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Weddings at Grace Church |
So you are planning a wedding! Congratulations! Here is some information that may be helpful, if you are considering Grace Church.
For more information, please call the Grace Church Office: 434-293-3549
Weddings held in the church, or held elsewhere but performed by the clergy,
follow the service of Holy Matrimony as found in the Book of Common Prayer
(pg. 423 ff.). Generally speaking, you can modify this service to make your
wedding unique and representative of you. The vows, however, must follow one
of the forms in the Prayer Book.
You may involve as many, or as few, people as you wish. The wedding party may
consist of you, the clergy and a witness. Or you may have a dozen attendants,
and a dozen more readers, soloists, musicians, etc. There is no rule. The
current rector of Grace Church, The Rev. Julie Norton, encourages couples to
involve others. However,
Julie is perfectly willing to do the entire thing (i.e. read all the lessons,
say all the prayers, etc.) if that is your preference.
Canon Law requires that at least one of the parties must be a baptized Christian. The final decision on whether a couple may be married at Grace Church is at the Rector's discretion and also depends on the availability of the church.
Any time, except the weeks when the rector and/or wedding coordinator are away.
Any time of day, any day except Sunday.
You may have your wedding at the church, in someone's home, in a back yard, or
wherever. Julie has performed weddings in private homes, at museums, in a
planetarium, in a field, on an island. However, please remember that a wedding
is a religious ceremony, and the selected venue should reflect this.
All couples married in the Episcopal Church are expected to attend premarital
sessions with the clergy (usually this involves three meetings).
If one or both members of the wedding couple have been divorced, a minimum of
one year must have elapsed since the final divorce decree was issued. All
divorced persons must receive the Bishop's approval for remarriage.
Any wedding planned through Grace Church must be in accordance with the Canons
of the Diocese of Virginia and the National Church, and must have the approval
of the rector.
The bride is expected to contact the Coordinator of the Altar Guild, Dot Proffitt
(434) 295-4704, at least 3 months before the wedding. Flowers may be purchased
at the florist of your choice, but an Altar Guild member will arrange all
flowers. Please note, artifical flowers are not permitted. Altar flowers should be delivered to the church on rehearsal night,
unless other arrangements have been made with Dot.
All music at weddings must be approved by the clergy and chosen in consultation
with the organist. The church organist is invited to play at all weddings,
unless special circumstances suggest otherwise. Every effort will be made to approve music and texts suitable
to the service and desired by the couple. The organist at Grace Church,
Michael Latsko (mlatsko@snl.com) should be contacted soon after the wedding date is set.
If singers or instrumentalists are desired, the organist must be notified as soon as possible.
The church bell may be rung in conjunction with the service - just ask.
A $350 deposit is required before booking the church. If you decide to use another church, we require 3 months' notice. Otherwise, the deposit will not be refunded.
It is the responsibility of the wedding couple to contact the Altar Guild
Coordinator, the Organist and schedule the premarital sessions with the Rector.
Runners down the center aisle of the church are not permitted; they are too easy to trip over.
The church accommodates 150 people comfortably, 200 people including standing room.
The wedding party may dress in the Parish House. No alcoholic beverages are to
be consumed prior to the service.
Times set for rehearsal and wedding should take into consideration distances
and work schedules of all the participants. Be advised that there is a $5 per
minute fee for any rehearsal or wedding that begins late.
Wedding photography is under the control of the clergy: no flash pictures are
permitted during the service; videotaping is permitted.
Throwing rice is not permitted after the service, because rice kills birds.
Birdseed, bubbles, bells, etc. are welcome.
Service bulletins (if desired) are the responsibility of the couple, and should
be printed using a commercial printer. The rector should be consulted about format, order of service, design, etc.,
prior to the final printing of the bulletin. Please bring bulletins to the rehearsal.