Congratulations On Your Engagement!

We at Second Baptist are delighted to assist people as they prepare for marriage. To have a wedding at Second Baptist, the engaged couple must contact The Rev. David Reed-Brown directly at 860-668-1661 ext. 13. Our church's wedding policy is provided below. Please read it thoroughly and discuss the questions it raisees before the first meeting. Today, only one in seven couples goes through extensive pre-marital counseling. Therefore, please leave plenty of time for four sessions with the pastor, a licensed Prepare Enrich Counselor (tm), to evaluate your relationship before invitations are sent out and the service is planned. The wedding date and time cannot be confirmed until the couple meets with the pastor. Also, please note that the pastor is usually not available on holidays. It is wise to begin the pre-marital process at least nine months to a year in advance to work on laying down a sound foundation for Christian marriage.

To view the files below you will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• Wedding Policy, Application & Preparation Materials
  
• Wedding fees for non-church-members
• Wedding fees for church members
• Twenty Great Questions To Ask Before You Get Married - by Susan Piver
• Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University
• Wedding Assistant Job Description
  

 

Wedding Policy of Second Baptist Church

Congratulations on your engagement! We at Second Baptist Church are delighted to be of service to people who have found God creating the love of marriage between them. There is no relationship, no experience in all of life, which holds so much meaning and promise as marriage. This is especially true when two people who love one another come to unite and pledge their vows before God. It is one of life’s most sacred moments and should be celebrated with reverence and joy.

We hope the relationships we forge together and this booklet will be helpful as you plan your wedding. It is offered as a guide in your preparations so that your wedding day may be a wonderful and memorable event and that God’s richest blessing may attend your marriage.

Grace & peace,

The Rev. David Reed-Brown

VERY IMPORTANT - No wedding date is firm until you meet with the minister.

1. AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: Please begin by asking each other, “Do we really want a religious wedding service in a church?” Churches and weddings have always been closely related in our society because people of faith recognize that marriage is a religious covenant between two individuals in love—a covenant ordained, blessed, and sustained by the love and grace of God. Church weddings have sacred meaning and assume that God is part of the marriage and the wedding service itself. Customarily, weddings are not held in a church just because the sanctuary is beautiful or because “that’s the way it’s always been done.” Before meeting with the minister, please decide if you are able to have a worship service with integrity, since it is based on at least one of you being a person of faith as you ask for the presence and blessing of God upon your marriage.

2. DO YOU HAVE A CHURCH HOME?: Also ask each other, “Do we want to be married in this church?” Generally speaking, we encourage you to sanctify your marriage in the place where one or both of you worship. Far more important than questions of convenience, size, space and attractiveness, is the question of your own church “home,” it’s meaning to you, and the relationships you have in Christ with your minister and the people there. Church is meant to be a familiar place for this and many other rites of passage in life. Please understand that church is a way of living life in a beloved community and not merely a facility to be rented.

3. INITIAL CONTACT: Please clear a tentative date with the church office by giving your name, address, contact numbers and e-mail addresses so we can forward marriage preparation materials to you. Also, please arrange an initial interview with the pastor at that time.

4. GUEST OFFICIANTS: If you would like to invite someone other than the pastor of the church to officiate at your wedding, you need to arrange an appointment with the pastor to talk over the invitation. The request should have some reason (e.g., the guest minister is an old friend, a relative or married the couple’s parents, etc.). The church’s pastor will then extend an invitation. This is the way professional ministers work together.

5. PREMARITAL COUNSELING: Please plan on having a few premarital counseling sessions with the pastor. In them you will get acquainted, examine how you are preparing your relationship for marriage, and learn about the wedding ceremony itself. For this reason, extensive lead time is required to help you prepare for marriage. The pastor will arrange appointments with you well in advance of your wedding day. If she or he believes you are not adequately prepared for the responsibilities of marriage, the pastor may, with due notice, decline to officiate your wedding.

6. MUSIC: Our church organist oversees all musical matters for weddings at Second Baptist. Please call her as soon as your date has been confirmed. She supervises the use of all our instruments, including the organ and grand piano. We expect her to play for your wedding. If you prefer someone else to play, you need to clear your request with the minister and the organist. Please consult with her regarding your music selections. She is very experienced in many musical styles and enjoys planning with engaged couples. The pastor also has a CD you may find helpful, Music for a Joyous and Classical Wedding. If you have a soloist who will require organ or piano accompaniment, please arrange rehearsal time well in advance. You may consider other types of music too in consultation with the pastor.

7. WEDDING REHEARSAL: Wedding rehearsals are normally scheduled a day or a week before the wedding. All members of the wedding party, family to be specially seated, readers and musicians should be present and prompt at the rehearsal. Plan on the rehearsal lasting ninety minutes. This will eliminate unnecessary confusion and uncertainty during the actual wedding service. All fees and the marriage license should be brought to the rehearsal.

8. GENERAL INFORMATION

a. FLOWERS: Flowers may be placed on the stands in the front of the sanctuary. Upon request, you may use a brass vase belonging to the church. Flowers should be in place no later than one hour before the wedding service begins.

b. CANDLES: If you would like candelabra for your wedding, you will need to provide your own as the church has none. You may rent them from Taylor Rental, 150 Enfield Street, Enfield (860) 741-5999. If you would like to use Unity Candles, you will need to purchase these in advance and bring them to the rehearsal.

c. PHOTOGRAPHERS: Because of the sacredness of the setting, flash photography should not be taken on the main floor during the wedding ceremony itself. Obviously, flashbulbs, noisy cameras, and photographers moving around mar the dignity of the ceremony. However, pictures of all types may be taken without limitation before and after the service. During the service, flash photography may be taken from the balcony only. Also, when on the main floor, photographers may shoot in natural light by standing just inside a pew in the back of the sanctuary. They must not interrupt the flow of the service. Videographers and photographers must meet with the pastor prior to the ceremony to cover arrangements.

d. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: It is understood that no alcoholic beverages will be used in the church buildings or on the grounds. Smoking is also prohibited in church buildings.

e. CARE OF THE BUILDING: It is expected that all the facilities of the church will be given careful use and respect. No rice or confetti shall be thrown inside or outside the church building.

f. WEDDING LICENSE: You must attain a wedding license issued by any Town Clerk in the State of Connecticut. The Suffield Clerk’s office is located at Town Hall, 83 Mountain Road or you may call (860) 668-3880. The minister will certify your marriage and return the completed form for you. Official copies of your marriage license may be obtained from the clerk for five dollars. The license and all fees should be presented at least by the time of the rehearsal. If there is no scheduled rehearsal, please bring these items to the church office at least the day before your wedding.