Weddings at Frankfort Presbyterian Church

“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

“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.” (Directory for Worship, Presbyterian Church, USA, W-4.9001)

Frankfort Presbyterian Church welcomes you to use the facilities of the church for your wedding. We are pleased that you are considering our church for this happy occasion, and we will do everything possible to make this a beautiful and meaningful service of worship. If you choose to be married at Frankfort Presbyterian Church, you are choosing to have your wedding conducted in accordance with the customs and policies set by the Session – the governing body - of this church, who makes the final determination as to whether a wedding will be held in this facility.

For the Christian bride and groom, the house of God is an appropriate place for them to join their lives. The church is where they were pledged to God in baptism, where they have been taught from the Word of God and where they partake of the Lord’s Supper. It is fitting that the presence of Christ be the foundation of their future home. The decision to be married in the church demonstrates a desire to be joined together by God, and a commitment to have Jesus Christ as the center of the relationship. It is a request, by the couple and the community of faith, for God’s blessings upon the marriage. It is a pledging of vows to each other before God and the community of faith.

The wedding ceremony takes place in the context of a worship service. Therefore, what happens in the wedding ceremony is done in the presence of God. It should reflect the Christian understanding of marriage and be done with proper decorum.

At least one party must be a baptized, professing Christian, and both must be eligible to be married according to state law. If by any chance, one or both parties are professing Christians but have not yet been baptized, baptism may take place during a normal worship service before the wedding date, or it may be incorporated into the wedding service.

The pastor of Frankfort Presbyterian Church shall be in charge of all weddings conducted in its facilities. Additional ordained clergy may be permitted to assist in the service, at the discretion of the pastor and the Session.

A preliminary conference between the pastor and the bride and groom must be scheduled at least 10 weeks prior to the wedding date. It is the pastor’s prerogative to reserve a decision to officiate at your wedding until there has been sufficient opportunity to get to know you. Premarital/pastoral counseling is required, and includes 2 sessions, to be scheduled approximately a week apart.

The sanctuary of our church will comfortably seat about 185-190 people in the main sanctuary, and an additional 40-50 seated in the overflow/transept. Rooms are available that provide adequate space and privacy for dressing for the bridal party and for the groomsmen. Before leaving the church facilities, family and friends of the wedding party are responsible for removing all articles belonging to the wedding party.

The church building and its equipment have been provided by the gifts of faithful people across the years, and is dedicated to the worship and service of God. To help care for these, we ask that you observe the following:

1. Furniture may be moved only under the supervision of the pastor or custodian, and must be moved back after the wedding.

2. Live or artificial floral arrangements and/or other decorations are permitted. No tacks, nails, tape, staples, or other damaging material may be used on any walls, woodwork or furniture of the church. The building will be open two hours before the time of service. Notify your florist, wedding planner, decorators, and/or other applicable persons to coordinate with the church staff for access to the sanctuary earlier in the day or on the evening before the service if needed. Please remove any flowers or decorations that you wish to save or take to an offsite reception promptly after the service, before custodial cleaning begins.

3. Candelabras and a kneeler for the bride and groom are available for use during the wedding if desired. They may be placed only in the chancel of the sanctuary. You must provide your own candles. No lighted candles shall be carried in any part of the church buildings. The wedding party will be responsible for any damage resulting from the use of candles.

4. There shall be no alcohol or smoking within the church building or on the church premises.

5. Bubbles, flower petals, or bird seed are more than welcome outside to greet the newlyweds. Use of anything else needs to be approved by the pastor.

6. The programs of the church have first priority for use of the premises. Wedding dates will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.

7. The church is not available for weddings during the following times:

Saturday evenings starting after 6:00 p.m.

Sundays starting before 2:00 p.m.

New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, other national holidays, and any time when a service is scheduled.

Normally all weddings will have a rehearsal. They are an important part of your wedding preparation. They are usually held the day before, and should be scheduled at a time when the entire wedding party can be present, including the musicians and soloists, when possible. In general, wedding rehearsals are scheduled to begin at 6:30, with all participants present no later than 6:00. Please make every effort to see that all participants arrive on time.

In order to avoid distractions and to enhance the sanctity of the worship service, the following guidelines are to be followed:

1. Posed pictures are permitted before and/or after the wedding ceremony.

2. Photographs with flashes may be taken during the wedding processional. However, no flash pictures may be taken during the rest of the ceremony, except by one designated professional and only from fixed position(s) approved in advance. Ushers should inform your guests of this policy as they are seated.

3. Photographers must be discreet and act in a manner appropriate for a worship service. They should not be moving around in front of the church during the ceremony. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to communicate all of these guidelines to any hired professionals and their guests.

4. Video of weddings may be done, using a stationary camera on a tripod. A qualified person, selected by the family and approved by the pastor, may operate the video camera. Operators of the video camera should not move around during the service or otherwise behave in a manner inappropriate to a worship service.

The pastor will work with the bride and groom in planning the wedding ceremony. It is the pastor’s intention to make this day, and this service, special and memorable for you. In general, the service will follow the standard order and language of the rite of Christian marriage in the Book of Common Worship of the Presbyterian Church (USA), which the pastor will review with you. There are ways in which the service may be customized in accordance with your wishes, with the pastor’s assistance. However, the pastor has final authority for the order of the service and what may be included.

The Frankfort Presbyterian Church music director will play for weddings if available unless prior arrangements have been approved by the Pastor. The use of another musician or musicians is subject to the approval of the music director. All music selections must be appropriate for a Christian ceremony. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to make an appointment with the music director at least two months before the ceremony to coordinate all music-related details. Any rehearsals involving a soloist will be scheduled by the music director and the soloist. Music selected by the couple that is not owned by the organist/pianist must be purchased by the couple and sent to the organist/pianist at least ONE MONTH prior to the wedding.

Small wedding receptions may be held in the Youth Center/Fellowship Hall of the Church.

1. Please choose your wedding party members as soon as possible so that they can avoid conflicting dates and be fully supportive of you at this joyful time. In general, we recommend that participating children be five years of age or older, but whatever the age, the child must be mature enough to perform the tasks expected of him/her.

2. The bride and groom will be responsible for any damage done to the building, grounds, furnishings or equipment.

3. Unfortunately, we cannot be responsible for lost valuables and personal belongings.

4. The bride and groom are requested to advise the members of the wedding party to refrain from the use of alcoholic beverages from the time leading up to the rehearsal until after the wedding ceremony itself.

5. Seasonal banners (Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas, etc) in place for church services will remain for weddings, unless wedding banners are used, or unless prior approval is given for their removal.

Fees

All fees shall be paid in full at least one month before the wedding date. See schedule below:

Note: In order to qualify for Member-based fees, at least one of the wedding party, bride or groom, must be an active member of Frankfort Presbyterian Church, for a period of at least one year before the date of the wedding, or the son or daughter of such an active member.

What to do next:

Send a letter requesting permission to hold your wedding on your desired date, along with a signed copy of this document. Non-members should also mail a $100 check for the deposit. The deposit is non-refundable after Session approves the wedding and places it on the church calendar.

We have read and understand the above policies, and agree to abide by them.

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Bride’s signature                                                                                                Date

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Groom’s signature                                                                                              Date