Wedding Procedures

   We are happy that you have chosen ... as the place for your wedding
and we shall be glad to serve you in order to make your wedding day a
memorable and joyous experience. We want to remain as flexible as
possible with you as you plan your wedding and we suggest you read this
brochure carefully in order to think through what would be best for
your wedding day.

   General Procedures for Weddings:

   1. Contact the Pastor. This should be done early before any dates
are set or any arrangements are made. Eight to ten weeks prior to the
date you wish to set you should request a conference date with the
pastor.

   2. All wedding plans must be approved by the Pastor. All details
concerning the wedding and related arrangements must conform with
Christian practices and Presbyterian customs.

   3. The Pastor of the Church will officiate at all weddings held in
the Church unless he is unavailable. If a family desires another
clergyperson to participate in the service, such a desire should be
made known to the Pastor and he will extend the invitation to the other
clergyperson.

   4. Weddings may be performed at places other than the Church
building but only at the discretion of the Pastor. Normally all
weddings will be held at the Church unless special circumstances
prevent it. No wedding will be performed at another church unless the
Pastor of that Church or its officers extend a special invitation.

   Counseling Sessions:

   1. All couples should plan to spend several sessions counseling with
the Pastor. Our Church feels a special responsibility for people who
assume the responsibilities of married life in a service at our Church.
We are alarmed by the rising divorce rate in our country which now
results in over half of the couples getting married to split up in the
first five years. We believe that proper premarital and postmarital
counseling can improve your chances for a long, happy, and rewarding
marriage. The number of sessions is at the discretion of the Pastor and
appointments should be scheduled with him.

   2. Divorced persons should bring their divorce papers with them to
first counseling session. Various testing procedures or additional
counseling sessions may be required by the Pastor.

   3. During counseling sessions, the Christian meaning of marriage
will be discussed. You will be asked for some background information
and you will be given some material to read between sessions. The
Pastor has a variety of books and cassette tapes on various aspects of
the marriage relationship. Please let him know if you would like to
borrow any specific resources.

   Sanctuary:

   1. The sanctuary must be reserved for the date and time of the
wedding and the wedding rehearsal. This may be done either when you are
making an appointment for your first premarital counseling session or
at the time of your first conference.

   2. The decoration of the sanctuary (flowers, ribbons for pews, aisle
runner, etc.) is the responsibility of the wedding party in conjunction
with their selected florist. Care must be taken not to damage any of
the church property. The sanctuary has a dignified beauty which is
enhanced by simple decorations which provide color and attractiveness
without display or gaudiness.

   3. Those who are not members of this church will be charged a fee
for the use of our facilities in addition to the regular fees for
individual services. A summary of all fees will be found on the last
page of this brochure.

   Flowers and Special Decorations:

   1. Your florist should provide all flowers, special decorations, and
the white aisle runner if you are using one.

   2. If a "Unity Candle" is desired, you should plan to purchase this
separately in a gift shop. Please make sure you also have appropriate
candleholders and placemats so that wax will not drip on any of the
church furnishings.

   3. The florist should have everything ready at least one hour before
the ceremony begins. The florist must claim all of his equipment and
supplies (such as aisle runner or special candle holders) on the day of
the wedding unless other arrangements have been made.

   4. If you wish, the wedding flowers may be left at the Church for
the Sunday Worship Service. Recognition of this will appear in the
worship bulletin if requested.

   Photographs:

   1. No flash pictures may be taken by anyone during the service. The
noise of movie cameras can be distracting and they should not be used
either. Ushers should instruct guests arriving with cameras of this
rule.

   2. Time exposures or the use of fast film which does not require
flash is permitted by your professional photographer during the service
as long as he or she remains as inconspicuous as possible and remains
in the background.

   3. If your photographer has not been present at weddings in our
Church before, he or she should be instructed to contact the Pastor for
information regarding what is acceptable. For purposes of
interpretation, the service begins when the bride reaches the front of
the Church sanctuary and ends after the Benediction is pronounced. No
pictures should be taken during this interval except as permitted above.

   Music:

   1. The Church Organist will play for all weddings held at this
Church. If the Church Organist is not available for the date of the
wedding, then the Pastor or the wedding party may secure the services
of someone else and any fee will be negotiable.

   2. All music used in the wedding ceremony must be cleared with the
Pastor and Church Organist. The Wedding Service is essentially a
service of prayer and praise to God for establishing and blessing your
marriage. The Pastor or the Organist will be glad to assist you in
making appropriate musical selections.

   Vocalists:

   1. You may choose your own soloist if you desire to have one as long
as the person is capable of rendering the music without undue practice.
If additional rehearsals are necessary with your vocalist and our
Organist, there will be an additional fee for the Organist's time.
Music with a light, sentimental character which has special
significance for the bride or groom would be more appropriate at the
reception.

   2. You should pay your own vocalist directly. Nothing has been
included on the fee schedule on the last page.

   Sexton:

   1. Cleaning the Church after a wedding is necessary so that the
facilities will be ready for future use. It is also necessary to see
that doors are unlocked and the ventilation or heat is adjusted
properly prior to the service. The Church Sexton will perform these
services and also see that the church is unlocked for your florist to
deliver any floral arrangements.

   2. The Sexton's fee listed on the last page applies to members and
non-members alike. To simplify the cleaning, we request that no
confetti be used at all and that rice or bird seed be used outside
only. The ushers should inform the guests accordingly.

   Dressing at the Church:

   1. It is recommended that both the bride and groom and their
attendants dress for the service prior to arriving at the church.
Dressing areas are limited and may not be as convenient as your home.

   Tape Recording:

   1. You are welcome to tape record your wedding. Our church has
taping equipment but you should supply a top quality cassette tape and
make arrangements for this in advance.

   Fees for Wedding Services:

   1. Rather than make out individual checks to show your appreciation
for those who have assisted in making your wedding day a lasting
memory, we request that you make out a single check to " ... " for the
full amount, payable at the time of the rehearsal. Individual payments
will then be made by our church treasurer.