Introductory Guidelines

Weddings

We are delighted that you are considering having your wedding ceremony in our beautiful sanctuary. The following policy statement ensures that our staff can best meet your needs for an aesthetically pleasing, reverent and memorable service of worship. God bless your wedding, and even more importantly, God bless the years of companionship and grace that will follow!

Introductory Guidelines

To be married in the Episcopal Church, it is required that at least one of the parties be a baptized Christian. Church membership is not required, but we hope that the process of preparation will lead you to a church home at St Alban’s or elsewhere.

The clergy of St. Alban’s have final approval on all aspects of the service. Unless the clergy permit otherwise, wedding ceremonies at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church follow the rubrics The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage, pages 422-432, in the Book of Common Prayer. If you would prefer your own Episcopal priest to officiate at the wedding, the Rector of St. Alban’s must grant prior permission. If this priest is canonically resident outside the Diocese of North Carolina, additional permission must be granted by our Bishop. In the event you would like a minister of another faith or denomination to participate in your ceremony, all coordination of their involvement must be done through St. Alban’s and approved by the priests. Our intent is to allow only Episcopal services led by Episcopal clergy. We offer but do not require the Celebration of Holy Eucharist as part of this ceremony. All baptized persons at the wedding, irrespective of their religious affiliation, are invited to receive the Holy Sacraments.

The wedding coordinator works closely with the clergy to meet your needs and answer questions. Since our church calendar fills up quickly, we urge you to suggest several dates well in advance then finalize a date and time for the ceremony and the rehearsal with the wedding coordinator and the parish administrator.

The sanctuary seats, and fire codes allow, a maximum of 250 people, including wedding party and musicians. Please consider that in reserving this facility and inviting guests.

For health and aesthetic reasons, we do not permit either rice or confetti inside or outside the facility. Outside, guests may throw birdseed, and the wedding party must arrange to sweep the birdseed off the pavement, directly after the event. We encourage the use of bubbles as an alternative.

You may use the Reflection room, Middle School classroom, upstairs Nursery, and High School classroom as dressing rooms. Please make sure arrangements are made with our wedding coordinator when you reserve the facility.

Music

Our clergy and organist must approve all selections of music and musicians. The St. Alban’s Minister of Music needs to be contacted as soon as possible to check his availability for your wedding date. He will also help you contract additional singers and musicians as desired. (The parish musician retains right of first refusal for all weddings. If you prefer another organist or musician, the organist must be compensated in full, as per American Guild of Organists’ guidelines, $300 (non-church members) $150 (church members)).

Fee schedule for the St. Alban’s Organist/Choirmaster, payable directly to the Music Minister:

$300 for wedding and ½ hour consultation ($150 for church members);

$50 for wedding rehearsal;

$50 for any additional rehearsal time with soloists

Photography

Since a wedding ceremony is primarily a service of worship, we do not permit flash photography during the service, either by professional photographers or guests. We ask all photographers, professional or otherwise, to consult with the wedding coordinator well before the service. You may videotape the wedding ceremony from a stationary position selected in consultation with the officiating clergyperson.

Wedding Coordinator

One of our wedding coordinators will meet with you prior to the wedding day to discuss building usage and protocol. The wedding coordinator will then assist with the rehearsal, set and reset the altar, open and close the church, guide the wedding party, serve as the time-keeper, and do light cleaning after the service. The fee is $200 ($150 for church members), payable directly to the wedding coordinator.

Building Use Fees

Wedding$750 for non-church members

Reception$250 for non-church members

*There are no building use fees for members of St. Alban’s. Members are active, pledging and contributing members of the parish for at least one year prior to the wedding date. A contribution to the parish in thanksgiving for the marriage is appropriate.

Officiating Priest

You are free to request as officiant the Rector, Rev. David E. Buck, or Associate Rector, the Rev. Greg McIntyre, either of whom will gladly serve, depending on their availability the day of your wedding. The officiant you select will meet with you for an initial consultation prior to your premarital counseling (see below), then one month before the wedding itself to finalize the ceremony, and finally to conduct the rehearsal. For non-members, the fee for the clergy is $300, payable directly to him or her.

Premarital Counseling Sessions

The Episcopal Church requires that the couple has received at least three hours of pre-martial counseling prior to the wedding ceremony, after an initial consultation with the clergy. Feel free to utilize the services of any certified pre-martial counselor, approved by the clergy. If either the bride or groom has been divorced, our Diocesan Bishop requires a letter of recommendation from the officiating clergyperson in consultation with the pre-martial counselor.

Flowers

A large flower arrangement is permitted on the flower stand behind the altar. The windows may be decorated with greenery and candles but candles must be in the glass hurricanes provided by St. Alban’s Flower Guild. The wedding family needs to provide the candles. Simple bows and greenery may be attached by stick pins on the aisle pew chairs. Our Flower Guild will be happy to help with flowers or flower questions—or you may use a local florist for your flowers. The Wedding Coordinator can put you in touch with our guild if you desire their services. We do not require, but we invite you to contribute your floral arrangement to the church for the following Sunday’s worship services. If you choose to do so, the Parish Administrator will include a note in the worship bulletin giving your names and the occasion of your gift.

Wedding Programs

We encourage you to arrange elsewhere for the preparation and printing of your wedding programs, in keeping with your own stylistic preferences. The priest officiating at the service will work with you on the proper wording for the Episcopal wedding service, The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage.

Payments Schedule

A deposit of $500 is due at the initial consultation with the officiating clergy and reservation with the Parish Administrator and refundable up to one month before the previously agreed wedding date if your plans change. All additional fees (remainder of building use fee, organist, cleaning if needed, wedding coordinator, and priests) are due at the final consultation with the officiating clergy person, approximately one month, but no later than 15 days prior to the wedding.

Our prayer is that your wedding ceremony at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church will inspire your guests, honor God, and begin years of enriching love and marital companionship. We promise our support before, during, and after the ceremony!

The Rev. Dr. David E. Buck

The Rev. Greg McIntyre

St. Alban's Episcopal Church

301 Caldwell Lane, P.O. Box 970

Davidson, NC 28036

704-892-0173 (church) 704-892-6506 (fax)

The Member of the Clergy shall have required that the parties sign the following declaration:

We understand the teaching of the church that God's purpose for our marriage is for our mutual joy, for the help and comfort we will give to each other in prosperity and adversity, and, when it is God's will, for the gift and heritage of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of God. We also understand that our marriage is to beunconditional, mutual, exclusive, faithful, and lifelong; andwe engage to make the utmost effort to accept these gifts and fulfill these duties, with the help of God and the support of our community.

It shall be within the discretion of any Member of the Clergy of this Church to decline to solemnize any marriage.