PARKWAY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST WEDDING GUIDELINES

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Below is a list to help you with your wedding plans at Parkway.

STAFF

v  Pastor Kevin Cameron or Pastor Joe Rowley will officiate at your ceremony.

v  If you wish to have a different pastor than the ones on staff at Parkway officiate or assist at your ceremony, please discuss this with Pastor Kevin.

v  A wedding facilitator will be assigned to you. This is not a “wedding coordinator.”  This person is a member of our church and will be assisting at the rehearsal and wedding ceremony.  You will meet this person at the rehearsal.

PRE-MARITAL CONVERSATIONS ***

v  Prior to the wedding, the pastor will meet with you at least three times in his office. Please contact the pastor and set up the first appointment; the church phone number is 314-872-9330 or contact at kevin@parkwayucc.org; joe @parkwayucc.org

v  Please complete the wedding data form, which is attached.  Please return to the church as    

       soon as possible.

PLANNING THE WEDDING SERVICE

v  Dates and times for weddings and rehearsals are reserved through the church office administrator in consultation with the pastor. Reservations for the building are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.  You will be asked to sign a rental agreement and submit the building fee before your wedding date is set on our calendar.

v  All couples plan their wedding music with our organist, Barbara Raedeke (636-861-7076)

BRaedeke@aol.com   It is important you contact her to confirm the date you have selected.  If she is not available, other musician recommendations will be offered.

v  The music at your marriage service should enhance and beautify the reverent, God-centered spirit of the ceremony.  Our organist or pastor will be able to offer appropriate suggestions.  The organist in consultation with the pastor has final approval on all musical decisions.

AT THE REHEARSAL

v  A rehearsal is necessary for most weddings. Approximately one hour is needed, and the time will have to be arranged at the mutual convenience of the pastor, the couple, and space availability. The officiating pastor is in charge of the rehearsal and will give complete and detailed instructions.

v  The Parkway wedding facilitator will also be in attendance at the rehearsal.

v  All persons in the wedding party (maid/matron of honor, bridesmaids, best man, groomsmen, ushers, etc.) and parents are to be present at the rehearsal.

v  The LICENSE should be brought to the rehearsal and given to the pastor to keep until the

       ceremony.    

THE WEDDING DAY

v  Furnishings may only be moved in consultation with the wedding facilitator.  You are responsible for returning them to their original location before leaving the building.

v  No alcoholic beverages are allowed on church property.  Smoking is not allowed inside church buildings.

v  To use rooms for the wedding party to get dressed in, make arrangements with Amy,

church Office Administrator.

v  The church is not responsible for lost or stolen gifts and/or property brought to the church building during the rehearsal or the day of the wedding.  Please take everything with you when you leave.

v  Bride and groom may be showered outside with birdseed, or bubbles.  Please no rice.  

v  NO flash pictures are to be taken during the service, except as members of the wedding party come down the center aisle for the processional and again for the recessional. No photographers or videographers, professional or amateur, may be stationed any closer to the front of the chancel than halfway.  You should advise professional and amateur photographers of these regulations in advance of the service.  Please remind photographers/videographers to check in with the pastor on the day of the wedding.

v  Videographers may position a stationary camera in the corner of the chancel area with    

      pastoral approval.

RECEPTIONS

v  Our Fellowship Hall may be used for wedding receptions. To reserve it, contact the church office administrator.

v  If using the Fellowship Hall, you are responsible for setting up and taking down tables & chairs.  It is helpful to designate one person to be responsible for this so they can coordinate this and other items with the wedding facilitator.  This person must be present throughout the wedding and reception.

v  No alcoholic beverages are allowed on church property.  Smoking is not allowed inside church buildings.

WEDDING COSTS

v  Building fees are to be paid in full to the church Office Administrator at the time of reservation.  If cancellation notice is received at least six months prior to the ceremony, you will receive a full reimbursement. Make checks payable to Parkway United Church of Christ.

v  Pastor, Organist, Wedding Facilitator and Custodial fees are to be paid directly to the individual and should be dropped off at the church office two weeks prior to the ceremony.  Pastor fee includes three pre-marital sessions, rehearsal, and ceremony.  Organist fee includes one consultation with the couple and music at the rehearsal and ceremony.  Wedding Facilitator fee includes rehearsal and ceremony.  Custodial fee includes maintenance of all the spaces that you use.

BUILDING FEES  (due at time of reservation)                                                    

New Sanctuary (seats 300):  $500.00                 

Historic Sanctuary (seats 150):  $500.00            

Fellowship Hall with food:  $300.00                   

Fellowship Hall without food:  $200.00               

Heritage Room:  $100.00                      

           

STAFF FEES   (due 2 weeks before the ceremony)

Pastor -  Kevin Cameron:  $200.00                                

Organist/Pianist -  Barbara Raedeke:  Base fee $200.00, each rehearsal with soloist  $35.00.                    

Soloist  (pay at rehearsal):  To be decided by you and soloist

Wedding Facilitator:  $ 100.00

Custodian – John Jones:  $ 75.00

                       

FEES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE            - Please verify with the Church Office Administrator

Click here for Wedding Rental Agreement 

Again, congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

Blessings as you live these exciting days!

 

*** Prior to weddings at Parkway UCC, I meet with couples at least three times.  We call these Pre-marital Conversations … not Pre-marital Counseling … since we are not professional counselors and we do not presume that you need counseling.

 

During the months leading up to a wedding, so much time and energy is spent on decisions around dresses and tuxes; dinner and cake; invitations and seating charts, etc etc …. We spend our time talking about more than the wedding day.  We talk about your past, present and future as individuals and as a couple.

 

In a confidential setting, we will focus on a wide variety of topics including: family of origin, faith, parenting, communication, finances, gender roles and expectations.

 

Worksheets are one of the ways that we accomplish our goals.  These worksheets are for your eyes only.  You do not turn them in.  Each couple gets two sets so that you can fill them out separately and then share your responses on your own.  While there is value in what we discuss when we are together, the real opportunity for sharing and knowing one another comes as you prep for the meeting and as you leave the meeting and continue the conversation that night and into the future.

 

Through these Pre-Marital Conversations, we will get to know one another so that on your wedding day we have an established relationship … and we call each other by the right name.

 

We look forward to working with you as you prepare for your wedding and more importantly, your marriage.

 

 

Updated June 5, 2009