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Friendship Presbyterian Church
Wedding Guidelines
Introduction
The members of Friendship Presbyterian Church would like to congratulate you and wish you joy in your upcoming marriage. These guidelines have been prepared to help you plan for this occasion and to serve as a contract to be signed by those who assume financial responsibility for the wedding. Please read them carefully and inform others involved with your wedding of their contents. If you have questions, please contact Donna Rigsby, the Church Administrator at Friendship, (706) 542-3016, office@gotofriendship.org .
As a Presbyterian church, Friendship has a responsibility to ensure that weddings conducted in our sanctuary be faithful to the spirit and traditions of the Reformed faith. Therefore, those requesting to be married at Friendship shall meet with the pastor of Friendship for pre-marriage consultation. Friendship's pastor normally conducts wedding services held at the church; if you wish to invite another pastor to participate, please discuss this with the pastor of Friendship. (If your pastor is not a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) the Pastor of Friendship is usually required to participate in the service as well.) It is not required that either bride or groom be members of Friendship or another Presbyterian church in order to be married at Friendship.
Friendship provides a trained wedding coordinator who is a member of the church and can ensure the orderly progress of the rehearsal and wedding service (the wedding coordinator does not participate in the reception). The wedding coordinator will familiarize the bridal couple with the rules and procedures involved in holding a wedding at Friendship. The church office will notify the couple of the name, phone number, and email address of the assigned coordinator. An outside wedding coordinator may also be used, but must work under the authority of the coordinator from Friendship.
Reservation
Those requesting marriage should contact the pastor at least 4 months prior to the planned date of the wedding. The date will be confirmed with the church's administrative assistant and placed on the calendar of events.
Sunday afternoons, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Easter Week, Thanksgiving Day and the weekend following it, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day are not available for weddings.
Facilities
It is important to understand that Friendship Presbyterian Church is not a building to be rented out, but a house of worship that provides a setting for Christian marriage. The wedding service is held in the sanctuary, which has a maximum seating capacity of 180. The Fellowship Hall and Choir Room may be used before the service for dressing and other preparations, and receptions may be held in the Friendship Room. When making the reservation, those wishing to be married at Friendship should specify which areas of the church they plan to use and how long they will occupy these spaces, as other events may be taking place in the church on the same day.
No alcoholic beverages are permitted in the church buildings or on church property at any time. No smoking is permitted at any time inside any part of the church facilities. Outdoor smoking must be confined to the church parking lot, and the bridal couple is responsible for providing appropriate containers for the disposal of all smoking material used on church property.
Music
All music for the wedding service must be appropriate to the worship of God. Friendship's pastor and music director, acting on behalf of the Session, will approve all music for the wedding service.
The music director's services should be secured at least 3 months prior to the wedding. The music director can serve as organist and can assist in arranging for the services of soloists and other musicians. All additional musicians must be approved by the music director. No recorded music is permitted in the sanctuary.
Flowers, Candles, and Other Decorations
Since the wedding is a worship service, the flowers and other decorations should be appropriate for a place of worship. Plans for decorating must be approved by Friendship's wedding coordinator. More detailed guidelines regarding decorations may be found in the checklist for florists at the end of this document.
Photography
Pictures may be taken before the processional begins or after the ceremony, but flash photography is prohibited during the service in order to maintain the dignity of worship. Videotaping the service is allowed with permission of the pastor. It is the wedding couple's responsibility to see that the photographer(s) comply with these stipulations.
Printed Wedding Programs
If a wedding program is to be used, a proof copy should be made available to Friendship's wedding coordinator for approval 1 month prior to the wedding service.
Rehearsal
A rehearsal must be held prior to the wedding service. All members of the wedding party should attend. Plans for the order of service should be complete by the time of the rehearsal; no changes may be made in the service after this time.
Wedding Service
The wedding service takes place in the context of divine worship, which shall be structured according to the theology and liturgy of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.
The members of the wedding party, family members, and friends shall avoid the consumption of alcohol and/or drugs before the rehearsal and wedding service.
Reception
The Friendship Room, which has a maximum capacity of 180, may be used for wedding receptions and should be reserved at the same time as the sanctuary. More detailed guidelines for the use of the Friendship Room and kitchen are provided at the end of this document. Caterers must be approved by the wedding coordinator.
Fees
Extra time and energy are required for weddings, as they are additions to the regular church program. Consequently, while we would not intend to add an enormous burden of expense, the schedule of fees is as follows.
Fee
Church Participant*
Non-Participant
Security Deposit**
$ 250
Wedding Ceremony***
$300
$ 950
Optional Reception****
$50
$ 200
* Participant definition: member of the church or member of the community who participates regularly in the life of the church.
**A deposit of $250 non-member fee is required to secure the wedding date and time. The deposit will be forfeited if the wedding is cancelled by the couple. The deposit will be returned after the wedding provided the church standards and policies were respected, and no damage occurred.
*** Includes premarital counseling sessions and planning of ceremony as well as services of the Minister and Organist/Pianist for rehearsal and wedding ceremony and custodial fees. Rehearsals with extra musicians/vocalists will require an additional fee, depending on the number of people and rehearsals involved.
****A reception may be held in the Fellowship Hall and/or Friendship Room. The fees cover the use of the space and the custodial fees.
Pastor and Use of the Sanctuary
The first step in planning your wedding should be a conference with the pastor of Friendship. Friendship's Sanctuary is not a building to be rented out, but a house of worship that witnesses to our understanding of marriage. As a Presbyterian Church, we have a responsibility to make certain that weddings conducted in our sanctuary are faithful to the time honored traditions of the Reformed faith. If you are not a member of Friendship but a member of a church in the Presbyterian Church (USA), you may invite your pastor to conduct the wedding ceremony. If you are not a member of Friendship Presbyterian church or any other Presbyterian Church (USA), the pastor of Friendship will conduct your ceremony. Non-PCUSA pastors may assist Friendship's pastor in the service.
Friendship Presbyterian Church U.S.A. reserves the right to cancel without prior notice any wedding in which the participants have not met the requirements and obligations detailed in these guidelines. Friendship further reserves the right to assess fees and costs relating to any wedding that has been canceled for any reason and may deduct such fees and costs from any deposits or collected fees held by the church.
Checklist for Florist
- The symbols of the church must remain in their customary places and may not be moved, with the exception of the pulpit Bible, which may be placed either on its own stand or on the communion table. Nothing else may be removed from the communion table.
- The communion table must remain on the platform at the front of the church. It may be pushed back to the wall separating the choir area if more room is needed.
- The communion table and piano may not be decorated.
- Nails, screws, metal clamps, and adhesives may not be used in decorating any part of the church.
- No more than one flower arrangement may be placed in the front of the church, but additional greenery is permitted.
- Candles must be of the non-drip variety. Protective floor coverings must be used under candelabras.
- A protective floor covering must also be provided anywhere that flower petals are to be strewn.
If you have questions regarding these guidelines, please contact Friendship's wedding coordinator.
Checklist for Caterer
- The church kitchen may be used to prepare and serve food. Church food supplies, pots and pans, serving plates and dishes, and utensils may not be used.
- The kitchen floor must be cleaned at the end of the event, and garbage must be removed from the church building. Dumpsters behind the church may be used to dispose of garbage.
- No alcoholic beverages are permitted in the church buildings or on church property at any time. No smoking is permitted at any time inside any part of the church facilities. Outdoor smoking must be confined to the church parking lot, and the bridal couple is responsible for providing appropriate containers for the disposal of all smoking material used on church property.
- The tossing of rice, birdseed, confetti, or any other loose material is prohibited within the church building and on the grounds.
If you have questions regarding these guidelines, please contact Friendship's wedding coordinator.
Church Office Hours: