We are honored
that you are considering having your Christian wedding service here at
Wilmington Island Presbyterian Church.
Each church has their own traditions, customs and guidelines concerning
weddings, and we are no exception. We
hope you will find the following information helpful in understanding our
traditions and customs so that your wedding will be a wonderful expression of
your love for one another and your faith in God. It is a privilege to be
a part of this important chapter in your life.
MARRIAGE
IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION
Our church
constitution defines marriage in the following way: "Marriage is a gift
God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family.
Marriage is a civil contract between a woman and a man. For Christians marriage
is a covenant through which a man and a woman are called to live out together
before God their lives of discipleship. In a service of Christian marriage a
lifelong commitment is made by a woman and a man to each other, publicly
witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith." It is expected that at least one of the
persons to be joined is a professing Christian, and ordinarily an active member
of a particular community of faith.
Early planning
is a must. The further ahead you plan, the more smoothly your wedding
should go. The pastor prefers at least six months in advance but will make
exceptions under extenuating circumstances.
1.
Please read over all the information provided.
2.
Call the Church Office (912-897-1840) to set an
initial appointment with the pastor.
This initial meeting will involve discussing your wedding plans,
reviewing our wedding policies, and discussing the next steps needed to secure
a wedding here at WIPC.
3.
Fill out the “Wedding Information Form” and mail it
to the church along with a deposit check for $100 (made out to WIPC).
This will begin the process of approving your request which can take up to a
month. It is highly recommended that
other wedding plans not be finalized before your request is approved.
4.
Once the request is approved by the Session
(church’s governing body), the pastor will call to set up the initial
pre-marriage counseling session. If the
request cannot be honored, the deposit will be returned.
The pastor will
endeavor to perform weddings at the convenience of the couple. Ordinarily, weddings are not scheduled on
Sundays, secular holidays, church holy days or in the event of a previously
scheduled church commitment.
Weddings of
non-members are conducted solely at the discretion of the pastor. A decision not to perform a non-member wedding
in not always a reflection on the worthiness of the couple; it may simply mean
that the routine workload of the pastor prohibits additional non-member
weddings.
The pastor of
the church, or a minister designated by the pastor, will officiate at all
weddings. If the couple wishes another member of the clergy to participate, the
invitation must be approved and extended by the pastor with the concurrence of
the Session. The wedding service shall be under the sole direction of the
officiating minister, and under the supervision of the Session of the church.
After the
wedding form has been returned to the church and the wedding approved, the pastor
will schedule the first pre-marriage conference with the couple. Ordinarily, 3 or 4 sessions are needed to complete
the counseling, although the pastor reserves the right to conduct additional
sessions if needed. Couples who are not able to attend these
sessions together may obtain the pastoral services in their town of residence
or participate in a Pre-Marriage workshop with the pastor’s pre-approval.
These pre-marriage
counseling sessions are designed to allow the pastor and couple to get to know
one another, to provide opportunities for the couple to reflect on their
relationship, their roles and their goals, and to talk through and finalize the
wedding ceremony. There will some homework assignments given to spur
conversation at the next session. With
few exceptions, couples have said that these sessions helped them to better understand
each other and the lifelong commitment they are about to make.
Music is an
important part of the wedding service. Because a wedding is a worship service,
the music should be appropriate for worship, directing attention to God and
expressing the faith of the church. Secular
songs that express a couple’s commitment, feelings and dreams for one another
are ordinarily better suited for the reception.
It is always appropriate for the congregation gathered for the wedding
service to join in hymns and other musical forms of praise and prayer. Options can be discussed with the pastor as
the ceremony is finalized.
Various
instruments are appropriate, but if the organ is to be used, the church
organist or his designee shall play for the service. The couple should contact
the organist early to discuss the music. If a soloist is desired, the church
can suggest names, or the couple can secure their own. Financial arrangements
are between the soloist and the couple. The soloist should furnish the organist
with a copy of any music to be sung well in advance of the service. It may be
necessary to schedule additional rehearsal time for the soloist and the
organist, at an additional cost.
The officiating
minister, in consultation with the organist, has final approval of all music
for the wedding.
In decorating
the sanctuary, simplicity is usually best. The church will be opened two hours
before the scheduled time of the wedding, and flowers may be delivered then
(under certain circumstances, arrangements can be made for earlier delivery).
No nails, thumbtacks, tape or anything else that may mar any surface of the
church are to be used. Florist's wire may be used to hold decorations in place.
The throwing of rice, bird seed or other items is prohibited. The church does not own a candelabra or a
unity candle. If these items are
desired, arrangements should be made with their florist or a party rental
company.
The wedding
ceremony is a service of worship of God, and as such, the taking of photographs
should not distract from the worship experience. Flash photography may only be taken during
the Processional and Recessional. Non-flash photography may be taken during the
service from the back of the sanctuary using existing light. Close-ups of
events during the Wedding Service may be re-staged after the service is
concluded. It is the responsibility of the photographer to replace furniture or
any other items moved while taking pictures.
The couple is expected to inform the photographer before the wedding
ceremony of these restrictions.
Video taping of the wedding service is permitted from
the back of the sanctuary, but the equipment and personnel must remain
stationary throughout the service. The videographer
will follow the same guidelines as those for still photographers.
Normally, a
rehearsal is scheduled for all weddings the evening before the wedding day. If
another date is desired, this can be arranged with the officiating minister. The
entire wedding party should attend, along with parents of the bride and groom
and anyone else playing a role in the service. Other friends and family are
welcome to be present. Rehearsals begin on time, so please make an effort to
arrive early if possible. Usually, the
rehearsal takes no more than an hour.
A couple must
have a valid marriage license from a county in Georgia to be married, and it should
be given to the officiating minister no later than the rehearsal time.
Since the
wedding is a service of worship, reverence is expected on the part of all
present. Smoking is not permitted inside any church facilities. Alcohol may not
be served or consumed on church premises. The service may be postponed if
members of the wedding party are under the influence of alcohol.
The church can provide
a wedding coordinator if so desired. The
job of the wedding coordinator is to guide the behind the scenes and back of
the church activities before, during and after the wedding ceremony. The
wedding coordinator works with the ushers as they escort and seat guests, and
guides the wedding party during the processional and after the recessional. The
wedding coordinator will be present at the rehearsal and the wedding to answer
questions and to ensure that things run smoothly.
If printed
bulletins for the wedding are desired, it is the responsibility of the couple
to have them produced and duplicated. The officiating minister will work with
the couple on the form and content of such bulletins. Please include the following notice in the
bulletin: “In order not to detract from this service of worship, please refrain
from using flash photography.”
*There is no charge
for the minister’s services for a member or member’s family, but an honorarium
may be offered