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CONGRATULATIONS!
We are pleased that you have decided to have your wedding at Hope United Methodist
Church. The wedding service you are planning has special significance because
it is conducted in a church. A marriage ceremony is an act of worship. The
guests will not only gather to celebrate your marriage, but give thanks for
God’s blessings. The ceremony is a sacred service of worship and is to
be conducted with integrity, sanctity and dignity.
This page offers guidelines to couples
planning their wedding. The guidelines should be followed
and are an important part of Hope United Methodist Church’s
ministry to families. Questions about these guidelines may
be referred to the Senior Pastor and/or an Associate Pastor
of Hope United Methodist Church.
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE SENIOR PASTOR
Marriage is one of the most important steps that two people
can take. It is a sacred event signifying a covenant made
between the bride and groom and God. We ask couples to
take seriously the spiritual significance of being married
in the church. It is a sacred occasion symbolizing the
beauty, majesty and power of God. We pray that as you enter
this covenant, you will keep God at the center of everything
you do and continue your commitment to Christ and His Church
by faithful and active service after you are married. Getting
married in the church is not a fad. It signifies your willingness
to live a Christian life and to be in covenant with the
faith community.
Joyfully,
Dr. Carlyle Fielding Stewart, III
Senior Pastor | Back to top
PASTORAL INTERVIEWS AND CONCERNS
To avoid scheduling conflicts, couples should meet with the
Senior Pastor and/or an Associate Pastor before any public
announcement of the wedding.
The Senior Pastor and/or an Associate Pastor will counsel
the couple regarding their readiness for marriage, the meaning
of Christian marriage and their plans and expectations concerning
the ceremony itself. The number of sessions varies according
to need.
The Senior Pastor and/or an Associate Pastor of Hope United
Methodist Church will conduct all weddings. A request for
a guest minister to participate in the services should be
directed to the Senior Pastor of Hope United Methodist Church.
The wedding couple is responsible for submitting the curriculum
and biography of the guest minister to the Senior Pastor
for approval. Only then will the pastor extend an invitation
to the visiting clergy to do the service. The Senior Pastor
and/or an Associate Pastor will make all final decisions
regarding the nature of the wedding ceremony. | Back
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WEDDING STARTING TIME
It is important that weddings start on time. For example,
if the wedding is scheduled at 4:00 P.M., the wedding processional
is expected to begin promptly at 4:00 P.M. Late starting
times for weddings intrude on the schedules of clergy and
other professionals involved in the service. Late fees
will be incurred for weddings that have a late start. A
fifty-dollar ($50) charge will be assessed for each half
hour (½) beyond the starting time of the wedding.
| Back to top
'WHO CAN BE MARRIED
AT HOPE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Typically, only the members or constituents of Hope United
Methodist Church or their families are eligible to be married
at the church. However, non-members can also be married at
Hope United Methodist Church. | Back
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FACILITIES
Weddings are held in three areas of the church:
- Sanctuary- The Sanctuary has a seating capacity of approximately
500. The Sanctuary includes a 42-Rank Casavant Pipe
Organ and Hammond B-3 Organ.
- Chapel- The Chapel has a seating
capacity of approximately 75. The Chapel is used for
small, informal weddings and includes
an upright Piano and Organ.
- Courtyard- The Courtyard holds
approximately 100 people. Guest usually stands during
the ceremony. Contingent plans
should be made in case of bad weather.
Conference Rooms 22/23 are available as a dressing room
for the bride and her attendants.
Conference Rooms 24/25 are used for the groom, groomsmen
and ushers. The church reserves the right to change the location
of the dressing rooms.
Fellowship Hall is available for receptions.
The seating capacity for Fellowship Hall is approximately
250. Any use
of a food catering service other than the professional caterers
offered by Hope United Methodist Church must be approved
in advance by the Board of Trustees or the Business Manager
of Hope United Methodist Church. All food-catering services
are subject to the Facility Use Guidelines defined in the
Facility Rental Contract/Application. Hope United Methodist
Church allows the use of champagne and/or wine only. However,
Hope United Methodist Church prohibits the use or consumption
of any other type alcoholic beverages on the church premises.
Please contact the Director of Communications for any additional
information. | Back to top
PHOTOGRAPHS
Photographers generally take pictures of the wedding party
before and after the ceremony. Picture taking is forbidden
while the vows are in progress. Videos are permitted during
the entire service. Photographers, should not under any
circumstances, impede the movement or flow of the wedding
service once it has begun. It is the responsibility of
the ushers to inform guests to refrain from taking pictures
during the ceremony. The minister may stop the ceremony
if these guidelines are not followed. | Back
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FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS
Floral decorations, bows, and a center aisle runner (100ft)
are acceptable, if desired. The use of nails, tacks, or
clamps on church furnishings are not permitted. The use
of candles of any type must be approved by the Director
of Communications. Unity candles and/or stand can be requested
from the church at a small cost.
Masking tape may be used however, pew clips are preferred.
No other tape is permitted. All masking tape, candles, flowers,
decorations, etc. must be removed
immediately following the ceremony.
Weddings are conducted on Saturdays, and rehearsals are
on the day before, which is Friday. There are no weddings
or rehearsals scheduled on the same day. The rehearsal should
begin promptly and last no more than 90 minutes. There is
only one rehearsal per wedding. The Minister of Music must
review the steps and the movement of the processional in
advance of the rehearsal. The order of processional is bridesmaids,
maid of honor, ring bearer, flower girl(s), bride and escort.
| Back to top
MARRIAGE LICENSE
The Marriage License should be given to the pastor one hour
before the wedding ceremony. | Back
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WEDDING DAY
The bride and bridesmaids are required to arrive at the church
at least two hours before the service.
The groom and the best man are required to be dressed and
at the church two hours before the service.
Ushers should arrive at the church two hours before the
wedding. The ushers’ duties include ushering guests
and special family members to their seats 15 minutes before
the wedding service.
The Receiving Line may be formed in the Narthex, Courtyard
or Fellowship Hall. The usual order is bride’s mother,
groom’s father, groom’s mother, bride’s
father, bride, groom, maid of honor, best man, and bridesmaids.
For the sake of time, it is suggested that the Receiving
Line be formed at the reception site.
Arrangements for the delivery and set-up of the flowers
and other decorations must be made with the Director of Communications
one week prior to the wedding.
Flowers and decorations should be completed two (2) hours
before the wedding service. The Hope United Methodist Church
Wedding Coordinator should be notified as soon as possible
if you wish to leave flowers for Sunday Worship Service.
| Back to top
MUSIC
Beautiful music requires careful planning. The music selected
can and should enhance the beauty and spirituality of the
wedding service. Some secular music, regardless of its
appeal is not suitable for inclusion in the wedding service
and some music is not appropriate for a church ceremony
at all. While it is not the policy of Hope United Methodist
Church to prohibit the use of secular music, in the interest
of preserving the sanctity of the wedding service, Hope
United Methodist Church reserves the right to make final
determinations as to what music may or may not be performed.
The musical selections for the wedding must be submitted
in writing and as complete as possible and returned to the
Minister of Music mailbox located in the Administrative Building.
The Minister of Music will review the musical selections
for approval, sign the form and place the form in the couple’s
wedding file. Any problems or concerns regarding the musical
selections will be the responsibility of the Minister of
Music to resolve any conflicts.
The Minister of Music is available to assist in the selecting
of appropriate music, procuring a musician and/or soloist.
Do not hesitate to contact the Minister of Music for suggestions.
The wedding couple is welcome to use the instruments in
the Sanctuary such as, a Hammond B-3 Organ and 42-Rank Casavant
Pipe Organ, but should the services of an outside musician,
not on the Hope United Methodist Church staff, be selected,
the wedding couple will be held liable for any damages
to
these instruments. Instruments in the Sanctuary may not
be moved without written consent of the Minister of Music.
Compensation
for selected musicians and/or soloists is to be negotiated
between the couple planning the wedding and the artist.
Hope United Methodist Church retains no interest in and assumes
no responsibility for the agreed to arrangements.
The Minister of Music prefers that live music and/or musicians
are used whenever possible. In the event that recorded music
is to be used the following guidelines must be observed:
- Pre-nuptial music must be on a single cassette tape
and submitted to the Minister of Music. This tape is
to be given
to the Audio/Visual Technician in the Sound Booth at
the time of rehearsal. This tape will be returned to the
wedding
couple immediately following the wedding ceremony.
- Any accompanying
tapes and/or tracks must be clearly marked with each
song to be performed on a separate cassette tape.
Make sure that the song starts at the beginning of the
tape.
- If plans are to use a recorded song for the processional,
record the song at least twice on the same tape in the
event that the song ends before the processional is complete.
This
assures the song will begin a second time immediately.
- Only
the personnel of Hope United Methodist Church’s
Communications Ministry is permitted in the Sound Booth
or allowed to operate the sound equipment.
- The soloist singing
at the wedding ceremony is required to be present at
the rehearsal.
- All cassette tapes to be used in the wedding
ceremony must be clearly marked, brought to rehearsal
and left with
the Audio/Visual Technician. The cassette tapes will
be returned immediately following the wedding ceremony.
While it is not necessary for the soloist, singing to a
track, to attend the rehearsal, the Audio/Visual Technician
should be informed of special needs with regards to microphones,
etc. required at the wedding. Any questions or concerns related
to the music should be referred to the Minister of Music.
| Back to top
PROCESSIONAL AND RECESSIONALS
Although the traditional processional and recessional are
preferred at Hope United Methodist Church, many other pieces
of sacred music are suitable for this purpose.
SOLOS
Hope United Methodist Church soloists are available for weddings
or outside soloists may be used. All soloists and musicians
are to be present at the wedding rehearsal. Fees should
be arranged with the soloist and the Minister of Music.
This fee must be paid by the prospective marriage couple.
The vocal music selected for the wedding should be a suitable
hymn whether sung by the soloist or the congregation. The
Minister of Music is available for suggestions regarding
the appropriate music selection(s). | Back
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REHEARSAL
The rehearsal is an important part of the wedding. Wedding
rehearsals should be conducted one day before the wedding
and start between the hours of six and seven in the evening.
The wedding rehearsal should begin on time.
Those attending the rehearsal should include: the bridal
couple, attendants, soloists (if unfamiliar with the church),
guest musicians, ushers, parents taking part in the service
and/or the wedding consultant, coordinator or party planner.
| Back to top
FEE STRUCTURE
Reserving the wedding date on the church calendar requires
one-half (½) down payment of the fees at the time of
the reservation. All fees must be paid one month (30 days)
prior to the wedding.
The Pastor’s Honorarium is $200.00. (This
fee includes two counseling sessions and must be paid in
full at the first counseling session.)
All other wedding rental fees for the Chapel, Courtyard,
Fellowship Hall and/or the Sanctuary are quoted upon request.
For copies of the Fee Schedules for HUMC and/or NON-HUMC
members, contact the Director of Communications. | Back
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LATE FEES
A $50.00 charge will be assessed for every half hour (½)
late in starting the wedding. | Back
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FRIENDLY REMINDERS
- Contact the church immediately following your engagement.
- Reserve the date with the Senior Pastor or Associate
Pastor and Communications Director by paying one-half (½)
of
the fees. The wedding date can only be finalized after
your consultation
with the pastor officiating your wedding.
- Schedule rehearsal
date and time.
- Consult with the officiating pastor the
order and content of the wedding ceremony.
- Consult with
the Hope United Methodist Church Minister of Music
to arrange for any musical services and make
your selections for music.
- Notify all vendors regarding
the rules and regulations of Hope United Methodist Church.
- Pay all fees one month (30 days) prior to the wedding.
- The wedding consultant, coordinator and/or party planner
and the caterer should access the church
facilities one
month (30 days) prior to the wedding.
- Please
assure that the wedding begins promptly at the scheduled
time.
- For every half hour (½) late, a $50.00
charge will be assessed.
- Please observe
proper behavior and care in relation to the church property.
- CONGRATULATIONS
on your happy day!
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