Weddings
Having Your Wedding at Grace Church
Congratulations! The clergy and people of Grace Church rejoice with you as you prepare to celebrate the sacramental rite of Marriage.
We hope the following information will help you prepare for that special day.
Who May Be Married At Grace Church
Marriage is a sacramental rite of the church and, therefore, takes place within the greater context of the worship community. Generally speaking, parishioners and their children are married at Grace Church. However, non-members who are interested in being married at Grace Church are strongly encouraged to speak to the priest about becoming members of the parish.Reserving Your Marriage Date
The first step in planning your wedding at Grace Church is to contact the church office and reserve a date on the parish calendar. Someone from the parish will then contact you to determine availability to officiate at your wedding. This conversation may be either in person or by telephone depending on your circumstances.Canon (church) law requires thirty (30) days notice prior to the wedding day.
Marriage Preparation
All couples to be married at Grace Church must participate in premarital counseling. Generally this involves four one hour sessions with the priest who will officiate at your wedding. We will use a relationship assessment tool called Prepare/Enrich for which there is a $35.00 fee. At the final counseling session we will discuss the purpose and meaning of Christian marriage and plan the wedding ceremony.Documentation
In order to be married in the Episcopal Church, at least one member of the couple must be baptized. If you need help, the priest can assist you in obtaining verification of your baptism. In cases of remarriage after divorce, the divorced person(s) must provide the priest with the final judgment of divorce from the court. This will be photocopied and placed in your confidential file. The priest must also obtain the bishop's consent before he can officiate at the marriage of a person who has been divorced. This process takes at least thirty (30) days, and so should be addressed at the first meeting of the priest and couple.A marriage license must be obtained through the Kent County Clerk's Office at 300 Monroe on the first floor. Take both of your birth certificates
and $20.00 cash to the County Clerk. A marriage license is valid for thirty (30) days.
NOTE: BE SURE YOU BRING YOUR MARRIAGE LICENSE TO THE WEDDING REHEARSAL.
The Wedding Rehearsal
At the time you reserve the date for your wedding, you will also reserve a date and time for your rehearsal. Wedding rehearsals are generally held in the late afternoon or early evening of the day before the wedding. We will rehearse with music; the rehearsal should take about an hour. Please arrive 15 minutes before the scheduled start of your rehearsal. Remember to bring your marriage license to the rehearsal. No alcohol. The wedding ceremony is a time for celebration which reflects the sacredness of the occasion. Customary church reverence should be maintained even during the rehearsal. The consumption of alcohol or drugs on church grounds during the rehearsal or the wedding will not be tolerated. Your wedding party should not come to either the rehearsal or the wedding intoxicated. Please share this information with your wedding party.The Altar Guild
Grace Church has a skilled team of guild members who will be at your rehearsal and wedding to assist you. You will need to make an appointment with the team captain prior to your wedding to discuss flowers, decorations, aisle runners, etc. At the rehearsal and wedding the altar guild will expedite the processional and the recessional. An altar guild member will be available on the day of your wedding from the time the bridal party arrives to be of help as needed. At the time of the wedding ceremony, an altar guild member will coordinate the start of the processional with the organist. From the start of the rehearsal until the bridal party leaves, the Altar Guild will direct the action. NOTE: Inform your wedding coordinator of this policy.The Building Administrator will be present at your wedding. He will open and close the church, patrol the parking lot and church grounds, and be available to answer questions and offer assistance.
Receptions
Some couples choose to hold their wedding reception at the church. Couples who have their reception at the church generally hire a caterer. The church can provide dinner-type plates, glasses, coffee cups, and flatware. Often couples ask the caterer to provide these items in addition to tablecloths and decorations.There is no fee for the use of the Undercroft for receptions. The Building Administrator will prepare the Undercroft for the reception and will assist the caterer. Because of the additional time and effort required to prepare the Undercroft, the Building Administrator will receive compensation in addition to his usual fee. If you choose to have your reception in the church Undercroft, the couple, building administrator, and priest will negotiate the building administrator's additional compensation based on the size and type of reception planned.
Liturgical Seasons and Church Environment
Grace Church is a beautiful setting for a wedding. The church environment conforms to the season of the church year. The colors of the banners change with the church year. In Advent, the four weeks prior to Christmas, they are blue. In Christmas and Easter seasons, they are white. In Epiphany season, they are dark blue. In Pentecost season, summer and fall, they are green. Except for good cause, weddings are not performed during Lent, the 40 days before Easter.Flowers
Arrangements may be put only on the retable behind the altar in church vases. The arrangements should extend no more than 12 inches above the top of the vase.Candelabra
Two candelabra may be placed on the floor behind the altar rail. Flower arrangements may be attached to them.Pews
The ends of the pews may be decorated using only the plastic holders for hanging flower arrangements. Tape is not permitted. There are 38 pews -- 17 on one side and 19 on the other. Each pew seats eight comfortably, and there is some additional seating in the chapel and balcony.Liturgy and Music
For your wedding ceremony, we will use the service The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. Within the framework of the marriage service, the assembled community will give thanks for your love and witness your vows to each other. On behalf of the wider Church community, the priest will bless your marriage. In planning your wedding ceremony within the framework of the Prayer Book, many options are possible. You will be asked to select scripture readings and some prayers. Family and friends may serve as lectors, oblation bearers, and in other ways. The priest will work with you and explain your options in greater detail.In the Episcopal Church the Holy Eucharist ---- also called the Mass, Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper - is frequently celebrated as part of the wedding service. A celebration of the Holy Eucharist as part of your wedding means that your first act together as a married couple will be to receive Holy Communion. Holy Eucharist is our primary symbol of the sacrificial love Christ has for us and that married persons have for each other. In the Episcopal Church, all baptized Christians who have been admitted to Communion in their own church, are invited to receive Holy Communion.
A wedding ceremony without the Holy Eucharist is also appropriate. The priest will work with you to help you decide which type of wedding ceremony best fits your spirituality and circumstances.
Music is an important part of your wedding ceremony. You will need to make an appointment with the Director of Music prior to your wedding. He will work with you to select appropriate music. The music for a wedding must be sacred in nature and appropriate for a worship service. You may choose to have instrumentalists or soloists in addition to the organ. If additional rehearsals are needed with the organist, a nominal fee will be assessed for his/her time. In some instances couples prefer not to use the organ, using instead musicians such as a string quartet or a recorder ensemble. If you choose not to use the organ, the priest will discuss your options with you.
Live musicians can respond to the moment and allow the flow of the liturgy to occur. Music from tapes, compact discs, or karaoke-style music may be fine for parties or night clubs, but they are inappropriate for a church service. If there is a particular piece of recorded music that is meaningful to you, you might consider using it at your wedding reception.
Photography
Photographs are permitted both before and after the service. Flash photography is not permitted during the service. Photographers should be instructed to be unobtrusive and to minimize their movement during the wedding; scenes may be re-created afterwards. Video taping is permitted from a stationary camera positioned either in the balcony or to the side of the chancel.Fees
| Altar Guild | $100.00 |
| Organist | $125.00 |
| $25.00/each additional rehearsal (as determined by Organist) | |
| Building Administrator | $100.00 |
| Clergy | $125.00 (an honorarium, not required) |
| Reception | Negotiated with couple |
All wedding fees are due TWO WEEKS prior to the wedding day. Please write one check payable to Grace Episcopal Church. Please include a note with your check detailing the breakdown of the fees.
If You Have Any Further Questions
Remember, we are here to help you celebrate your wedding day and make it special. If any questions or concerns arise as your wedding approaches, please call the church office. The church staff will direct your questions to the appropriate person to get you the answers you need. The church phone number is (616) 241- 4631.Whom to Contact
| Linda Gunsch | Receptionist/Keeper of the Calendar | 241-4631 |
| Kay Kress | Administrative Assistant (Wedding Bulletins) | 241-4631 |
| Joan & Russ Weigle | Altar Guild | 942-2247 |
| John Hamersma | Director of Music | 774-2509 |
| Mary Baas | Assistant Organist | 243-3697 |
| Fr. Nixon McMillan | Interim Rector | 241-4631 |
| M. John Chrisman | Building Administrator | 241-4631 |