Wedding Booklet


First United Methodist Church

1376 Olive Street
Eugene, OR 97401
541-345-8764



Welcome . . .
to First United Methodist Church

We are pleased that you are considering our church for your
wedding. We look forward to making this a memorable day
for you as well as a solid beginning for your life together.
Weddings are a unique blend of social occasion, family
gathering, religious ceremony, and legal contract. Finding the
right balance in all this makes the difference between a hectic
wedding day and a relaxed and joyful celebration.

We know that you have already put a great deal of thought
into your marriage plans. We stand ready to help you as you
prepare for this important event in your life. This booklet sets
forth the basic policies and guidelines concerning weddings
in our church. Take a few minutes to look through these
pages.


IMPORTANT CONTACT PERSONS

Pastors:
Debbie Pitney 345-8764
Lyda Pierce 345-8764

Office Manager:
Linda Abraham 345-8764

Organist:
Julia Brown 345-8764, 338-9545

Wedding Coordinator:
Nina Rogers 485-4100

Reception Coordinator:
Janie Faris 747-2837

First United Methodist Church 345-8764



STEPS TO SCHEDULING YOUR WEDDING:

____Read this booklet thoroughly and note questions you may have.
____Fill out "Wedding Information" and "Wedding Coordinator"
forms (in center of this booklet).
____Submit forms to office manager; make tentative reservation
for wedding on church calendar.
____Pastor will review form and decide if it's possible to officiate.
____Following pastoral acceptance (phone call), submit deposit;
confirm wedding date on church calendar.
____Make premarital counseling appointment(s) with pastor
following confirmation of wedding date.
____Final balance due two weeks before your wedding.


PREPARING FOR YOUR WEDDING

When you come to our church for a wedding, we assume
that you desire a Christian wedding. To us that means a
service that lifts up the Christian nature of marriage,
includes prayer and Scripture reading, and honors the
unique qualities that each of you bring as children of God.

OFFICIATING PASTOR

All weddings at First United Methodist Church are under the
direction of our pastors. The decision to perform your
wedding is made by the pastor after counseling with you to
learn of your background and commitment to Christian
marriage. If it is your desire to have a pastor from another
church perform or assist at your service, the final decision
will be made by our pastors.

PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING

Our pastors take premarital counseling seriously. There are
usually three or four counseling sessions with each couple
beginning a minimum of six weeks prior to the wedding.

In preparation for your wedding, it is our expectation that you
will attend worship during the time you are in premarital
counseling. We understand that circumstances may prevent
this from happening, so please feel free to talk to the pastor.

Call the pastor you are working with to make arrangements
for counseling appointments. The church office number is
345-8764.

PLANNING THE WEDDING SERVICE

We want your wedding to be meaningful to you. During pre-
marital counseling we will explore what you would like to
include in your service that will celebrate your coming
together in marriage.

There are many ways to celebrate the joining of two people.
An example is the Service of Christian Marriage found in the
United Methodist Hymnal. A copy of this service will be
provided to you at your request.

MUSIC

Music is an important part of any wedding. The pastor will
work with you in the selection and placement of musical
selections in your service.

First United Methodist Church has a talented music staff. All
organ and piano music will be provided by our staff musicians
unless other arrangements have been made and are pre-
approved by the pastor. If you wish to have a soloist perform
at your wedding, our organist or pianist will accompany
him/her. (The music provided must be written for organ or
piano.) Our musician will rehearse with the soloist one time
before the wedding rehearsal without additional fees.

A tape of favorite organ music selections used for weddings
will be available on request for you to listen to. This may
help make your selection process easier.

SOUND SYSTEM

We strongly recommend that you utilize the sound system for
a wedding in our sanctuary due to its size and acoustics. A
sound technician will be available for the rehearsal and
wedding service. The technician will provide and set up the
necessary microphones. We would be happy to record your
service for you.

CHURCH SEATING CAPACITY AND AVAILABILITY

Our Sanctuary (worship center) seats 700 people; the Chapel
seats 80 people.

There are two time periods during which First United
Methodist Church does not schedule weddings. The first is
from December 18 through January 6 of each year. The
second time is between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.

WEDDING REHEARSAL

The wedding rehearsal generally takes place the day before
your wedding. We will rehearse the wedding ceremony, as
well as the procession and recession, with you and your
wedding party. The pastor and the wedding coordinator will
be available for the rehearsal. The rehearsal will take
approximately one hour.

WEDDING COORDINATOR

Our Wedding Coordinator is an integral part of your wedding
planning. She will work with you in decorating decisions,
ushering, candle lighting, and setting the procession. She will
be available during the rehearsal and on your wedding day
and is happy to answer any of your questions.

MARRIAGE LICENSE

The State of Oregon requires each couple to obtain a valid
wedding license to be married. This license may be obtained
at any county courthouse in Oregon. Please consult with them
for requirements and fees. We ask that the license be
delivered to the church the day of your wedding rehearsal.

WEDDING SERVICE FEES

Wedding service fees are listed below. The fees for active
members reflect the fact that members support the church
through regular giving and service. Wedding fees for non-
members are determined by the services rendered.

The fees cover the cost of the Chapel or Sanctuary, premarital
counseling, organist/pianist, wedding coordinator, custodian,
and sound operator (Sanctuary only). If you choose to have
your reception at First United Methodist and/or need
childcare, there are additional fees.

A deposit equal to one half of the wedding fees is required at
the time of booking. The balance must be paid at least two
weeks in advance of your scheduled date.

If for some reason you should need to cancel your wedding,
all but $50 of your deposit will be refunded.

*Member is defined as active church members and
their children.
**Additional fees may be required for Saturday
evening weddings for resetting for Sunday services.

WEDDING RECEPTION

Our United Methodist Women are available to work with you
if you plan a reception at the church. Please make contact
with the Reception Coordinator listed in this booklet. There
are additional fees for a reception.

Information about having a reception and the fees involved
will be provided to you on request.

IMPORTANT NOTE

First United Methodist Church has a No Smoking and No
Alcohol policy. There is no smoking allowed in the building
or in the courtyards. If you smoke on the sidewalks outside
the building, we ask that you step away from the doors and
please do not discard cigarette butts on the grounds. Alcohol
is not allowed on the church property. We trust that you will
honor this policy and will confine either of these activities to
another time and place.

Your Wedding Day

DECORATING

You are free to add your special touches to our Sanctuary,
Chapel and Fellowship Hall. The setting is beautiful with or
without decoration. Our Wedding Coordinator would be
happy to advise you in placement of your decorations and of
any restrictions that may apply. Please arrange your
decorating schedule with the wedding coordinator so the
custodian will be available to open the building.

The church has four candelabra, two tall flower baskets and
two floral stands that you may use. In addition, we have
wedding paraments for the pulpit and lectern and a wedding
banner for the communion table. Bows or floral wreaths are
allowed to be placed on the pews; we do ask that you use bow
hooks. Please do not use tape.

Unless other arrangements are made, we ask that all
decorations be removed immediately following your wedding.
Our building is very busy and needs to be ready for the next
scheduled service or activity.

Many couples choose to leave the communion table floral
arrangement for Sunday worship. If you would like to leave
your flowers, please let the church office know so that we
may acknowledge your gift in the Sunday bulletin.

ATTENDANTS and USHERS

The wedding coordinator will work with your attendants at
the rehearsal on the procession, their positions during the
service, and recession. She will also instruct ushers on
seating guests for the service.

CANDLE LIGHTERS

If you choose to have candles lit during your service, the
wedding coordinator will instruct your candle lighters at the
rehearsal. The wedding coordinator will extinguish the
candles.

DRESSING FOR THE SERVICE

You are welcome to dress at the church on your wedding day.
The wedding coordinator will show you to the appropriate
dressing rooms. These rooms will be locked to protect your
valuables during the service. Be sure to let the wedding
coordinator know if you will be dressing at the church so we
can have the building unlocked for you and the wedding party
at the appointed time.

PHOTOGRAPHY and VIDEOGRAPHY

During premarital counseling the pastor will address your
wishes on capturing your wedding service on film and/or
video. You will be asked when you would like to have
photographs of the wedding party taken.

We will gladly supply your photographer with our guidelines
including suggestions about discreet, strategic camera
locations that have worked well in the past.

SIGNING THE LICENSE

The officiating pastor will instruct you in signing your
wedding license and certificate. All witnesses must be at least
18 years of age. The church will file the necessary copies
with the church and state.