Wedding Ceremony
From the Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, 2004.
Marriage: We affirm the sanctity of the marriage covenant that is expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between a man and a woman. We believe that God’s blessing rests upon such marriage, whether or not there are children of the union. We reject social norms that assume different standards for women than for men in marriage. We support laws in civil society that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Having Your Wedding at Romeo UMC
In order to assist you as a couple with your wedding plans, the Romeo UMC has gathered this information, policy and guidelines packet to answer many of your questions.
Getting Started
The pastor of the Romeo United Methodist Church requires an initial get acquainted meeting with all couples before committing to any wedding date. This session lasts 90 minutes. If the pastor and couple agree to work together, future pre-marital counseling dates are established and a wedding date is placed on the church calendar.
Christian Marriage
The Christian marriage covenant is viewed very seriously with the highest regards, as we believe the covenant of marriage was established by God. Therefore, the wedding ceremony in the church will be a Christian ceremony of worship which honors God. Marriage from a Christian perspective, is a sacred covenant which reflects Christ’s covenant with the Church as the body of Christ. Both the husband and wife are equal partners in their relationship to one another. The ceremony in the church is offered as a service of worship where Holy Communion may or may not be offered. If Communion is a part of the worship service, it is offered to the whole congregation. Those present at the wedding as family and guests, are understood as an active congregation, who not only witness the union of the couple, but add their blessing and join in both prayer and praise.
Who Can Get Married at the Church?
The pastor of the church will gladly meet with members of the congregation to discuss their future wedding plans. Periodically, the pastor will work with constituent members or a close relative of a member. For those who are not members (a member is defined as one who has joined the church and whose name appears on the official register), but would like to use the church site with their own pastor, if the date is available, approval may be possible by filling out a building usage form (signed and approved by the Board of Trustees) and reserving the church with a non-refundable security deposit. [Please see fee schedule.]
What our Wedding Coordinators will do for you.
Our wedding coordinators play an integral role in the smooth operation of the wedding event and the many behind the scenes details. Once our wedding coordinators are assigned to you, they will introduce themselves and initiate the following:
1. Give you a church tour, placing special emphasis on the flow of the ceremony in the sanctuary.
2. Answer your periodic questions over the phone.
3. Assist you if you have any questions filling out your information sheet. Example: We will need the full name of your best man and maid or matron of honor to place on the wedding license and the first names of your ushers, bridesmaids & groomsmen.
4. Answer any questions your florist may have. Open church for florist on day of wedding.
5. Discuss policies regarding decorating the church. (Decorations such as pew bows are allowed. They can be attached with a clip, rubber band or pipe cleaners, but not with tape.)
6. Assist you in deciding upon the placement of flowers, guest book, unity candle, aisle runner and candles. You will examine whether it is better to have a receiving line at the church or your reception hall.
7. Determine the date and time of your rehearsal and wedding.
8. Discuss the fee schedule with you, the various church staff needed for your wedding, along with collecting the fees one week in advance and distributing them to the appropriate parties. The coordinator will also deposit your 50% security deposit for the sanctuary with the office and make sure your date is secured on the master calendar.
9. Review your musical requirements with you. Do you wish an organist? Do you need someone to accompany a soloist on the piano? Do you desire to use our sound system to play a tape or CD? (The coordinators can arrange for a sound technician if required.) Will you be bringing in your own musicians? Where will the musicians sit or play during the wedding ceremony?
10. Discuss guidelines with your photographer and/or videographer.
11. Discuss the flow of your wedding with you, reviewing the wedding outline.
12. Open the church for you and your wedding party on the night of rehearsal and the day of the wedding.
13. On the night of rehearsal, the coordinators will lead the practice. On the day of the wedding, the wedding coordinators will direct the wedding event from the back. (Examples: reminding ushers of duties - lighting candles, when to pull the runner, whom to escort, getting all of the bridal party into position such as bridesmaids, groomsmen, grandparents and parents). The wedding coordinator will direct the wedding party to rooms to dress in (or waiting rooms) and call them to the sanctuary when it is time.
14. If you decide to have a catered or light reception in the church’s fellowship hall, the wedding coordinator will oversee the usage of the kitchen & fellowship hall.
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Pastor’s Role:
Your time with the pastor will include four counseling sessions (including an initial getting acquainted meeting) touching upon 12 topics, an optional personality test, answer any questions as needed, perform your ceremony on your wedding day, and provide for you a printed copy of the ceremony including the vows and wedding message.
Policies:
Church building usage is limited to 90 minutes for the wedding rehearsal and 3 hours for the wedding including pictures. Time parameters shall be arranged with the couple and the wedding coordinators as to when the church shall be opened and closed for the rehearsal and wedding. [Example: 4pm wedding, church is available from 2:30pm to 5:30pm.]
Regarding church pipe organ & music: our church organist shall play at all weddings unless mutually agreed upon by the organist and our pastor. If the church organist cannot perform at the wedding event, only organists approved by our music committee shall be allowed to play the church organ. A list of approved organists shall be offered to the wedding party if our regular church organist is unavailable. Requests for outside organists to play the church organ must first be approved by the music committee. Couples are allowed to bring in their own instruments & musicians for their wedding or they may use the sanctuary piano/keyboard upon approval.
Wedding groups are allowed to use our sound system only with the assistance of one our church sound technicians. (Example: work with soloists, special readers)
Miscellaneous:
If you want the information on the wedding license typed, the church office needs your license one week in advance. If not, the license needs to be brought to rehearsal for the pastor to fill out with black ink. The best man and maid or matron of honor (along with the pastor) will sign the license in black ink on the day of the wedding. One copy of the license will be given back to you on your wedding day. Two copies will be sent by the church office back to the County Registrar’s office after the wedding license numbers have been recorded in our church books.
Two elevators are conveniently located from the ground level to the sanctuary level (2nd floor) to assist anyone needing a lift. The elevator is large enough to accommodate pieces of musical equipment.
The Romeo UMC can provide you with the brass candle holders for the unity, bride & groom candles, along with a pair of candelabra (seven candles each) at no additional charge. You will need to indicate on your information sheet whether you would like to use these.
Prohibitions at Romeo UMC:
For liability reasons there is no throwing of (but not limited to): rice, bird seed, confetti, or blowing of bubbles at Romeo UMC. Our insurance policy requires no smoking in the church building. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on church property.
Fee Schedule:
A non-refundable security deposit (50% of sanctuary fee) is required to secure a wedding date on the church’s calendar. This deposit will be applied to the sanctuary fee. Final wedding fees should be brought to the church office or given to the wedding coordinator one week prior to the wedding ceremony. The fees shall be separated for the different categories and not given as a lump sum. Fees are preferred in cash. If checks are used, the wedding coordinator can provide the correct spelling of the various names.
Wedding Fees:
Members
Sanctuary $0
Organist
(including rehearsal) $300
Wedding Coordinator $300
*Sound Technician - rehearsal $50
*Sound Technician - wedding $50
Custodian $75
Pastor Honorarium
Non-Members
Sanctuary $500
Organist
(including rehearsal) $300
Wedding Coordinator $300
*Sound Technician - rehearsal $50
*Sound Technician - wedding $50
Custodian $75
Pastor $300
[*optional fee]
Use of Fellowship Hall
(Wedding Receptions)
The fellowship hall is available for catered receptions and light receptions offering
hors d’oeuvres, punch & cake. Wedding groups are allowed to use the fellowship hall only, including the tables and chairs. Due to health and Michigan State Safety Department regulations - the church’s kitchen stoves, dishwasher, deep fryers, refrigerator & coffee pots are not available for use except with RUMC kitchen staff. Use of the kitchen is restricted to counters, sinks for washing hands (but not for washing dishes), and the freezer for storage. The kitchen shall be left in the condition it was found. All serving pieces, plates, cups, silverware must be brought in from the outside.
Non-Members:
Use Fee $200
Custodial Fee $50
Note: The custodian will return the fellowship hall to the condition in which is was found such as stacking tables and chairs. The usage fee for the fellowship hall is in addition to any fees for the wedding ceremony.
Members:
No fee unless member desires custodian to clean. Expected from member to return fellowship hall to original condition in which it was found. A member is defined as one who has joined the church and whose name appears on the official register.
Update: (5/07)
