Senoia United Methodist Church
Corner of Bridge and Seavy Streets
Post Office Box 98
Senoia, Georgia 30276
Church Office (770) 599-3245
Wedding Policy for Non-SUMC Members
Dear Friend in Christ,
The Senoia United Methodist Church (SUMC) is honored that you are interested in having your wedding at our church. In order to assist you in your decision, please review the following guidelines that apply to the use of our facilities.
The rate schedule included with this package applies to non-members of our church. For the purpose of this policy, member rates are applied when the bride and/or the groom or at least one of their parents is a member of the Senoia United Methodist Church or someone who has regularly supported its operating budget. Also, a person must be a member of the church for at least six months prior to being allowed to reserve the church at the member rate. In addition to member weddings, it is our pleasure to share our church with non-members who wish to hold their ceremony in our facility. These guidelines have been approved by our church to help ensure that your wedding will be one of which you will be proud. It also serves to uphold the dignity of the ceremony itself as well as our cherished and historic facility.
1. The wedding ceremony is a sacred worship service. Any wedding held in the church is to be performed and observed with dignity and in a sacred manner.
2. Arrangements for the wedding should be made with the church’s wedding guild or church office as soon as possible so that the date can be approved if feasible and placed on the church calendar. Please keep in mind that our facilities are typically not scheduled for weddings during the weekends of New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Easter, and the first weekend in May. Additionally, due to Advent and Christmas, no weddings are generally scheduled from Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Day. Any exceptions to this scheduling must be approved by our church’s Administrative Council.
3. Please contact the pastor you have selected well in advance of the wedding so that adequate preparations can be made. If a Senoia UMC pastor is officiating, he/she will want to arrange one or more counseling sessions prior to the ceremony. If a different pastor will be officiating, please have the officiating minister contact the pastor of Senoia UMC as soon as you have reserved our church. Our pastor will then contact him / her as a professional courtesy and also mail your minister a copy of the Senoia UMC wedding policy.
4. The officiating minister must be an ordained Christian minister and will participate at the discretion of the Senoia UMC pastor. The officiating minister must also be present at the rehearsal. The marriage license must be in the officiating minister’s possession before the ceremony. Preferably it should be given to him / her at the rehearsal.
5. While no set fee is established for the officiating minister, an honorarium is suggested.
6. The sound system, which includes the microphones and the speaker system, will be operated only by or under the supervision of a member of our church. This person will be assigned by the wedding guild.
7. No food or drinks are allowed in the sanctuary. Also, there are to be no alcoholic beverages and no smoking in the church or fellowship hall. Smoking is permitted only under the driveway shelter outside the double doors on the south side of the building where an ash bucket is provided.
8. No rice, confetti, birdseed or other such materials may be thrown / dispensed on church property. If bubbles are used, they are only permitted outside the church buildings.
9. Believing that the sanctuary is a sacred place, furniture from the pulpit area (i.e. pulpit, chairs, communion table, and baptismal font) may not be moved. If necessary, chairs from the choir area may be moved but must later be relocated and reconnected. The first center pew may be moved if additional room is needed in front of the altar rail. Any items so moved are to be placed back as they were originally found immediately after the wedding.
10. All decorations are the responsibility of the bridal party. All decorating must be done the day of the wedding within the window of time open to the bridal party. They must be removed from the church facilities immediately following the event. If you wish to leave flowers to be enjoyed by the church, please note your intent to do so on the wedding reservation form.
11. The church facilities will be open and available to the bridal party thirty minutes before the rehearsal and four hours before the wedding.
12. We encourage beautiful but simple decorations in our sanctuary. Although chase candles are preferred, coverings must be placed over the carpet under candles to prevent wax from dripping on the carpet.
13. In decorating for your wedding, no types of fasteners (nails, tacks, tape, wire, etc.) may be used that could mar the appearance of the church facilities (e.g. walls or pews). Similarly, nothing is to be fastened to or attached to the altar rail.
14. Markers to indicate reserved / family seating are restricted to bows tied to the pews. No fresh flowers may be attached to the seating.
15. Experience has proven that fresh flowers can stain carpeting when crushed underfoot. For this reason, only silk flowers may be dropped by a flower girl. It is suggested that the flower girl carry a small basket of silk flowers.
16. Any damages to the church property during the event are the responsibility of the wedding party.
17. Flash photographs are not permitted during the actual ceremony. They should be taken prior to the service before any guests are seated or after the service so as to not interrupt the sacred ceremony. Video cameras without artificial lighting are permitted, and they must be placed unobtrusively so as to not be a distraction to participants or guests. A videographer is not permitted to move about the sanctuary during the worship service. Please advise your friends that no flash photographs are allowed during the service, and advise your ushers to instruct guests of this guideline prior to seating them.
18. Please dress appropriately for the sacred ceremony.
19. The church cannot be responsible for accepting deliveries of wedding merchandise. This includes the bride’s or attendants’ dresses, flowers, tuxedoes, food, or decorations for the wedding or reception. We suggest that a family friend be assigned to be responsible for personal items during the wedding and reception.
20. Since the wedding is a worship service, appropriate music should be selected which glorifies God and emphasizes the sacred nature of the marriage vows. Music desired for the wedding must be approved in advance by the pastor performing the ceremony.
21. You are responsible for contacting an organist / pianist and any singer(s) / musicians to be used. A list of such individuals in our church can be requested from our church office or from your assigned wedding guild representative.
22. A wedding guild member will be present at the rehearsal and ceremony to answer any questions regarding facilities and to assist as needed.
23. If desired, Senoia United Methodist Church will provide a wedding director.
This policy was approved and put into effect on ________________________________________.
(Date)
____________________________________ ____________________________________
(Nathaniel Long, Pastor) (Hal Sewell, Administrative Council Chair)
Senoia United Methodist Church
Corner of Bridge and Seavy Streets
Post Office Box 98
Senoia, Georgia 30276
Church Office (770) 599-3245
Non-Member Wedding Rates
The following rates apply to those persons who, per our wedding policy, are not classified as a member of our congregation.
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Item
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Fee
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Use of sanctuary
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$900
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Use of fellowship hall or kitchen for reception
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$300
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*Cleaning fee
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$100
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Use of sound system and audio technician
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$100
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Minister fee (if using SUMC pastor)
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$300
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Wedding guild member
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$200
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*Note: cleaning fee is a required fee.
A wedding guild member will be present at the rehearsal and ceremony to answer any questions regarding facilities and to assist as needed.
Representatives from our church family will make themselves available to help ensure that your wedding experience is one you will remember fondly. Please work directly with each person to provide any financial compensation.
If you decide to use our facilities for your wedding, please complete the Wedding Reservation Sheet included in this package and return it to the church office or to a wedding guild representative at your earliest convenience. Please include a $200 deposit with your completed form, payable to Senoia UMC. All remaining applicable fees must be paid at least two (2) full weeks prior to the wedding. When a wedding coordinator from our wedding guild is assigned to you, he or she can advise you as to how to designate any check; otherwise please contact the church office with any questions.
In the event your plans change once your date is reserved, please contact the church office as soon as possible.
Thank you again for considering our facilities for this important event. We look forward to hearing from you.
Senoia United Methodist Church
Corner of Bridge and Seavy Streets
Post Office Box 98
Senoia, Georgia 30276
Church Office (770) 599-3245
Wedding Reservation Sheet (re: Non-SUMC Member)
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Please complete the following information and return it to the church office or to a wedding guild representative at your earliest convenience.
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Date of wedding (mm/dd/yy)
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Time of wedding (please note a.m. or p.m.)
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Date of rehearsal (mm/dd/yy)
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Time of rehearsal (please note a.m. or p.m.)
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Bride’s name
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Bride’s address
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Bride’s phone number(s)
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Home:
Mobile:
Work:
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Groom’s name
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Groom’s address
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Groom’s phone number(s)
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Home:
Mobile:
Work:
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Name of minister officiating
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- Have you already contacted the pastor?
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Yes ___ No ___
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*Services / Charges requested:
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Yes (ü) / $ Amount
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No (ü)
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Deposit: required with form; full refund contingent with compliance to wedding policy
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ü
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$ 200.00
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Use of sanctuary
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$ 900.00
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Use of fellowship hall or kitchen for reception
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$ 300.00
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Cleaning service (required)
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ü
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$ 100.00
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Use of sound system and audio technician
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$ 100.00
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Wedding guild member
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ü
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$ 200.00
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Balance due to SUMC within 2 weeks of wedding
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---------
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$
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Additional information / comments:
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* While no set fee is established for the officiating minister, an honorarium is suggested.
By submitting this form to our church, you are acknowledging your agreement to all of the policies and rates set forth in the documentation you were provided. Upon receipt of your completed form and deposit, your requested dates will be reviewed for availability. Assuming no conflicts, your request will be reserved on the church calendar and you will be advised accordingly. In the event your plans change once your date is reserved, please contact the church office as soon as possible.
