• Introduction
• Who is Eligible?
• The Church Ceremony
• Wedding License
• Refundable Late Fee
• Fees
• The Pastor
• Decorations and Flowers
• Appropriate Conduct
• Bridal Parlor
• Music Policy
• For your photographer and videographer
• Booking and Additional Information

Introduction

We thank you for considering First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables for your wedding. This truly will be one of the most memorable days of your life, and we will do our part to make it very special.

Your marriage is a sacred undertaking. It is a happy, social occasion, but its social importance is secondary to its spiritual significance. We wish you every happiness in your new life.

Questions are often asked concerning the arrangements of the church for a wedding. In order to serve you most effectively, the church asks that you and those involved in the wedding comply with the policies outlined here.

If you have any questions which have not been covered, the pastor or wedding hostess will be happy to answer them for you.

Membership at First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables is not required in order to hold your wedding at our church, although it is always encouraged. Weddings of those who are not members of First United Methodist Church of Coral Gables are approved at the discretion of the Senior Pastor and wedding coordinator.

One of the loveliest and most meaningful occasions in the lives of two persons is their wedding. We are grateful that you have chosen to be married in a Christian church, for we consider the wedding ceremony to be a sacred experience instituted by God, regulated by His Holy Commandments, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and to be held in honor among all. We want to join you in making your wedding as beautiful as it can be and an experience that will always live in your memory.

Christian marriage is not only a part of human experience, but of God's loving plan for us. In it, the love of man and woman for each other is lighted and warmed by the love of God glowing in their hearts.

A wedding is only the first step into marriage. Its vows of love can be given and received in a few moments, but it takes a lifetime to carry out a marriage "for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, 'til death us do part."

A marriage is complete only in a process which unites two lives in a deeper sense than laws or ceremonies can, so that two persons can share their joys, comfort each other in sorrow, and love and cherish each other in all the experiences of life. A wedding is precious. It must be reverent and wholehearted even when it is simple. The sacredness of the wedding vows should be matched by a serious spirit and joyous dedication. Your marriage is a three way union -- the two of you and God.

As you plan your wedding ceremony, we want to help you transform that ceremony from words nervously spoken into meanings joyously shared!

MARRIAGE LICENSE

The marriage license must be brought to the rehearsal and given to the minister or the wedding hostess. If the license is forgotten on the day of the wedding, the ceremony cannot be performed.

Refundable Late Fee and Damage Charge

A $150 fee will be charged due to lateness of rehearsal and weddings. It is imperative that your rehearsal and wedding begin ON the scheduled time. Refundability of this fee will occur if:

1. Your rehearsal and wedding start no later than 10 minutes after the appointed time and your wedding pictures do not exceed the allotted time.

2. There is no damage to the church. If all goes on time and there is no damage, your refund will be mailed to you within the week after the wedding. Your late fee refund will be kept if you are late for either the rehearsal or the wedding.

Arrangements and Fees

PLEASE CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE FOR PRICING INFORMATION (305) 445-2578.

The engaged couple must first make contact with the wedding hostess or one of the ministers, by calling the church office (305) 445-2578, to discuss the availability of the date of the wedding.

The fees are based on one hour for the rehearsal and two and a half hours from the start to finish of the wedding ceremony and completion of photos. The fee also includes the organist, wedding hostess, counselor, custodian, sound technician, and an honorarium for the minister.

Main Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is located on the East side of the block and it seats 1200 people.

One of the Pastors of this church is expected to officiate at all weddings. If you desire the presence of another minister in addition to one of the clergy of this church, that person may assist in the ceremony at the discretion of the officiating minister and must be invited to do so. You must schedule a consultation with the Pastor well in advance of the wedding so the Christian meaning of marriage will be understood. This consultation will follow your meeting with the Wedding Hostess.

The Pastor and Wedding Hostess will meet with the wedding party at the rehearsal to explain the procedures to be followed at the wedding. The Pastor and Wedding Hostess are ready at all times to give friendly attention to any need and are fully competent to direct all phases of the wedding ceremony.

While we recognize that in a very special sense, the wedding ceremony is your ceremony, nevertheless, you have chosen to be married in a United Methodist Church by a United Methodist Pastor. As is the case with every service of worship in the church, the directives of the denomination and the prerogative of the officiating Pastor will determine the content and order of the wedding ceremony.

In recent years a number of our brides and grooms have requested that the bride and groom be served Holy Communion in the marriage service. It is against Methodist tradition to serve Holy Communion only to the bride and groom. If the bride and groom are members, the pastor, upon request, will serve Holy Communion to all present.

To fully understand the beautiful meaning of the wedding ceremony of the United Methodist church, please refer to a United Methodist Hymnal. If you are interested in this, please speak to the minister.

The church can be made as festive and beautiful as possible, but it should keep the atmosphere of a Church - a House of Worship.

The florist is responsible for all decorations and will be required to remove all decorations from the church as soon as possible following the wedding ceremony and picture taking. The florist is responsible for set up, removal, and clean up.

The church will be opened one (1) hour prior to the scheduled wedding for your florist to set up. If more time is needed for special decorations, arrangements need to be made with the wedding hostess.

A unity candle is permitted using the church unity candle holder. You may provide your own unity candles. We require two 12" white dripless tapers and one white pillar candle. If you would like the church to provide this, there will be an extra fee.

Pews may only be decorated with ribbons or tulle and fastened with rubber bands, ribbons, or plastic holders. (See our "Late Fee and Damage Charge" clause.)

The Following Items are NOT PERMITTED:

• Candles in the aisles
• Candelabras
• Aisle cloth/runner
• Flower petals dropped on the Sanctuary carpet.
• Tacks, nails, screws or other objects into walls,
  floors, pews, or other furnishings
• Decorations on the altar, other than altar flowers (The cross and candles will remain untouched, and the altar flowers will not be placed in front of the cross.)

Appropriate Conduct

ATTIRE: It is strongly suggested that the wedding party be appropriately dressed for the rehearsal as well as the wedding. Shorts are not permitted for the rehearsal. Please pass this information on to your wedding party.

The wedding party is expected to be at the church forty-five minutes before the ceremony and the bride at least 30 minutes. Ushers are needed to seat the guests. We recommend that a child under the age of four NOT participate in the wedding ceremony unless approved by the wedding hostess. We do have the final say.

The bride is to be at the church 30 minutes before the ceremony.

The following activities are NOT ALLOWED IN THE CHURCH:

• Smoking
• Drinking of any beverages
• Intoxicants of any kind in or on the church property Eating any kind of food
• Throwing of Rice, Confetti, Bird Seed or Flower Pedals in or on Church Property

Members of the wedding party are expected to support the policies of the church and discourage friends and visitors from violating them. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to make certain that these policies are made known to members of the wedding party prior to the wedding date.

A room for the bridal party is available just off the Narthex in the Sanctuary. It is very spacious and it includes its own bathroom. A powder room for Chapel weddings is located by Founder's Hall (not shown). These rooms must be left in the same condition they are found. You are reminded, the following conduct is NOT PERMITTED:

• Smoking
• Drinking of any beverages
• Intoxicants of any kind in or on the church property
• Eating of Food
• Application of Makeup (allowed in powder rooms only)
• Use of electric curlers
• Playing of piano in the parlor

Wedding Music Policy

Music holds a sacred and significant part in the celebration of a marriage. It is therefore advised that you give serious attention to its planning and selection so as to have the most beautiful memories possible of your wedding day. All arrangements for wedding music at First United Methodist Church must be made by contacting the office of the Wedding Director. Only our Music Ministry staff members or musicians officially approved by their Office may be engaged for wedding celebrations at First United Methodist Church. The Music Ministry is dedicated to providing you with wedding music to suit your personal tastes and to be a reflection of your personalities.

We have a talented and sizeable staff of professional musicians you may engage no matter how simple or grand you may envision your ceremony.

Music you choose for your wedding should be carefully selected to reinforce the solemnity of the sacred covenant being made. Music should enhance this idea and never detract from it. For this reason, secular music may not be played within the service proper. If you have a personal or particular reason that you wish to include a secular piece within the course of the wedding day's music, please remember that there is the opportunity for music at the reception too. It is essential to realize that the wedding ceremony is the sacred element of your marriage day and that the reception is the social one.

The use of a vocalist is strongly advised. A good singer will make the wedding day very special for all involved. Often a couple may have a family member or friend offer to sing at a wedding. If such a musician is accomplished, the wedding ceremony may be made very special by their participation. Please bear in mind, however, that a wedding can be ruined by not checking thoroughly into a musician's ability. If the Music Ministry is asked to consider a musician from outside of our own staff, it will be necessary to charge additional fees and to arrange for compulsory rehearsal time. The number of necessary rehearsals will be at the discretion of the Director of Music or Organist.

In addition to the use of a vocalist, instrumentalists may also be arranged through the Music Ministry of our church. Instruments other than the organ you may consider could include the harp, strings, brass, or numerous other concert instruments. If you know that such arrangements may be your desire, early contact is essential, as the musician(s) must be advised to secure the date. As forethought to your ceremony, you may wish to give thought to the recommended places for music within the wedding service. These include but
are not limited to:

• The Procession of the Bridal Party
• The Procession of the Bride
• A Response to the Scripture Readings
• The Lighting of the Unity Candle
• The Lord's Prayer
• The Recessional

The organist and any other musician(s) you engage will arrive 45 minutes before your wedding ceremony is scheduled to begin. The playing or singing of music begins shortly after the first guests are seated (usually 25-30 minutes before the procession). This helps to guarantee a spirit of prayer and quiet before the procession of the bride and her party.

Finally, the honorarium for the organist is included in your payment to the church. Therefore, the only fee that might require separate payment would be for any additional instrumentalists/vocalists you might hire from our list. This cost will vary depending on the ensemble you select. All such fees are due to the Wedding Director THREE WEEKS PRIOR to your wedding. Failure to comply in this will cancel any arrangements you may have made for supplemental music.

The Music Ministry of First United Methodist Church is dedicated to serving you. Do not hesitate to make contact as questions come to mind. Please refer to the contact page of this website.

1. Pictures and video may be taken of the bride, her court and, family in the Bride's Parlor before the ceremony.

2. In order to maintain the sacredness of the ceremony, the photographers and guests are asked not to take flash pictures during the actual ceremony. The photographer and videographer may take pictures (with lights) of the Processional and Recessional from the center of the middle aisle. They should be careful not to interfere with the wedding court at this time. If pictures are taken during the ceremony, the minister may stop and remind the photographer (or the guests) of the rule.

3. Video may be filmed, WITHOUT LIGHTS, during the wedding ceremony using only the existing lights in the church. The videographer must remain stationary in the choir loft during the ceremony. This is an excellent position and he will be able to capture the entire service.

4. Immediately following the ceremony the wedding party will return to the altar to recreate the wedding event in the time that remains.

Please take note:

1. NO flash photos during the ceremony. Your guests, as well as your photographer, need to be made aware of this rule.
2. NO videos with lights may be taped during the ceremony, however, videos may be taped in the choir loft and in the balcony as long as they are stationary, with NO lights.
3. The photographer and videographer must be approved by the wedding hostess in advance.