Weddings at St. Stephen's Church

We are delighted you are considering celebrating your marriage here at Saint Stephen’s Church. We believe that the joy you feel in your relationship and your hopes for the future are holy. As priests of the Church, our job is to help you really experience God’s blessing in the ceremony we plan together. To help you get started, here are some guidelines and answers to the questions we hear most often.

Making Preparations

The priest will want to meet with you and your partner-to-be at least three times in addition to the rehearsal and ceremony itself. These appointments at one month intervals, so it helps to start early. This time together helps the priest get to know you and to understand what is unique about your relationship, so that a ceremony can be created which you will remember as uniquely your own.

What You Are Responsible For

· Obtaining the marriage license, and bringing it to the rehearsal.

· Scheduling meetings, rehearsal and ceremony.

· Arranging music, flowers, photography, special decorations.

· Paying your fees by the rehearsal date.

What the Church Provides

· One of the most beautiful and historic settings in the area.

· Internationally famous Beckerath organ.

· Skilled organist and assisting musicians.

· Caring clergy.

· Personal attention by our altar guild to see that everything goes smoothly.

Who Can be Married in This Church?

The Episcopal Church simply requires that you be legally able to marry, and that at least one of you is baptized. Your baptism may have been in any denomination, and you don’t have to be an Episcopalian or a member of Saint Stephen’s.

Members of other faiths are invited to have a priest, rabbi, or clergyperson of your faith participate in your ceremony at Saint Stephen’s.

If you have been divorced, you certainly can be remarried here at Saint Stephen’s. The Church recognizes that nobody gets divorced without pain, so it requires particular sensitivity to make sure that you are cared for pastorally. It will also require the bishop’s permission to perform your ceremony. This is a simple matter, and nothing to worry about, so don’t be bashful about saying you’ve been married before. By the way, it is often possible to include the children of your first marriage in the ceremony.

Music

Saint Stephen’s famous organ and our music director are at your service. The music director will assist you in selecting processional music, and if you wish to have instrumental or vocal soloists, will be happy to help you engage assisting musicians.

Photography

Still photographs and video recordings are important records of your ceremony. But remember, this is a religious service. You will want to be sure that photographers and their equipment do not detract from your guests’ ability to share your joy and to pray for God’s blessing. For this reason, we ask that everyone present avoid flash photography during the ceremony, and we always offer to pose for close-ups after the service so you can get good pictures of the exchange of vows and rings. Please let me know who is doing still and video photography, and I will send them our guidelines for photographers. Call the church office for a list of photographers who have done beautiful and respectful work at Saint Stephen’s.

Fancy Touches

Saint Stephen’s is beautiful even without special decorations, and a glorious ceremony doesn’t require you to spend a great deal of money. On Saturdays, the altar flowers for the following Sunday can be used at no charge, or you can request that your flowers be placed on the altar on Sunday as a way of sharing your celebration with the whole congregation. Flowers may be placed on the shelf behind the altar, but never on the altar or on the steps in front of the altar.

Special candles such as a unity candle set may be used if you supply them. Florists often wish to provide you with a white runner, though our experience is that the carpet already in place looks better. Children are allowed to strew rose petals as part of the procession, if you like. Please ask your guests to salute you with birdseed or bubbles at the church door instead of rice. The church bell may be rung after your wedding at your request.

Fees

• Organist fee, $225, payable to Organist
• Altar guild fee, $25, payable to the Altar Guild of St. Stephen’s
• For parishioners, the use of the church and the services of the clergy are benefits of membership and no fees are charged for them.
• Non-parishioners are asked to reimburse St. Stephen’s for the use of the church and for the priest’s time at the following rate:

· Non-parishioners only: Reimbursement for clergy and use of church, $500, payable to the Rev. Cork Tarplee