Weddings

The wedding ceremony is one of the most sacred moments in the life of any couple. It is a ceremony in which two people ask the blessings of God upon them as they begin their lives together. It is the desire of the Church to make every wedding ceremony a beautiful and worshipful event. The following procedures have been thoughtfully adopted to assist in the planning of weddings which are to take place in our facilities.

It is important that the times for rehearsal and the ceremony be cleared through the church office well in advance to avoid conflict with other scheduled activities and services. Application for the use of the church's facilities will be received by the Community Life Coordinator Secretary, at which time a Wedding Reservation Form must be completed and deposits made to secure dates and facilities. Wedding dates may be requested no sooner that 6 months before the intended date. Cancellation of reservations less than thirty (30) days prior to scheduled date will receive no refund of money deposited. No formal weddings may be scheduled on a Sunday. Weddings are not permitted on holidays or holiday weekends.

You may request the services of our pastor or any ordained minister on our ministerial staff to perform the marriage ceremony. Outside ministers to be used to officiate the wedding ceremony must be approved by the Pastor of the Church. Fees for the minister's services are appropriate and should be given directly to the minister.

First Baptist Church requires that a staff wedding consultant be utilized to work with the outside minister to coordinate the rehearsal/wedding schedules, details, and staff communication at the time of the wedding rehearsal and ceremony. They will be available for a pre-wedding conference to discuss such details as rehearsal planning, set-ups, standing positions, etc. The person will function as the key "church" person on the day of the rehearsal and wedding and will communicate with other church staff as necessary.

Our ministers perform the wedding ceremony only after several pre-wedding conferences with the bride and groom. The purpose of the pre-wedding conference is to assist the couple in preparing for marriage, to review the meaning of Christian marriage, and to discuss the preparations for the ceremony itself. A minimum of three sessions prior to the wedding date is required to adequately minister to the couple. The conferences should be arranged through the minister's secretary. It is desirable for the first conference to be held at least two months before the wedding.

The wedding rehearsal is an integral part of the wedding preparation. The rehearsal shall begin promptly at the scheduled time. The minister will be in charge of the rehearsal. It will be his responsibility to conduct the rehearsal in order that the wedding itself may be all that you plan for it to be in the house of God. Your wedding consultant is invited to be present as a guest. No food or drink is allowed at the rehearsal. All members of the wedding party, including the musicians, if possible, will attend the rehearsal.

There are five main rooms available for the reception: Price Hall, The Underground, or the Wolf Conference Center.

Table Measurements

• Price Hall or The Underground: Long Rectangle—3 ft. by 8 ft.; Round—70 in.

Music is a very important part of the wedding ceremony and should, at all times, be suitable for a sacred occasion. The use of secular music is discouraged. All vocal music, and its placement in the service, must be approved by the officiating Minister before the wedding. The Church Organist or Pianist is generally used as the organist or pianist for weddings. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to contact the organist or pianist and other musicians concerning their availability for the rehearsal and wedding ceremony. Please do this well in advance. If they are unavailable due to other commitments, they or the Minister of Music will recommend a substitute. The bride should consult with the organist concerning any particular musical preferences to be used in the ceremony (prelude, processionals, recessionals, postlude, etc.). The Church Organist and Pianist maintain a large repertoire of instrumental music appropriate for the wedding ceremony. (The Sanctuary organ is a 170 rank, 4-manual Cassavant pipe/electronic combination organ.) Be sure to bring any flash drive or recorded music being used to your rehearsal.

Brass candelabra with oil burning candles and a kneeling bench are available from the church at no charge. The use of wax candles is permissible in the Sanctuary and Chapel. Dripless candles must be used and wax paper or other protective covering must be placed underneath candles so that no wax will damage anything underneath. If candle wax drips on the carpet, the $150 deposit will be used to pay for the carpet cleaning. There will be no taping, gluing or tacking of decorations to the woodwork or the plaster in any of the facilities.

The florist and caterer must notify the Community Life Coordinator Secretary as to the date and time of their work so that the facilities to be used will be open. The buildings are closed on Saturdays and are opened only upon request. It is not financially feasible to have a custodian on duty all day to allow the wedding party to come and go as they wish. All work at the church on Saturdays must be coordinated and scheduled through the Community Life Coordinator Secretary.

Arrangements should be made with the florist to remove all of their equipment immediately following the wedding reception, particularly weddings held on Saturday. The bride and groom are responsible for any damages to church facilities and equipment; therefore; the deposit will be used to compensate for any damages that may occur.

The building custodian will open the facilities to the wedding party two hours before the ceremony. Generally, two hours allows sufficient time for the wedding party to arrive and dress. If additional time is needed, please coordinate the arrival time with the Community Life Coordinator Secretary. Additional fees for the added custodial time will be necessary ($12 per hour.)

Dressing rooms are available, if needed, and should be coordinated in advance. The exterior doors will be opened to wedding guests one hour before the ceremony.

Photographs are meaningful mementoes of every wedding; however, the taking of those photographs should not be a distraction to the worshipful atmosphere of the ceremony. Flash photos are not permitted. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom that the photographer understands these policies. In a Sanctuary wedding, it is recommended that photos of the ceremony be taken from the balcony. That vantage point provides an excellent panorama of the entire wedding party in a beautiful setting.

1. Deposit
2. Building Use Fees (Non-members of First Baptist Church are required to pay building use fees.)

• Sanctuary: $400
• Chapel: $200

Note: Custodial fees are in addition to the above fees.

3. Custodial Fees

• Sanctuary Wedding only: $96
• Chapel Wedding only: $84
• Sanctuary Wedding with Price Hall Reception*: $144
• Chapel Wedding with Parlor Reception*: $120
• Chapel Wedding with Price Hall Reception*: $144

4. Musicians' Fees
5. Sound and Lighting
6. Wedding Consultant
Minimum total of non-optional fees for Sanctuary Wedding (not including Deposit or Building Use Fees): $391
Minimum total of non-optional fees for Chapel Wedding (not including Deposit or Building Use Fees): $379

• The deposit is due upon scheduling your wedding date. (Additional fees resulting from property damage and/or additional personnel costs will be deducted from the deposit. The deposit or balance of the deposit will be returned after the wedding.
• One half of the total fee is due two months before the wedding date.
• The balance is due one month before the wedding date.

The honorarium for the minister's services is not included in these fees. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to pay the minister. By custom, this amount is at the discretion of the bride and groom. (A recommended amount is $100-$150, depending on the size of the wedding.)

Musician's fees are additional. If you use our church organist or pianist, the fee is $150 for the wedding and rehearsal. This amount will be added to your total due. Be sure to enlist your musician(s) well in advance of your wedding date.