COVENANT OF MARRIAGE AND LIFE PARTNERSHIP
WEDDING
INFORMATION
Wolfville Pastoral
Charge of The United
serving the
congregations of
Church
Office:
Phone: 902 542 3796 Email:
officewolfuc@eastlink.ca
May God bless you as you prepare for your wedding. To assist you in your planning, we ask that you read and consider the following information carefully.
Before you make this commitment, it is helpful to discuss this significant transition in your lives and in your relationship. Meeting on at least two occasions with our minister is a requirement for all couples planning to have a ceremony in our churches officiated by our minister. The first meeting will give you an opportunity to reflect upon your relationship to date, and upon your hopes and dreams for the future. The second meeting will involve a step-by-step review of the ceremony. At any time during these meetings you or the minister can decide that it is not appropriate to go forward. If you do not live in our area, we expect that you will meet with a counselor or minister where you live. We request that a letter confirming your readiness for this important step will be sent by that person to our minister.
The marriage license must be given to the minister as soon as it is available and definitely before the rehearsal takes place, in addition to the names and addresses of two witnesses.
Selections of music for your wedding – hymns, solos, instrumentals – should be appropriate for a spiritual, Christian service of worship. Our minister should be informed of your selections. It is your responsibility to contact the church organist or other musicians and to confirm selections with them.
As you discuss the ceremony with our minister, you will discover that there are opportunities for friends or family members to be involved, for example, through lighting candles or reading scripture. The participants of another licensed clergy-person, who may be a member of your family or close friend, is also a possibility. This is arranged in consultation with our minister, who we require to be the presiding minister at the ceremony.
If the date requested for your ceremony occurs while our minister is on holidays and is unable to officiate, another licensed minister may be invited to officiate. In this case, you must write or email your request to the Worship and Music Committee, naming the date, church, and minister. Upon receiving the Committee’s approval, it will be your responsibility to secure and safeguard the church marriage register, in consultation with the church office.
Unless you are planning a ceremony that involves very few people, a rehearsal is very important. Typically, this should be arranged with our minister to take place on the Thursday before a Saturday wedding. If at all possible, ALL those involved in the ceremony – attendants, musicians, videographer/photographer, readers – should attend. Rehearsals usually last about 45 minutes. It may be convenient to place your decorations/pew markers in the church at that time.
The church building is the spiritual home for a worshiping congregation. Treat the sanctuary the way you would treat a friend’s home. Please don’t use tape or glue to place pew markers or decorations – ties or elastic loops work best. Please don’t remove furnishings, hymnbooks or wall hangings. Please ask your musicians to leave the organ settings the way they found them.
The street addresses for the churches are:
St. Andrew’s United Church 329 Main Street, Wolfville
Please remind your guests in your invitation that all of the churches are scent-free places of worship and they should refrain from wearing perfumed products.
Please remind your guests in your service programs that they should not use confetti or rice or have bubble mixture inside or near the entrances to the buildings. Also, flash photography should not be used as your ceremony is a service of worship. Pictures may be taken during the recessional, and during the singing of the church register. A video camera, mounted on a stationary tripod, may be used.
No washroom facilities are available at the
Your ushers should be present at the church at least 45 minutes before the wedding, in order to welcome your guests. The wedding party should arrive at least 15 minutes beforehand. During the ceremony, the couple and two witnesses of legal age are required to sign legal documents. In accordance with provincial law, these people must not consume alcohol before the service.
Fees
and Honoraria
Our
church buildings and staff are available to any couple who desire to be married
within a Christian context and are willing to meet the requirements stated in
this policy. Use of the buildings
involves regular maintenance and cleaning, heating, and lighting. The staff offer time and talent to ensure
that your ceremony will be meaningful, enjoyable event.
1. There is no fee for the use of the
2. A $250 non-refundable donation to the congregation is
expected of couples not associated with the pastoral charge who wish to use
Covenanter, Greenwich or St. Andrew’s church buildings for their wedding
ceremony OR who wish to reserve these facilities (in case of inclement weather
for outdoor ceremonies). Weddings scheduled during the winter months November 1
– April 30, a non-refundable donation of $300.00 at the Covenanter is
expected.
3. A $100 donation to the Covenanter church is expected of
couples/families who are associated with or actively supportive of the pastoral
charge.
4. Honoraria guidelines for all couples:
Custodian $50
Organist $150
Minister $150
5. The Worship and Music Committee of St. Andrew’s and Session
of Greenwich will be informed by our minister of the dates and places that
weddings are scheduled to take place.
Policy approved by the
Official Board, Wolfville Pastoral Charge, February 2006.
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Name of Groom: _____________________________
Groom’s Contact No.: _____________________________
Name of Bride: _____________________________
Bride’s Contact No.: _____________________________
Church Requested: [ ]
Covenanter
[ ]
[ ]
St. Andrew’s
$______ Fee Paid (Cash or Cheque)
$______ Minister’s Honoraria Paid
$______ Organist
Honoraria Paid
$______ Custodian
Honoraria Paid
Signature (Church
Representative):
_______________________________________
Date:
_______________________________________________________________
Signature (Person(s)
Requesting Church): __________________________________
Date: _______________________________________________________________
Couple’s Copy
Fees and Honoraria
Our
church buildings and staff are available to any couple who desire to be married
within a Christian context and are willing to meet the requirements stated in
this policy. Use of the buildings
involves regular maintenance and cleaning, heating, and lighting. The staff offer time and talent to ensure
that your ceremony will be meaningful, enjoyable event.
1. There is no fee for the use of the
2. A $250 non-refundable donation to the congregation is
expected of couples not associated with the pastoral charge who wish to use
Covenanter, Greenwich or St. Andrew’s church buildings for their wedding
ceremony OR who wish to reserve these facilities (in case of inclement weather
for outdoor ceremonies). Weddings scheduled during the winter months November 1
– April 30, a non-refundable donation of $300.00 at the Covenanter is
expected.
3. A $100 donation to the Covenanter church is expected of
couples/families who are associated with or actively supportive of the pastoral
charge.
4. Honoraria guidelines for all couples:
Custodian $50
Organist $150
Minister $150
5. The Worship and Music Committee of St. Andrew’s and Session
of Greenwich will be informed by our minister of the dates and places that
weddings are scheduled to take place.
Policy approved by the
Official Board, Wolfville Pastoral Charge, February 2006.
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Name of Groom: _____________________________
Groom’s Contact No.: _____________________________
Name of Bride: _____________________________
Bride’s Contact No.: _____________________________
Church Requested: [ ]
Covenanter
[ ]
[ ]
St. Andrew’s
$______ Fee Paid (Cash or Cheque)
$______ Minister’s
Honoraria Paid
$______ Organist Honoraria Paid
$______ Custodian Honoraria Paid
Signature (Church
Representative):
______________________________________
Date:
______________________________________________________________
Signature (Person(s) Requesting
Church): _________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________________________
Church Copy