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Wedding Decor & Photography

Decorations

  • Weddings are special! Be assured, however, that it is not necessary to spend a fortune in order to have a beautiful wedding. Remember that, "less may be more". Neither flowers nor decorations are essential to the beauty of your wedding or the success of your marriage. It is God and the people involved that make weddings truly beautiful.
  • First United Methodist Church provides the following items for use during your ceremony in the Sanctuary: a kneeling bench, 2 floor candlelabras (9 candles each), 14 altar candles, and 18 votive aisle candles.
  • First United Methodist Church will also provide Unity candles if you choose to have a unity candle ritual in your marriage ceremony.
  • Please do not bring additional candelabras into the Sanctuary or Chapel due to the current fire code restrictions.
  • Flowers are the responsibility of the bridal party. If you are having a Flower Girl, please be sure she drops silk or paper petals, as real petals stain the carpet.
  • All decorations, equipment, and personal belongings must be removed immediately following the wedding service. Wedding flowers, if you so choose, may be left for worship services of the day following your wedding. Please let the wedding coordinator know if you plan to leave the flowers for church or take them with you. Before purchasing silk flowers check with the wedding coordinator to see if she has some in your colors.
  • Should your wedding take place during the seasons of Advent or Christmas (Thanksgiving Sunday to the Sunday after January 6th), the seasonal decorations in the Sanctuary must remain as they are. If you choose, you may add decorations, but those already in place must not be removed or altered in any way.
  • No Aisle Runners are allowed in the sanctuary for safety reasons.
  • No balloons.
  • Due to the hazards affiliated with rice and birdseed and the remaining litter from confetti, none of these items are allowed for use at all anywhere within the church or on the property.
  • You may use bubbles or bells.

Photography Guidelines

  • The Church is sensitive to the desire of the bride and groom to preserve this important moment in their lives. However, it is also concerned that the dignity and reverence of the service be maintained so that the experience of worship not be compromised. The cooperation of the bride, the groom and the entire wedding party is sought and appreciated.
  • The preliminary photography must be completed one-half hour before the service begins. The one-half hour prior to the ceremony is reserved for the bride and groom to retreat to their dressing areas to reflect and RELAX. This time is essential.
  • Processional and recessional pictures may be taken with a flash only behind the last row of guests and not in the aisle. Under NO circumstances should a photographer ever block the aisle or precede the bride down the aisle to get pictures.
  • During the wedding, pictures may be taken from the rear of the church and/or the balcony. The photographer is to remain two pews behind the last filled pews. Absolutely no moving down any of the aisles.
  • All guests are requested to refrain from the use of cellular phones, pagers, and/or flash photography during the ceremony. Please have this printed in your wedding program.

Videotaping

  • We recommend that video taping be done from the balcony.
  • One stationary video camera may be allowed in the chancel area, at the direction of the Wedding Coordinator.
  • Video operators may not move around during the service.
  • We request that video operators work harmoniously with the still photographer.