Chillicothe
United Methodist Church
Personal
Interviews and Scheduling * Marriage License * Church
Sanctity * Alcoholic Beverages * Smoking
* Decorations * Photographs
* Wedding Programs * Financial
Responsibility * Non-member Fees * Member
Fees * Honoraria * Musicians
* Organists * Wedding Rehearsals
* The Wedding Day * Reception
* Kitchen Use * A Message from the
Pastor
The purpose of these guidelines is to answer certain basic questions for the couple who are planning their wedding at United Methodist Church of Chillicothe, MO. If you have questions that are not answered here, please contact our church office at 660-646-2580.
Personal
Interviews and Scheduling:
All weddings need to be scheduled through the minister. The prospective bride
and groom must initiate an appointment with the minister to arrange a wedding
at United Methodist Church. Furthermore, the United Methodist Discipline requires
that the minister confer with both the bride and groom prior to the ceremony.
A minister of the United Methodist Church cannot commit him or herself to perform
a marriage until after the initial interview, which should be at least two months
prior to the wedding date. The couple should meet with the minister, therefore,
before any public announcement is made of the wedding in our church. At the
time of the initial interview, the couple should make known the date and time
they have chosen as well as the time of rehearsal, and whether or not a reception
will be held at the church. The pastor may extend an invitation to another minister
to take part in the service, but this is at the discretion of the pastor. Non-members
may not schedule a wedding more than six months in advance.
No
wedding reception shall be scheduled on a holiday or over a weekend when a holiday
is being observed, specifically, New Year's Day, Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday,
Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas. No wedding
involving a church-held reception shall be scheduled after 3:00 PM on Saturday
or before 3:00 PM on Sunday. A sanctuary wedding involving a non-church reception
may be held no later than 7:00 PM.
Marriage
License:
Application for the marriage license must be made by both the bride and groom
about ten days prior to the wedding date at the Office of the County Recorder
of Deeds on the 2nd floor of Livingston County Courthouse. Photo identification
is required. Following a waiting period of three days between the time of application
and the time of receiving it, and payment of the fee of $45, the license may
be picked up. The marriage license is good for thirty days following the time
that you receive it. Blood tests are no longer required by the State of Missouri.
Only Missouri licenses are valid in Missouri. Please bring your marriage license
to the church office (8-5 Monday through Friday), prior to the wedding so that
it may be completed ahead of time. Following the wedding, the minister will
direct the best man and maid or matron of honor to sign the certificate. Two
witnesses are required by law in the State of Missouri.
Church
Sanctity:
The Sanctity of the church and the sacredness of the ceremony will be recognized.
The church building, while a building, is the house of God, and has been built
by the faithful for private and public worship of God. The wedding ceremony
is a service of worship, conducted by a minister, in which God's blessing is
being asked upon the man and the woman to be united in marriage. Therefore,
the building will be respected and the ceremony will be carried out in a reverent
manner. Music for the service should be consistent in both text and score with
the Christian faith as it is understood in the United Methodist Church, and
is subject to approval of the senior pastor. Approximately six selections should
be made for the twenty minutes of prelude music. Wagner's Wedding March
is not an appropriate selection.
Alcoholic
Beverages:
There will be NO ALCOHOL OR LIQUOR of any kind served anywhere in the church
building or grounds. Those desiring to use our facilities for a wedding or anniversary
celebration must agree that there will be no alcoholic beverage brought into
the building and/or used by any member of the party.
Smoking:
There will be NO SMOKING in the church building. No food or drink will be in
the worship area of the church.
Decorations:
Please talk with the pastor and church staff about when you can decorate for
the wedding to avoid other scheduled church events. No decorations should be
used which would diminish the important visual meaning of those items of chancel
equipment which make up the worship center. The altar may not be moved. There
should be no moving of church furniture without permission of the pastor. Flowers
shall be placed in order to leave the front of the altar open. It is here that
the couple will kneel for prayers at the conclusion of the ceremony. No decorations
may be placed on the altar without consulting with the pastor. Installation
and removal of the decorations must be done so as not to interfere with the
other scheduled events in the life of the church. Decorations must be removed
immediately after the wedding/reception. No means of attaching decorations to
any fixture or furniture are permitted which will mar these in any fashion.
No nails or tacks may be used. Flowers, greenery and candles which may be used
must be placed so that no damage will be done to the carpeting. There are two
7-branch candelabra and a 7-branch V-arm candelabra available for your use at
the church, at no extra charge. The pastor and the custodian shall be consulted
in regard to further decorations beyond candelabra, floral arrangements, and/or
ribbons on the pews. Because the sanctuary and chapel are carpeted, the use
of an aisle runner is not necessary. However, if a white runner is to be used,
it should be rented from a florist. Only silk petals should be dropped by flower
girls to avoid damage to the carpet. Bubbles are acceptable for the departure
of the bride and groom outside the building. Other items are problematic and
are to be avoided.
Photographs:
No flash pictures may be taken in the worship area during the ceremony. This
means from the time the bridal party enters the aisle until the recessional.
Nothing should detract from the bride and the groom being the center of attention.
Therefore, non-professional photographers, family members and guests are asked
to not take pictures during the ceremony. Ushers are asked to make this policy
clear to persons who bring cameras with them to the wedding service. Non-flash
pictures are fine if the photographer is stationary. There will be sufficient
time after the ceremony to reenact any part for photographs. Persons other than
the photographer may also take pictures after the wedding service. Professional
video cameras and non-flash pictures are allowed if stationary. Video equipment
will not be allowed from the chancel area, nor should anyone be moving about
video taping during the service. The minister will direct where video taping
will be allowed. The bride should consider it her responsibility to inform the
photographer of this limitation upon his/her activity.
Wedding
Programs:
An order of service may be printed for the congregation if desired. The cost
of this service to you is the cost of the bulletin stock. Please see the church
secretary at least three weeks prior to the wedding to determine the information
needed. Bulletins may be ordered through the church office. Please see the church
secretary at least three weeks prior to the wedding to finalize the information
needed. You may provide them from another source, or plain 24-lb. bond paper
may also be used. There is no charge for printing the bulletins from the church
office. It is required that the bride allow time for herself to proofread the
copy before the actual printing deadline, which is usually the day of the rehearsal
or the Friday before a weekend wedding. Please include in your bulletin, a note
to remind guests to turn off cell phones and pagers. This is also a good tool
to inform guests of the policy of no flash pictures once the ceremony begins.
Financial
Responsibility:
A deposit of 50% of the charges must be made at the time of reserving the church.
Charges include the use of the church. Charges include the use of the church,
gratuities for the minister and custodial fees. For those persons desiring to
engage facilities of the church for a wedding/reception and who are not members
of the church, the following charges apply:
Non-Member
Fees:
Wedding in Chapel...........................................................................$150.00
Wedding Sanctuary/Christian Life Center..........................................$300.00
Reception in Christian Life Center.....................................................$300.00
Rehearsal Dinner in Christian Life Center...........................................$100.00
Griffith Hall & Adjoining Kitchen.......................................................$
40.00
Kitchen Supervisor..................$30 for two hours plus $15 per additional
hour
Member Fees:
Wedding in Chapel...........................................................................$25.00
Wedding in Sanctuary/Christian Life Center.......................................$75.00
Reception in Christian Life Center.....................................................$75.00
Rehearsal Dinner in Christian Life Center...........................................$50.00
Griffith Hall & Adjoining Kitchen.......................................................$30.00
Kitchen Supervisor................$30 for two hours plus $15 per additional
hour
These fees are to be paid at lest
two weeks prior to the date of the wedding/reception. Checks should be made
payable to the church. Kitchen supervisor fees are to be made payable directly
to the person serving as supervisor.
Honoraria:
In the event of the pastor participating in a wedding for a non-member out of
town, an honorarium of $100 plus expenses (travel and lodging, if necessary),
would be appropriate. No honorarium is required for weddings in our church for
members.
Honoraria
and Gratuities for Musicians:
It is the responsibility of the bride and the groom to obtain these services.
When participating in the wedding rehearsal and ceremony, the organist, accompanist
and vocalist shall be compensated. This is usually no less than $50 per person
involved and is to be paid prior to or at the time of the rehearsal. An organist,
other than those on the approved list, must be approved by the senior pastor.
If an accompanist tape or CD is to be used, arrangements must be made before
the wedding rehearsal date with a church-approved sound technician in order
to use the church's sound equipment, and a time must be scheduled for a rehearsal
and sound check.
Organists
Able to Play our Pipe Organ:
Betty Preston
Janet Churan
Donna Frizzell
(Organist phone numbers are available from the church office)
Wedding
Rehearsals:
The pastor of the church will be in charge of all weddings and rehearsals. Therefore,
there will be no need for outside professional assistance. The rehearsal will
be scheduled in consultation with the senior pastor. Usually it would take place
the evening prior to the wedding day. Every wedding ought to be a joyous occasion
unmarred by any error of procedure which can be anticipated. For this reason,
a time should be selected for the rehearsal when all members of the wedding
party can be present. Rehearsals will begin promptly at the time when they are
scheduled, and they will last about one hour. It is suggested that the bride
participate in her own part in the rehearsal. Rings should be brought to the
rehearsal to practice the exchanging of the rings during the service.
The Wedding
Day:
The bride and her attendants should plan to be at the church at least two hours
prior to the wedding. One hour before the time of the wedding, the groom, best
man, groomsmen, and ushers should arrive at the church. Rooms are made available
for the wedding party to dress at the church if desired. About twenty minutes
before the time of the wedding, the musical prelude begins and the ushers should
be ready to seat guests (the bride's side being the left of the sanctuary facing
the altar from the rear of the room). If candle lighting is a part of the ceremony,
it follows the seating of the parents. The minister and groomsmen then take
their places and the processional begins. The congregation may stand or remain
seated as the bride enters the church. They are ordinary guided in this by the
bride's mother. In the processional, the members of the bridal party should
walk naturally without the hesitation step and without any attempt to keep time
with the music. The time of rehearsal usually clears up any questions about
protocol.
Reception:
A reception following the ceremony may be held in the Christian Life Center
or in Griffith Hall. If the reception is to be held at the church, it shall
be the responsibility of the couple to make complete arrangements for decorations,
refreshments and service. Again, no alcoholic beverages and no tobacco
will be allowed on church property. No red, purple, or orange-colored beverages
may be used in carpeted areas, and all spills must be attended to immediately.
No reception shall run into Saturday evening. The couple/family may decorate
the reception area beforehand and remove the decorations immediately after.
Because of scheduling of church events and maintenance, Saturday receptions
can last only until 7:00 PM.
Kitchen
Use:
The kitchen may be used by those persons handling the reception provided they
supply their own equipment and dishes. The refrigerator, freezer and sink may
be used. Other kitchen appliances may also be used with the help of the kitchen
supervisor. The kitchen is to be left in the condition in which it is found.
An approved church kitchen supervisor is required. Please contact Debbie Ware
about kitchen supervision. Her phone number is available from the church office.
The kitchen supervisor is responsible for supervising the use of the dishwasher
(if used), answering questions, overseeing cleanup and laundering soiled linens.
A fee is charged for the kitchen supervisor's participation and assistance.
This fee is to be made payable to the person serving as supervisor for instruction
and supervision only.
One last word of advice, remember that the marriage is infinitely more important than the wedding. You will discover that a wedding is like a rolling snowball - it always gets bigger and more involved than you expected it to at the start.
A Message from the Pastor to the Bride and Groom
The purpose of these guidelines is to answer certain basic questions for the couple who are planning their wedding at the United Methodist Church of Chillicothe, MO.
It is important that the bride and groom make an appointment with me as soon as they start their planning, and at least two months before the planned wedding. The sooner we can discuss dates, the more likely we can accommodate your wishes. Together, we will arrange the wedding date and time, rehearsal date and time, and church reception time (if desired). The United Methodist Discipline requires that the minister confer with both the bride and groom before making a commitment to perform the ceremony. Please be sure to meet with me before you publicly announce the wedding in our church or order invitations.
Also, if you wish to have another minister participate in the wedding, make this request to me at the initial meeting so that I can make a decision about extending an invitation to that minister.
It is important to remember that the wedding ceremony is a service of worship, with the minister asking God's blessing upon the man and woman being married. It is a joyous and reverent time. Music selections should be consistent with the Christian faith. Please let me know your selections well ahead of the rehearsal to avoid any conflicts about appropriate songs or lyrics.
It may be a challenge for you, but remind your wedding party that the church is the house of God and help them respect the building and the ceremony. No alcohol or smoking can be allowed. This is your responsibility to enforce.
I am very experienced in helping organize rehearsals and weddings. Let me guide you during these events.
Rehearsals are usually scheduled the day before the wedding, and we will schedule this date early in the planning phase. It is best when all members of the wedding party can attend, to avoid problems on the day of the wedding. The rehearsal generally lasts about an hour. I like to have the bride participate in her own part in the rehearsal. Rings should be brought to practice the exchanging of rings during the wedding service.
Please bring both copies of your marriage license to the church office (8-5 Monday through Friday), prior to the wedding so that it may be completed ahead of time, with signatures of the two witnesses obtained after the wedding. The license is available at the Office of the County Recorder of Deeds, second floor of Livingston County Courthouse. You should apply for this about ten days before the wedding, there is a three-day waiting period.
One last word of advice: remember that the marriage is infinitely more important than the wedding. You will discover that a wedding is like a rolling snowball - it always gets bigger and more involved than you expected it to at the start.Rev. Asher McDaniel