Tuscarora Presbyterian Church

Policies for Weddings

Introduction

Tuscarora Presbyterian Church (TPC) considers it a privilege to assist you in having your wedding service here. In addition to assuring that the service is a beautiful beginning to a vital and successful marriage, the pastor will continue to be available to you for consultation and support as your life as husband and wife unfolds. We hope that you will find the information here helpful in resolving questions you may have about planning a wedding service at TPC. A Christian wedding involves not only the bride and groom but also a community of family and friends who come together as worshipers for the marriage service, seeking God's blessing in the life of the bride and groom. It is a joyous and reverent celebration of God's grace, active in the lives of all husbands and wives, parents and children, family and friends.                                                                                                       
The service proclaims that marriage is a gift created by God, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ and sustained by the Holy Spirit. It presumes that you both share the belief that marriage is a life-long covenant of mutual love, faithfulness and service. It also presumes you want your wedding to take place in the church as an expression of your own faith and desire to have God as an ongoing partner in your marriage.

The Service for Christian Marriage of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is the official service used for weddings at TPC. Because the ceremony is a witness to the Christian gospel and its understanding of marriage, the content of the service is under the supervision of the officiating pastor. Within the liturgy there are ample opportunities for a couple to shape a service that expresses their lives and faith commitments. Members of the wedding party, family or friends may participate in the service. While the officiating pastor will provide a list of suggested scripture readings from which to choose, the liturgy also provides opportunities for specific requests for music, scripture lessons, hymns, the celebration of the Lord's Supper and the inclusion of other personalized expressions of commitment.

Arranging for a wedding at Tuscarora Presbyterian Church

The sanctuary seats 140 and is appropriate for small to medium size weddings. Weddings traditionally take place on Saturdays in the sanctuary. Occasionally, a Sunday afternoon service is possible, when other church programs are not using the spaces. Similarly, it is possible to schedule services on weekdays, when program needs permit.

 

If you are interested in having your wedding ceremony held at TPC, contact the minister (304/263-4579; tuscapres@earthlink.net) to schedule a meeting. Weddings may not occur within 60 days of this first contact.  At this first meeting the pastor and the couple will have a conversation focusing on the couple's relational history and expectations, family backgrounds, work and financial issues and other pertinent areas that will impact the development of the marriage. Following the discussion, if it is clear that the couple’s decision to marry is sincere, and not one that has been entered into carelessly, a date and time will be reserved on the church calendar for their wedding service. Further meetings for pre-marital counseling may also be required.

Once a date and time for the wedding has been determined, a deposit of $100 is required to reserve the space. (The deposit is applicable to your final church fees.) Upon the Church Office's receipt of your deposit, the officiating pastor will call to arrange a second pre-marriage conference. At this meeting, the pastor will discuss the service, arrange for the remaining pre-marriage conferences, if necessary, and answer whatever questions you might have about the service or its preparations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Must we be members of the Tuscarora Presbyterian Church to be married here?
No. We only require that at least one member of the couple be a professing Christian.

Does the church permit divorced persons to remarry?
Yes. The gospel is not about punishing people for their pasts, but about inviting them to new life. However, before the church will marry a divorced person, it is essential that an honest assessment of the former marriage be taken. Our pastor is trained to assist with such discussions and will lead the couple through this conversation in pre-marriage preparation.

Who can serve as officiating pastor?
Each wedding at TPC will be officiated by the minister.  If you are interested in having another pastor participate in the service, you should indicate so to the officiating pastor during your first meeting. Ecumenical weddings are welcome at TPC. Ministers are invited to participate in the service by the officiating pastor, whose responsibility it is to make those arrangements. The couple is responsible for the preparation or approval of any documents that may be required by another denomination. Also, theirs is the responsibility of providing an honorarium for the visiting clergy.

Does the church require pre-marriage counseling?
Yes. The couple must meet with the pastor before a wedding date can be established and reserved. Following this initial meeting, the pastor will schedule with you 1 to 3 additional pre-marriage meetings.

Other Service Concerns

Music
The wedding ceremony is a service of worship, and the music for the service must be appropriate in expressing gratitude and praise to God for the gift of marriage. All musical selections must be approved by the minister. The couple is responsible for securing musicians. An organ and a piano are available for use.  If you wish to have a friend or family member sing or play at the service, arrangements must be made with the minister. If you are looking for someone to provide music for the wedding, the church knows several fine musicians that may accommodate you. All musicians must be present at the wedding rehearsal for a musical run-through.

Photography and Videography
Guidelines and policies preceding and following the wedding service are different than those necessary during the service itself. Formal photographs of the wedding party can be taken within the sanctuary up until thirty minutes before the service, and formal photographs and "re-enactments" of the service can be arranged in the sanctuary for thirty minutes following the closing recessional.

Though photographic and video recording of a wedding service can be a great blessing for remembering the ceremony over the years, unrestricted use of cameras can be disruptive. Photographers and their assistants moving without constraint during the service is an unnecessary distraction and inappropriate in a service of worship. To ensure that worship itself remains the focus during the service, the following policies have been established:

        1.     Flash photography and/or video lights are not permitted in weddings at TPC during any part of the service,

                including the procession and recession. During the day, there is adequate light available for good

                photographs.·        

        2.     Photographers and videographers may position themselves at the rear of the sanctuary, or in either side aisle or in

                the balcony. Those taking photos are not permitted on the chancel area during the service.

        3.    Ushers are responsible for informing guests who bring cameras that they are not allowed to use flash or lights

                during the service.

We ask that the couple ensure that the professionals they engage adhere to these policies.

Flowers and arranging the worship space
Floral displays contribute to the sense of joyous celebration at a wedding. There are two brass flower vases available for use. No furniture is to be moved without permission of the pastor. Flowers or other decorations may not be attached to the furniture in any way that would damage the wood or the finish on the wood. The pastor will arrange a time for when you can place your floral displays. Normally this will be during the day before the service. The Church will be open two hours before the ceremony on the day of the wedding, and the exterior sanctuary doors will open thirty minutes prior to the service.

Wedding Coordinators
Couples may elect to have a wedding coordinator for help with many of the decisions accompanying the wedding festivities. Wedding coordinators who are engaged and expected to assist with the service must be familiar with church policy and follow the instructions of the officiating pastor.

Rehearsals
Wedding rehearsals are held at 5 pm on the evening before the wedding. All members of the wedding party, including parents, readers, ushers, soloists and musicians, are expected to attend unless excused by the pastor. Routinely, rehearsals take one hour. For very small weddings or wedding parties, a rehearsal may not be necessary. The decision as to whether or not a rehearsal is necessary will be made by the pastor, in consultation with the couple. The wedding license should be brought to the rehearsal and left with the  pastor.

 

Receptions

TPC has two facilities available for receptions. One is a medium sized room located in the educational building adjoining the sanctuary. This room is appropriate for small receptions and can accommodate up to 50 people.  The second facility is our church hall which is located one-half mile west of the church on Tuscarora Pike. It is a large hall, with a kitchen downstairs. It can accommodate up to 150 people. If you are interested in either of these facilities for your reception, please notify the minister no later than 60 days prior to the wedding.

 

In Conclusion
A wedding is a thrilling, joyful, life-changing event, celebrated with delight and pleasure with family and friends. The center of that event is the worship service where a couple makes life-long loving promises to one another in the presence of God, with the assurance of God's blessing upon the relationship.

If you would like to be married at TPC, we encourage you to begin noting your questions and concerns for discussion with the pastor. We promise to do all that we can to help prepare you for the joys and responsibilities of your new life together following the exchange of your wedding vows.

During the time of preparation, we welcome and encourage you to make a special effort to attend Sunday worship services with us. One of the best ways to assure the health of your relationship is to worship weekly, becoming one in a life of faith through prayer, worship and service. If you would like to consider becoming a member of the congregation, we would be happy to talk with you about that as well.

Above all, we want you to know that we remain available to help you through this important time in your lives. In the weeks, months and years that follow, we promise to be available to help you continue to grow in your life together.

Schedule of Fees

Scripture Readings for Christian Marriage

The following readings are particularly appropriate for use in the service of Christian marriage. The bride and groom are asked to read through these lessons before meeting with the officiating pastor so that together they may select the scripture to be used in their wedding service.

Old Testament Lessons

Genesis 2:4b-24 - God creates man and woman for each other as helpmates.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7 - "Set me as a seal upon your heart ... many waters cannot quench love."
Proverbs 3:3-6 - "Trust the Lord with all your heart ..."
Isaiah 54:5-8 - "Your maker is your husband ..."

Psalms

Psalm 67 - "May God be gracious to us and bless us ..."
Psalm 95:1-7 - "O come, let us sing to the Lord."
Psalm 100 - "Make a joyful noise to the Lord."
Psalm 103:1-5, 15-18 - "Bless the Lord, O my soul."
Psalm 136:1-9, 26 - "Give thanks to the Lord for God is good."
Psalm 145 - "Praise the Lord."

Epistles

Romans 12:1-2, 9-18 - Present yourselves a living sacrifice ... let your love be genuine.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 - "Faith, hope, love ... the greatest of these is love."
Colossians 3:12-17 - "Clothe yourselves with love ..."
1 John 4:7-12 - Let us love one another ... God is love.

Gospels

Matthew 5:13-16 - "You are the salt of the earth ... the light of the world."
Matthew 22:35-40 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind."
Mark 10:6-9 - "What God has joined, let no one separate ..."
John 15:1-17 - Jesus, the true vine that gives life.

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