Wedding Guidelines

Wedding Guidelines

WEDDING GUIDELINES ELKHORN HILLS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

It is our pleasure to host your wedding at Elkhorn Hills. We know that this is a most special day in the lives of the bride and groom and their families and we want to do all we can to help in making this day one you will treasure in memories for years to come.

We have put into place some general guidelines (Revised January 2018) to follow as you plan your wedding. If you have any questions about any of these please speak with the pastor or the wedding facilitator about them.

MEMBERS AND NONMEMBERS

There are some differences in policy between those who are members of Elkhorn Hills and those who are not. A member is someone who has been on our membership roll for at least a year and has participated in the ministry of the church, including attending worship regularly. There will be times when either the bride or groom has parents or grandparents who are church members that this could be relaxed at the discretion of the pastor.

SCHEDULING

You need to schedule your wedding and rehearsal dates and times with the church office as soon as possible to ensure that the date you want is available. We will schedule this for you when you have made a deposit of $200 and completed our wedding information sheet. All of this can be done in our church office during regular business hours (8:30-4:30) during the week. When your date is placed on the calendar, the pastor and wedding facilitator will receive your information and will make arrangements to meet with you to discuss your wedding.

PASTORS

It is generally understood that the pastor of Elkhorn Hills will officiate all weddings. Details about how a relative or friend (who is an ordained pastor) may take part in the service will need to be discussed with the pastor at Elkhorn Hills first.

The ceremony will be the traditional United Methodist service which the pastor will go over with the couple.  The pastor will also discuss with each couple a schedule for pre-marital counseling.

OTHER STAFF

Elkhorn Hills provides a wedding facilitator for every wedding. This person will meet with the couple and discuss the wedding plans and will also be present at rehearsal to assist in walking through the wedding ceremony.  They will also be available on the wedding day to assist in any way needed. The fee for this person is included in the overall fee, discussed below.

We have some talented and experienced keyboard musicians at the church who could possibly serve as your music providers.  You may ask an outside person to provide your music after discussing this with the pastor.  Fees for any of these persons will need to be arranged by the couple and the musician.

You may use a CD of music for the ceremony.  A sound person will be present to play any CDs you want to use, and the fee for this person is included in the overall fee as well.

DECORATIONS

If possible, we will have the Sanctuary available for decoration the entire day of the wedding and possibly after rehearsal as well. We ask that you keep any decorations tasteful and minimal. Flower arrangements and candles, if they are the dripless kind, are appropriate. If your wedding is in December, the church will be decorated for the Christmas season and those decorations will provide a lovely back drop for your wedding.  If you wish to use the Unity Candle ceremony in the wedding, you will need to provide all materials for that. You may attach flowers to the end of the middle row pews, but all decorations need to be removed after the service. If you leave flower arrangements, we will assume you want those to stay at the church.

REHEARSAL

We suggest that the rehearsal be scheduled as early as possible the evening before the wedding. This will give you more time for the dinner which usually occurs afterward. The rehearsal will begin on time and should last no more than an hour. Please bring your marriage license with you to the rehearsal and give it to the pastor. The pastor will then be responsible for the license, getting signatures from the Maid/Matron of Honor and the Best Man after the ceremony. The pastor will return to you the documents that you will need, and the pastor will file the completed official license with the state.

PHOTOGRAPHERS & VIDEOGRAPHERS

Photographs and videos are excellent ways to preserve the memory of the wedding day.  During the service, we ask that photographers do their best to limit their flash photography as well as their movement up front.  Videographers are encouraged to set up their equipment near the sound booth or in another unobtrusive location near the back of the sanctuary.  Please let your photographer and videographer know these guidelines prior to the wedding.

FEES

The nonmember fee for weddings at Elkhorn Hills is $950 total (inclusive of the $200 deposit) and it covers pastoral services & premarital counseling ($200), the wedding facilitator for the rehearsal and ceremony ($150), the sound person ($100), and the use of the church & custodial fees ($500).

The suggested donations for member weddings at Elkhorn Hills are $200 for pastoral services & premarital counseling, $150 for the wedding facilitator, $100 for the sound person, and $250 for the church & custodial fees.  Please note that members who have made the $200 deposit at the time of scheduling will be able to credit that toward any of those suggested donations.

All fees are due on or before rehearsal night.

OTHER

  • Rice and bird seed are not allowed for celebrating the bride and groom as they exit the church. Other celebratory ideas for this time will need to be discussed with the wedding facilitator.
  • None of the furniture or fixtures in the sanctuary will be moved without the permission of the pastor or the wedding facilitator.
  • Dressing areas will be provided for the wedding party.  However, Elkhorn Hills UMC is not responsible for any of your possessions.  At your request, we can lock the dressing room when the ceremony is ready to begin.
  • A printed wedding bulletin/program may be used. The pastor will help you with the order of the service, but the design and printing of bulletins/programs is your responsibility.
  • No alcohol is allowed on the church property, including the parking lot. The building and grounds are also all smoke-free areas. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in an increase in fees and/or possible cancellation of the ceremony.
  • You may use our Family Life Center for your reception if the date is available.  Fees will be discussed when the scheduling is done.