W E D D I N G P O L I C Y
864.576.4033
August, 2014
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
At Fairforest Baptist Church, we believe that we should glorify God through the proclamation of His Word; the evangelization of the lost; and the fellowship of believers.
Therefore your wedding is a sacred occasion and it should be an occasion that is glorifying to God. It will also be more meaningful to you, your families and friends when there is careful planning. For that reason, the following statements will govern your plans for your wedding here at Fairforest Baptist Church.
We sincerely believe this policy to be most suitable and practical for all concerned. In order that your wedding may be carried out with dignity, in a spirit of worship and sacred order, the following guidelines are offered.
ELIGIBILITY
The guidelines for eligibility are as follows:
Bride or groom is a member of Fairforest Baptist Church
One parent or legal guardian of the bride or groom is a member of Fairforest Baptist Church
- Exception: Written recommendation from an active member of Fairforest Baptist Church to deacons for consideration of a couple not meeting these requirements.
Any couple who is living together out of wedlock is ineligible to be married at Fairforest Baptist Church without prior consultation with the pastor.
BEHAVIOR
All people participating in the rehearsal, wedding or reception should dress modestly and conduct themselves with standards that comply with a worship service. Smoking, irreverent language, or discourteous actions is strictly forbidden. No activity will be conducted at the church when anyone is under the influence of alcohol. The tradition of throwing material after the wedding is limited to rice, flower petals, or bird seed and is to be thrown outside the building.
WEDDING DATE AND TIME
Careful planning is necessary for all weddings. It will be necessary to plan as early in advance as possible so that the use of the church space can be arranged without conflict. The sanctuary will be decorated according to the Christian year (i.e. Easter, Christmas). If the wedding date coincides with these events, the decorations will remain.
The date of the wedding is set in consultation with the church secretary who will clear the date with the church calendar of scheduled activities. At the consultation, the wedding application form is filled out.
MINISTER
The minister of Fairforest Baptist Church always counts it a privilege to officiate at the wedding of members of the church. Pre-wedding counseling periods are held with the minister and are to be arranged at a time mutually convenient to the minister and the couple. The consultations should be scheduled with the church secretary before the wedding date.
If a minister other than an official staff member of Fairforest Baptist Church is to officiate the ceremony, permission from the current pastor of Fairforest Baptist Church must be requested in writing no later than two months prior to the wedding.
WEDDING MUSIC
Music for weddings and text for wedding solos should be arranged through the Pastor of Worship and should be similar in character to the music at all services held in the church. If an outside organist is requested, APPROVAL MUST BE GRANTED by the Pastor of Worship. Outside organists/pianists will name their fee.
MOVEMENT OF FURNITURE
The pulpit stand, choir chairs, or any furniture will be removed and replaced only by the custodian. This will reduce the risk of damage or injury.
Tables and chairs in the Social Hall are also not to be moved except by the building custodian.
FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS
Nothing is to be used that will in any way damage the church property, i.e., no glue, tape, thumb tacks, or staples are to be used on the pews, no rose petals sprinkled in aisle, no rice thrown inside church, etc. Also, the use of non-drip candles is required. Please check to see that candles are extinguished.
SOUND EQUIPMENT
If taped music or microphones are needed, our Pastor of Worship shall be the only one to operate or arrange for operation the equipment. If these services are needed please note the fee listed on the following page. The bride and groom are responsible to repair or replace all broken or damaged equipment resulting from the failure to comply with the sound equipment regulations mentioned in this clause.
CATERER AND SOCIAL HALL
Caterers who contract with the bride for receptions which will be held in the Social Hall are responsible for damage caused by their employees or their equipment.
When the Social Hall is used on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, all items related to the reception must be removed from the building immediately.
Under no conditions shall decorations be attached to the walls or furniture in the Social Hall by pinning, gluing, or nailing.
The reception is indeed a celebration, but we do not allow the use of alcoholic beverages or cigarette smoking, etc. in the Lord’s House. We are sure you will respect these guidelines.
The Caterer Wedding Agreement must be signed before the reception can be held in the Social Hall.
USE OF THE KITCHEN
Kitchen supplies should not be removed from the kitchen.
All leftovers should be removed from the refrigerator and freezer after use in order to leave enough storage for other groups desiring to use the facilities.
Wash and dry all dishes and utensils and put them in their proper place. Sweep any trash or food that is left on the floor.
Dish towels belonging to the church should be left at the church in order for the church to launder them.
If there are any questions on how to operate the appliances and where to find the kitchen supplies, please contact the church hostess, through the church secretary.
CLEANUP: REHEARSALS, REHEARSAL DINNERS, WEDDINGS, AND RECEPTIONS
The bride's and groom's families are responsible for a certain amount of cleanup as follows:
CLEANING CHECK LIST FOR WEDDINGS
The responsible party is required to complete the following checklist at the completion of the scheduled event. The form and keys will need to be left at the office back door drop slot.
_____ Decorations, flowers, palms and plants that are remaining as well as debris that has dropped to the
floor should be removed. Report any stains to the church office.
_____ Bathrooms and dressing rooms that were used should be picked up and left reasonably clean.
_____Sweep floor (broom located in pantry)
_____Wash and dry all dishes/utensils used
_____Return all dishes/utensils to original place of storage
_____Wipe down all counters, stove, sinks
_____Rinse sink and remove trash from sinks
_____Take out all trash to dumpster behind the church
_____Replace trashcan liners (liners located behind island door, labeled)
_____Remove all leftover food and drink from refrigerator
_____All lights turned off
_____Outside doors locked and completely shut
______
Signature of Responsible Party Signature upon inspection
______
Facilities deemed ACCEPTABLE or UNACCEPTABLE
THE IMPORTANT THING – The important thing in any wedding is the wedding itself and the sincerity with which two people enter upon it, the affection that makes it rich, and the meaning of the vows they take. While the wedding ceremony receives a touch of beauty from many hands, it must be remembered that only God can make it what it ought to be. When a couple stands at the altar of God’s church in a sacred wedding ceremony, they are beginning a new path over which to travel together in the blessing of God through time and eternity.
FEE SCHEDULE
For Non-Members
Use of Sanctuary only $350.00
Clergy $150.00
Sound/Lighting Technician $75.00
Pianist$100.00
Custodian $100.00
Use of Sanctuary &Social Hall $500.00
Clergy $150.00
Sound/Lighting Technician $75.00
Pianist $100.00
Custodian $150.00
**Non Members must be sponsored by a church member.
***Rehearsal dinner fees for social hall are not included.
For Members
No charge for using facilities
No Clergy fee is expected; however, an honorarium
has become a customary way to express appreciation.
Sound/Light Technician $75.00
Custodian $100.00 and $150.00 as above
Pianist $ 100.00
Custodian – With any wedding there is always necessary clean-up detail in order that normal services of the church may continue on their own regular schedules. To relieve you of the responsibility and to insure everything being put back in its proper place, we must insist that our regular custodian be used for this purpose.
Please Note: Fees are to be made payable to Fairforest Baptist Church. Fees should be paid one month prior to the wedding to insure use of the building. Pastoral discretion is allowed in benevolent situations.
Non-Members must be sponsored by a church member as mentioned earlier is this document. The Church member is the person responsible for returning the key to the church.
WEDDING APPLICATION FORM
Fairforest Baptist Church
Current Date: ___/___/___
Name of Bride:______Ph. #______
Present Address of Bride: ______
Email Address of Bride:______
Name of Groom: ______Ph. #______
Present Address of Groom:______
Email Address of Groom:______
New Address after Marriage:______
Is either a member of Fairforest Baptist Church?__Yes __ No
If not, is a parent a member of Fairforest Baptist Church?__Yes __ No
Bride's Parent’s Name ______Ph. #______
Bride's Parent’s Address ______
Groom's Parent’s Name ______Ph. #______
Groom's Parent’s Address______
Is the bride over 21 years of age?_____ Is the groom?______
Reserve the following (check only one)
__ Sanctuary only
Rehearsal Date: ___/___/___Time: _____:_____
Wedding Date: ___/___/___Time: _____:_____
__ Sanctuary and Social Hall
Rehearsal Date: ___/___/___Time: _____:_____
Wedding Date: ___/___/___Time: _____:_____
ReceptionTime: _____:_____
__ Social Hall only
Reception Date: ___/___/___Time: _____:_____
Minister: ______Florist: ______
Caterer: ______Director: ______
Organist: ______Contact info:______
Pianist: ______Contact info:______
Soloist: ______Contact info:______
BRIDE AND GROOM
WEDDING AGREEMENT
Fairforest Baptist Church
We agree to comply with the rules and regulations of Fairforest Baptist Church for weddings, rehearsals and receptions which consist of the following clauses that are covered in the Fairforest Baptist Church Wedding Policy:
Introductory Statement
Eligibility
Behavior
Wedding Date and Time
- Minister
Wedding Music
Movement of Furniture
Flowers and Decorations
Sound Equipment
Caterer and Social Hall
Use of the Kitchen
Cleanup
Fees
Signature of Bride: ______Date:____/____/____
Signature of Groom: ______Date:____/____/____
Office Use Only:
Date of Wedding:______
Amount Owed______
Date Paid:______
Received by:______
CATERER
WEDDING AGREEMENT
Fairforest Baptist Church
We agree to comply with the following rules and regulations of Fairforest Baptist Church regarding the kitchen, decorations and cleanup for weddings.
Caterers who contract with the bride for receptions which will be held in the Social Hall are responsible for damage of any kind, caused by their employees or their equipment.
When the Social Hall is used on Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, all items related to the reception that is owned by the caterer must be removed from the building immediately.
Under no conditions shall decorations be attached to the walls or furniture by pinning, gluing or nailing.
Kitchen supplies used should be put back to their original storage areas. The range, counter tops, utensils, pots/pans, dishes, etc. used should be left clean.
All leftovers should be removed from the kitchen in order to leave enough storage for others desiring to immediately use the facilities.
Dish towels and table cloths belonging to the church should be left in the kitchen because the church will launder them.
Spills are to be cleaned.
Trash and kitchen garbage are to be collected from the cleanup and bagged and placed outside in the dumpster.
Any stains or damage that is the direct result from caterer activity should be reported to the church office as soon as possible.
Caterer Agreement
Reception Date: ___/___/___ Bride's Name: ______
Caterer's Name: ______Phone:______
Caterer's Address: ______
Email address: ______
Signed: ______Date:____/____/____
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