A Celebration of Marriage
Timberlake United Methodist Church
Wedding Manual
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Timberlake United Methodist Church
21649 Timberlake Road
Lynchburg, Virginia 24502-3796
Church 434-239-1348
Dear Bride and Groom,
Congratulations! We are so happy for you.
Making the decision to marry should be one of the happiest and most important decisions you ever make. It’s a new adventure and a sacred commitment meant to last a lifetime commitment.
At Timberlake United Methodist Church we believe very strongly in the sanctity of the marriage covenant. We believe as a church that we are called to support and strengthen your marriage. We pray that your wedding is only one part of your journey with God and your relationship with our church. We have developed this wedding policy to avoid unnecessary confusion and to provide the best possible support to you.
Inside this package you will find many resources that will help prepare you for your big day:
Pg. 3 Introduction of Our Wedding Facilitator
Pg. 4 Reserving the Church for Your Wedding
The Marriage License
Pg. 5 Organist and Music
Candles
Wedding Program
Photography
Videography
Floral Decorations
Pg. 6 The Rehearsal
The Reception
Food & Beverages
Fees and Responsibilities
Pg. 7 Set-up and Clean-up
Pg. 8 Facility Usage Contract
Date Reservation Form
Introducing Our Wedding Facilitator
The Wedding Facilitator will assist the wedding party with the following:
1. Explain our church priorities. Jesus calls us to be the light of the world. “A Light to Guide You Safely Home,” is the mission statement of Timberlake United Methodist Church. We believe that any use of our facilities should reflect our mission statement. Weddings are an important part of our ministry within our church and to the world. Our policy for reserving the church is always to ask first…Is this a ministry our church should be involved in? First priority for reserving church facilities will always go to those who are actively engaged in our ministry. Second priority for using our church will be given to those seeking to become more involved.
2. Help with the reservation process. Our Wedding Facilitator will guide you through the reservation process so you can be sure everything you need will be there.
For example:
Will you use the sanctuary or smaller chapel?
Will your reception be at the church?
Will your rehearsal dinner be at the church?
What equipment will you need? Sound, musical instruments, lighting, etc.
Will there be any special needs?
Who will be responsible for restoring everything following the service?
3. Organize the details. The Wedding Facilitator will assist in making sure everyone will be there when you need them. Who will be the minister? Who are the musicians and what equipment will they need? Who will be working behind the scenes to make sure the sound and lighting are adequate? We also like to know who the florist and the photographer will be so they can receive our guidelines.
4. Available to assist you. The Wedding Facilitator will make sure everything is set up and ready for your rehearsal and the worship service itself to help make your wedding truly memorable. Setting up for the reception is the sole responsibility of the wedding party.
*We hope the Wedding Facilitator will be a valuable aid in assisting with the details of your wedding. May God bless and strengthen your marriage, and may you always consider Timberlake United Methodist Church your church home.
Reserving the Church for Your Wedding:
Timberlake has been blessed with wonderful facilities, which are used for a variety of activities throughout the year. Timberlake permits members and non-members to use its facilities for weddings; however, because of Timberlake’s many other uses, not all dates are available for weddings. Other church events may also be scheduled on the same day as your wedding.
Members of Timberlake may schedule a church wedding for themselves, their children, or grandchildren, up to eighteen (18) months in advance of the ceremony date.
All others interested in being married at Timberlake will be scheduled as non-members. Non-members may schedule weddings up to one (1) year in advance and will pay higher facility fees.
The sanctuary holds 650 people, the Family Life Center seats 450 people, Hughes Hall will seat 100 people, and the chapel will seat 100 people. When a wedding is scheduled, the hours reserved for any room of the church will be arranged with the Wedding Facilitator. No weddings will be scheduled without the permission of the pastor.
Reservation Procedure:
1. Review this manual thoroughly and complete the wedding information forms. Please be sure to indicate the date requested for your ceremony.
2. Return the wedding form(s) to the Wedding Facilitator.
3. Upon receiving your completed wedding information forms and following through with the church’s wedding reservation procedure, the facilitator will confirm your wedding date with you by phone or indicate that another date must be selected.
4. You must meet with the pastor for one counseling session.
5. Once you have a confirmed wedding date you should discuss music and/or organist plans with the officiating minister. Music is at the discretion of the officiating minister.
The ceremony services of the United Methodist Church will be used. You will receive general outlines of these services at your meeting with the pastor. If you would like to adapt the liturgy, you must do so in consultation with the officiating minister.
The Marriage License:
By Virginia state law the marriage license needs to be secured in advance from a Virginia clerk of the courts. Both parties must be present to secure the license. The marriage license is valid for sixty (60) days. Please present the license to the Pastor or Administrative Coordinator no later than two (2) business days prior to your wedding. The ceremony cannot begin without a valid marriage license.
Organist and Music:
Our staff organists are Dan Edgar and Ruby Viar. One of them will need to be engaged for both the rehearsal and wedding dates, and any other services you may require. Fees for services are negotiated directly with the organist. The musicians are customarily paid at or just before the wedding. You are encouraged to work closely with the organist as you plan your wedding music. Keep in mind, this ceremony is to take place in God’s house and the music should be in accordance therewith. If you need suggestions of qualified soloists or appropriate musical selections, our Director of Music Ministry, Estelle Elder, or our organists can help you. If neither staff organist is available to play for your wedding, additional names of qualified organists are available through our Director of Music Ministry. It may be that you wish someone else to play for your wedding. Prior approval must be obtained from one of our staff organists assuring that anyone asked is appropriately qualified to play the organ. It is perfectly acceptable to choose some other type of musical instrument other than the organ for your wedding, but all these selections need to meet the approval of the pastor.
Candles:
The church does not provide candles. If you plan to use candles, please make sure they are dripless with a metal sleeve (a.k.a. mechanical or “Paradise” candles). Your Unity candle does not require a metal sleeve. We do, however, have other candelabrum and pew torches that you may reserve for use by contacting the Wedding Facilitator. No other pew torches or other items may be attached to the pews without the prior approval of the Wedding Facilitator.
Wedding program:
If a wedding program is to be used, the preparation and printing is the responsibility of the bride and groom. The order of worship needs to be approved by the officiating minister prior to printing.
Photography:
The person(s) photographing your wedding are subject to the guidelines of our church. Enclosed is a form you need to give to your photographer that outlines our policies. The bride and groom are responsible for seeing these policies are followed. We allow no flash photography during the wedding. The photographer should maintain a non-distracting distance.
Videography:
Videos of your ceremony may be taken from a non-distracting distance and without special lighting. The bride and groom are responsible for seeing these guidelines (videography page attached) are followed. Non-distracting distance is the discretion of the officiating minister and will be provided prior to the wedding.
Floral Decorations:
We are pleased to work with you and your florist to preserve the theological symbols of the church. A center floral arrangement is always suitable on the altar table. The vase should be leak proof and suitable for a church sanctuary. Potted plants should have adequate protection to preserve our carpet. Petals strewn by the flower girl should be used with a runner. Confetti, glitter, or other materials should not be used. No furniture such as the baptismal font chancel furniture shall be moved unless specific arrangements are made prior to the rehearsal.
The Rehearsal:
Wedding rehearsals at Timberlake United Methodist Church take place at 6:00 p.m. the evening prior to the wedding. A rehearsal is necessary for all weddings, and all participants in the ceremony must be present at the rehearsal. The rehearsal lasts for only one hour, so it is especially important to be prompt. This can be facilitated by giving each participant clear directions to the church.
The Reception:
If you choose to have your reception at Timberlake United Methodist Church, please note that the church does not furnish any form of catering service. The caterer must provide all his/her own supplies (punch cups, bowls, serving dishes, etc.) No alcoholic beverages are to be consumed anywhere on church grounds. Smoking is only permitted outdoors. If the caterer will be using either kitchen, then the caterer must meet with our Kitchen Committee prior to having access to the kitchens. Deejays and bands are permitted but must be approved of (in advance) by the officiating minister. Please be aware that music with lyrics that are obscene or offensive is not permitted.
Beginning and ending times of the reception must be indicated in your reservation. Please contact the Wedding Facilitator for scheduling and more information.
Food & Beverages:
Food and beverages are permitted only in the Family Life Center, Hughes Hall, and the dressing areas. Colored drinks such as Kool-Aid or juices are not to be used because of potential damage to carpets. At no time is food or drink permitted during a wedding ceremony. Please remember alcoholic beverages are prohibited on church grounds. No food or drink is allowed in the sanctuary or the chapel.
Fees and Responsibilities:
Officiating minister
We do not have a set fee for the minister. However, it is customary to pay your minister an honorarium of $100.00.
Fees (Non-Members) Fees (Members)
Use of Sanctuary $200.00 Custodial Fee $100.00
Use of Chapel $100.00 Sound Technician Fee $100.00
Use of Family Life Center $200.00 Wedding Facilitator Fee $100.00
Use of Hughes Hall $100.00
Use of Room 27 and Library $100.00
Pew Candles/Candelabras $25/$25
Custodial Fee $100.00
Sound Technician Fee $100.00
Wedding Facilitator Fee $150.00
Musician Contract Individually
All wedding fees must be paid in full prior to the ceremony. Non-members will be asked to make a reasonable deposit to insure the reservation. The Wedding Facilitator will assist with the arrangements and payment of monies.
Set-up and Clean-up:
You are responsible for the set-up of tables and chairs for your service and/or reception.
DO NOT ASSUME the facilities will be available the day before your wedding. The Wedding Facilitator will help you with the arrangements.
After your wedding and reception, you are responsible for having all tables and chairs wiped clean and returned to storage. Please restore all the rooms you used to their normal arrangement removing all decorations, moving furniture and taking all personal items. NO food should be left in Timberlake facilities or refrigerators after the reception. The Wedding Facilitator will keep all non-perishable items after the ceremony no longer than four (4) weeks before discarding them.
Facility Usage Contract
The undersigned persons have read this document including the attached pages for photographer, videographer, and florist, and acknowledge their responsibility for all fees listed and any damage that may occur.
Name of Groom: _______________________________________
Signature of Groom: ____________________________________ Date: ___________
Name of Bride: _______________________________________
Signature of Bride: ____________________________________ Date: ___________
Contact Phone Number: ________________________ Email: _________________________
Your signature represents acceptance of this contract and responsibility for any damage to the church and its facilities.
Staff-person’s signature reserving the facilities for the bride and groom:
Signature: ____________________________________________ Date: ___________
Date Reservation Form
Desired Rehearsal Date: __________________________________ Time: ________________
Desired Wedding Date: __________________________________ Time: ________________
Reception Location: _____________________________________ Time: ________________
o Yes, we do plan to leave flowers for church services the Sunday following our wedding.
o (Timberlake members only) Yes, we do want our marriage announced in the bulletin on the Sunday following our wedding.
o Yes, we will need a room for the bride and bridesmaids to dress
o Yes, we will need a room for the groom and groomsmen to dress
We rejoice with you as you plan your new life together!
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