wedding by the florist or by others recruited by the couple or their families.
The wedding party is responsible for cleanup of debris (birdseed, drink cans, cigarette butts, etc.) on the driveway or sidewalks outside the church buildings. Of course, NO SMOKING is allowed inside any of the church buildings.
Weddings scheduled between Thanksgiving and Christmas may not remove Advent and Christmas decorations present in the church building.
No weddings will be performed on the Saturday before Easter.
Rehearsal
All weddings should have a rehearsal and all parties involved in the wedding, including musicians, should attend the rehearsal. The rehearsal is the foundation of a beautiful, reverent wedding service. During the rehearsal, the positioning of the wedding party members, lighting and sound levels for the ceremony will be decided, and the processional and recessional will be practiced. You and each member of the wedding party will also be shown where to dress before the wedding.
Photography
Please.... no flash photographs are to be taken in the church sanctuary during the ceremony. Any particular part of the service, such as the exchanging of rings, may be re-enacted after the service to allow for any detailed photographs.
Those photographs taken without flash during the ceremony should be taken from the entrance to the vestibule only, and taken then only if the person and noise of the photographer and camera do not disturb the worship atmosphere.
Videographers should be as inconspicuous and still as possible. Under no circumstances is anyone outside the wedding party to be in the altar area.
If a printed order of worship is used, please include a short note asking guests to refrain from making pictures during the ceremony.
Wedding Attire/Valuables
The church cannot be responsible for any personal items brought to the church for use in the wedding or rehearsal, nor shall the church be liable for such items if lost, stolen or damaged. However, every reasonable effort will be made to assist the wedding party in protecting such property.
Custodian
It is the bride's and groom's responsibility to discuss with a member of the trustee committee and the church custodian to specify any special arrangements of furnishings required.
A Few "No's" to Observe
No Smoking is permitted inside any building. This includes the restrooms.
No alcoholic beverages of any kind are allowed on the church premises, and no person under the influence of alcohol/drugs will be allowed to participate in the rehearsal or the wedding service.
To avoid having your guest slip or fall, no rice is to be thrown. If bird seed or soap bubbles are to be used, their use must be only outdoors.
Fees
Below is a listing of various fees for the use of the church buildings and equipment for non-members. Make checks payable to College Grove United Methodist Church.
Security Deposit: $ 500.00 Sanctuary (rehearsal and wedding): $350.00 seating approx #175 Old Fellowship Hall in basement (rehearsal dinner and/ or reception) seating approx. #100 $100.00 New Fellowship Hall with kitchen (rehearsal dinner and/or reception) seating approx. #200 $150.00 Cleaning Fee: $100 per building per event (if needed)
Please note at which events buildings are being used: Rehearsal, Rehearsal dinner, Wedding, Reception
Half of the total of the above fees are due at the time your reservation is confirmed. The remainder must be paid two weeks prior to the rehearsal. The above does not include fees for the organist, soloist, or wedding director, nor an honorarium for the minister. Ministers from outside our church should also be reimbursed for any travel, lodging or meal expenses incurred. The trustees reserve the right to waive certain fees for members of College Grove United Methodist Church - please see the pastor or the trustee chairperson for details.
Note From the Trustee Committee
When you have familiarized yourself with the information in the brochure, please complete and sign the Agreement Form(s) as much in advance of the wedding date as possible. After the forms confirming your wedding date have been received, you will be contacted by a member of the church office who will be happy to work with you and answer any additional questions you may have. These forms, along with a fifty percent deposit of fees and security deposit, must be in the church office for the wedding date to be confirmed on the church calendar. The balance of the fees is due two weeks prior to rehearsal.
We hope that this brochure has been informative and helpful. If you have additional questions, please feel free to call our pastor or one of our members of the trustee committee.
Pastor Rev. Justin Collett (615) 368-2191 (office) (615) 368-7141 (home)
Agreement
Date of Wedding: ______________________________
Printed Names of Bride and Groom: ____________________________________________________________
