Weddings
Brentwood Presbyterian Church is delighted to serve you during this very special time in your life. The covenant of Christian marriage is very significant, and our church takes the commitment very seriously. It is our desire that your wedding be all that you have dreamed and hoped, and that it be a serious and joyful commitment by you to love one another and to honor Jesus Christ. God’s promises are many and abundant as you seek the Lord’s will for your marriage. We want to invest our lives in you during your preparation for marriage.
WEDDING ARRANGEMENTS POLICY
We at BPC want to work with you to help plan and create a wedding that will both honor the commitment the two of you are making to one another, and assist you in moving toward the development of a rich and rewarding relationship and marriage. The following policies are designed to help make the planning of your wedding easier. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact any one of us at the church. We are here to serve you.
SCHEDULING AND SPACE INFORMATION
Weddings are scheduled through the church office. Please contact Office Manager Suzanne Crisp at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) for date and time availability. Rehearsal times are set in consultation with the pastor involved, and may not be scheduled on Saturday, Sunday, or the day of the wedding.
The Sanctuary holds approx. 300 adults for a wedding, and we have a small parking garage for the church which holds about 40 cars – street parking on Saturdays is not usually a problem. We have a Bride’s Room with makeup mirror and bathroom adjacent for last-minute needs; the groom and groomsmen usually gather in our Library, just off the Sanctuary.
WEDDING DIRECTOR
A Wedding Director will be assigned to offer pre-wedding communication on all arrangements and the direction of the rehearsal, and wedding-day assistance with the flow of the ceremony. Your Wedding Director will contact you once your wedding date has been confirmed.
INTERVIEW WITH PASTOR
Any couple to be married by a BPC pastor must be interviewed approximate 8 to 12 weeks before the wedding date. This session lasts about 1 1/2 hours.
GUEST MINISTERS
Guest ministers may perform the ceremony upon invitation from the Pastor of BPC. If a guest minister is requested, the church office will ask the bride and groom to contact our Pastor for permission to have their minister officiate. Guest ministers must be present at the rehearsal.
ORGANIST, SOLOISTS, AND MUSIC
The church organist/pianist, Gere Fennelly, should be contacted as soon as the wedding is scheduled to discuss the couple’s desired music. No extra fee will be charged for Ms. Fennelly to accompany a soloist unless more than one rehearsal is necessary. Additional fees may apply for extraordinary accompaniment. Guest organists/pianists may be used only by invitation of Ms. Fennelly.
RICE
No rice or bird seed are to be used on the church premises. Potpourri is allowed, but fresh flower petals are not.
NO SMOKING/NO ALCOHOL POLICY
Brentwood Presbyterian Church is a smoke-free, alcohol-free facility. Please be aware that consumption of alcohol is not permitted anywhere on the church grounds, including dressing areas, gardens, garage, etc.
RECEPTIONS
BPC offers its facilities for wedding receptions for members only. Alcoholic beverages may not be served. The facility can accommodate a maximum of 300 people, and a reception may not exceed three hours duration.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOTAPING
While we understand that photos and videos of weddings are very important, the worship aspects of the ceremony must not be disrupted. Therefore, no flash photography, video camera lights, or movement by photographers will be permitted in the Sanctuary during the ceremony. This applies to professional photographers, video camera operators, and guests.
FEES FOR THE WEDDING
The wedding date will be confirmed when the date has been cleared with a pastor and a non-refundable $100.00 deposit is paid by the couple. The balance is to be presented to the Wedding Director at the rehearsal. The fee includes the services of the Wedding Director, Audio Technician (for Sanctuary), Organist, Custodian, and the use of the Bride’s Room.
Fees for 2009:
Non-member Fee $1,250.00
Member Fee $ 650.00
The honorarium for the pastor is not included in the fees listed above. The minimum honorarium (non-members) for one of our BPC pastors is $500; members are not obligated to give an honorarium. If you are using your own pastor, the amount should be agreed upon and paid directly to your pastor.