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Weddings
 General Information
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO BE MARRIED AT SAINT MARK?
- Members of the congregation and their immediate families, including adult children and grandchildren
- Those who are not members but who worship on a regular basis and/or who are otherwise active at Saint Mark
- Those who are not active at or members of Saint Mark
WEDDINGS OF NON-MEMBERS
Weddings of those who are not members of Saint Mark are permitted at Saint Mark. Either pastors from Saint Mark or other pastors can officiate at weddings.
A wedding will not be considered scheduled until a completed reservation form and $500 deposit have been received.
PRE-MARITAL COUNSELING
Pre-marital counseling is required for all couples getting married at Saint Mark with the pastor who will officiate at the wedding. If a Saint Mark pastor is officiating, it is the couple’s responsibility to contact the pastor in the church office at least 2 months prior to the wedding to schedule the counseling sessions. In some circumstances (such as distance, the involvement of another pastor in the wedding who has close ties to the couple, etc.) arrangements can be made for counseling with another pastor.
FEES
Both the sanctuary and the chapel are available for weddings at Saint Mark. The sanctuary seats 500 people and the chapel seats up to 50. The sanctuary does not have a center aisle; however, there is a center aisle in the chapel. Photos of both the chapel and the sanctuary.
The cost for utilizing the sanctuary is $2,500 (including a $500 deposit).
The cost for utilizing the chapel is $1900 (also including a $500 deposit).
This includes:
- The use of the facility (sanctuary/chapel and dressing rooms) for both the rehearsal and the wedding,
- Fees for the pastor, the organist, A/V services, the wedding directors, and
- Arrangements for available parking and clean up on the day of your wedding.
A deposit of $500 is required for all weddings. All fees are due 4 weeks prior to the wedding. More detailed information on fees is included on the enclosed reservation form.
Except when other arrangements have been made in special circumstances, an approved representative of Saint Mark (usually a Saint Mark wedding director) is always in complete charge at weddings and rehearsals.
RESERVING THE CHURCH
Membership at Saint Mark UMC is not required in order to hold your wedding at Saint Mark, although it is always encouraged.
Contact Christia Holloway in the church office to obtain a wedding information packet and to verify clearance of date, time, location, and if necessary, to confirm the availability of a Saint Mark pastor. A date and time will be reserved for you when the church office receives a $500.00 deposit with your completed reservation form. Your date cannot be confirmed on the church calendar until the church receives your completed reservation form and deposit.
If you would like to see the church facilities, contact Christia Holloway in the church office to schedule a tour of the church. You can also visit the church during our weekly Open House (offered every Saturday from 11:30am to 1pm) or on Sunday mornings.
Weddings at Saint Mark can only be scheduled on Saturdays. No weddings can be scheduled before 12:00 p.m. or after 7:00 p.m. Wedding rehearsals take place on the Friday evening before the wedding.
Weddings are usually not scheduled on holiday weekends, during Holy Week or during the month of December.
When you have made the decision to hold your wedding at Saint Mark, you will be asked to sign the enclosed reservation form agreeing to the rules and regulations as described in this policy summary. By signing the reservation form, you are also agreeing to pay for any damages to church property that may result from your use of the facilities.
After your wedding has been scheduled on the church calendar, you will be put in touch with one of our wedding directors so that you can discuss the details of your rehearsal and ceremony.
PLANNING THE WEDDING:
Saint Mark Wedding Directors and Their Role in Your Wedding
All arrangements for the wedding, other than the securing of a time on the church calendar and the preparing of estimated charges, must be made with the wedding directors. It is mandatory that the Saint Mark wedding directors supervise all weddings and rehearsals. Our directors are trained, experienced, and thoroughly knowledgeable in all areas involving church and social etiquette, and they will officiate along with the pastor in the management of the rehearsals and weddings. They are charged with the responsibility of assisting the pastor in all the mechanical arrangements for the wedding. Any outside wedding consultants you may choose to employ will have no responsibilities at the church during the rehearsal or on your wedding day.
You may expect the following assistance from the wedding directors:
At the rehearsal they will:
- Organize the procession and arrangement of the wedding party
- Coordinate the seating of honored guests and parents
- Inform the ushers of their specific duties and
- Lead a tour of the facility if your wedding party is not familiar with the church.
On the day of the wedding, they will:
- Greet the wedding party and show them to the dressing rooms
- Take printed programs (if used) to the narthex
- Synchronize time with the pastor and organist
- Seat the honored guests in the proper order, at the proper time, and make sure that the processional begins on time.
On the day of your wedding ice, cups, and napkins will be provided for the bride, groom and attendants. Other items provided in the bride’s room will include:
- An iron for touch ups on dresses, if necessary
- An “Emergency Kit,” containing Tylenol, safety pins, scissors, needles and thread, tape, hair spray, static free spray, corsage pins, hairpins, etc.
The wedding director will also be present at your reception if it is held at Saint Mark. This will help facilitate the smooth operation of activities on the actual day of the wedding.
The goal of the Saint Mark wedding directors is not only to coordinate the many details of your wedding ceremony, but most importantly to minimize the stress of what is a joyful, spiritual event.
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to make arrangements with the selected photographer (and when applicable, the videographer) and to inform them of Saint Mark’s guidelines and requirements.
When the photographer and/or videographer arrive at the church on the day of the wedding, a wedding director will be available to answer any questions. The photographer and/or videographer are urged to review with the wedding director any special requests and questions relative to wedding photos or recordings. Since the wedding is a worship service, they are asked to hold in reverence the ceremony and its location.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Absolutely no flash photography is permitted during the service. Your photographer may only use flash photography during the processional. He or she may take time exposure (without flash) from the balcony during the wedding service.
The use of personal cameras by wedding guests is strictly prohibited.
Photos may be taken 2 hours before the ceremony.
A 30 minute window is also permitted after the ceremony for pictures.
The photographer may only work from the back of the sanctuary and/or the balcony during the wedding ceremony.
Photos in and of the sanctuary should be made before the arrival of guests; therefore they must be completed 1 hour before the wedding ceremony begins.
VIDEOGRAPHY
If a video recording is to be made of the ceremony, the camera is best located in the back balcony. A remote camera may also be positioned in the bay to the right of the choir loft at the front of the sanctuary, but not on the chancel.
MUSIC
As the atmosphere of the ceremony is established by the music, all music should be part of the worship experience.
Because a wedding is a service of worship, secular music, such as movie themes, popular rock songs, and ballads, is typically not appropriate during the ceremony and should be reserved for the reception. (Pre-recorded music is not permitted during the wedding ceremony.)
The church will provide an organist for the ceremony. Our sanctuary pipe organ, an Aeolian Skinner, demands a well-qualified organist; therefore only an approved organist can play for weddings.
John Richardson, the organist at Saint Mark, will assist you in the selection of appropriate music for your wedding.
- Approximately one month prior to the wedding, the bride should schedule a consultation with John for the selection of the music to be used during the ceremony.
- Any guest musicians must be approved by the wedding committee and organist. Soloists are often friends or relatives of the bride and groom and should be advised of the Saint Mark guidelines for music. They should be prepared to practice with the organist one hour before the wedding. The organist would be happy to recommend any church soloists and/or instrumentalists upon request. An additional fee of $30 per musician will be added to the ceremony. This is intended to compensate the organist for any practice time needed with guest musicians.
- All soloists are expected to provide the organist with accompaniment copies of the music and in the key in which they will be performed. Transpositions are the responsibility of the soloist.
FLOWERS & DECORATIONS
It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to make arrangements with a florist for decorations and to inform the florist of Saint Mark’s guidelines and requirements. The church does not order flowers but can suggest a florist if desired. Minimal decorations are necessary in the sanctuary and narthex.
- Saint Mark can provide up to four 9 branch tree candelabra and / or a Unity candle (stand) for your wedding upon request. Four candelabra are available, each holding 9 candles. The rental fee for candelabra is $20 apiece and will be taken from your initial deposit.
- Drop cloths must be used under candelabra to protect furniture, carpet and flooring. With the exception of the use of wax candles in the Unity Candle, only the use of mechanical candles will be permitted. These candles for both the candelabra and the Unity candle are not furnished by the church but can be rented from most florists.
- The Communion table and pulpit will not be moved. The other chancel furniture will not be moved unless deemed necessary by the wedding director.
- Seasonal decorations, banners, etc. (Easter, Christmas, Lent, Pentecost, etc.) already in place in the sanctuary cannot be changed or removed for weddings.
- No tacks, nails, or tape can be used in the church.
- The doors to the church cannot be decorated; however decorations on the exterior stair railings are permitted.
- Flower petals are permitted inside the sanctuary during the processional but cannot be permitted inside the chapel due to the potential safety hazard they may cause on the slate floor.
- (Carpet) Runners in the aisles of the sanctuary or chapel are prohibited.
All decorations and flowers, unless donated to the church by previous agreement, must be removed immediately following the wedding.
THE REHEARSAL
The wedding rehearsal is an integral part of the wedding and should proceed in a manner respectful of the bride, groom and the place of worship. Rehearsals should be conducted in a prompt and timely fashion.
- The rehearsal should be held no later than 6 pm on the day before the wedding and should be completed within one hour. An additional fee will be charged if more time is required.
- The officiating minister will conduct the rehearsal with the assistance of the Saint Mark wedding directors. Outside wedding consultants do not direct the rehearsal.
- Please ask the members of the wedding party to be punctual. Remind them that traffic on Peachtree Street can be heavy on Friday evenings!
- The front doors to the church will be open on the evening of the rehearsal and the day of the wedding. (These doors otherwise normally remained locked during the week.)
- Please bring several copies of your wedding program to the rehearsal.
When you arrive at the rehearsal, please be prepared to provide the following information:
- Who will light the Unity Candle (at the beginning of the service, if applicable)
- Who will seat the grandmothers, mothers, and other family members?
- In what order would you prefer that the attendants process and recess?
- Do you wish to have a lay person be involved in any readings during your service?
**Decisions regarding the size of the wedding party are properly the privilege of the bride and groom; however, in determining the number of attendants, please keep in mind that the size and configuration of the chancel of Saint Mark does not make it possible to accommodate large numbers of bridal attendants and groomsmen. You are encouraged to limit your attendants to 7 men and 7 women.**
All children included in the ceremony must be 6 years of age or older. Younger children may be included in the pictures but not in the ceremony.
The rehearsal generally follows this pattern:
- Welcome by the wedding directors
- Introduction of the members of the Wedding Committee
- One of the directors will make a few brief comments about the history of the church and review guidelines for the day of the wedding
- The arrangement of the wedding party at the chancel steps
- An overview of the service by the pastor
- Rehearsal of processional, vows, and partial recessional
- Tour of facilities led by the wedding directors
THE WEDDING
The Saint Mark wedding directors facilitate all activities at the church on the day of the wedding. Outside bridal consultants are not permitted to direct weddings at Saint Mark.
The church facility will be available for you and your party 3 hours prior to the wedding service and for 45 minutes following the service.
Brides are asked to remember that a wedding at Saint Mark is a service of worship and the attire of the brides and their attendants should be appropriate. The church has a Bride’s Room and a room for the groom for the couple and their attendants to use for dressing. Both rooms must be cleared of all belongings immediately after the wedding. Saint Mark cannot assume responsibility for returning garments and belongings.
Saint Mark encourages the use of the United Methodist Order of Service for all weddings. If you would prefer to write your own vows, they must be approved in advance by Saint Mark’s senior pastor. If you would prefer to use an Order of Service from a different denomination, the Order must be reviewed with and approved by the Saint Mark wedding director.
Please bring your wedding license to your wedding and give it to one of the wedding directors. The director will make sure it is signed by the minister following the wedding and mailed on the first business day following your wedding.
AFTER THE SERVICE
Please do not plan to have a receiving line at the church following your wedding. Reserve the receiving line for your reception.
Please instruct your car, carriage, or limousine service to park on the concrete pad directly in front of the church following the wedding.
THE RECEPTION
Wade Hall (Saint Mark’s fellowship hall) seats up to 100 people and is available for wedding receptions.
The fee for the use of Wade Hall is $500. A separate (refundable) deposit of $500 is also required for receptions.
Arrangements for a reception at Saint Mark must be made with the church office. Proof of Insurance will be required from all vendors working on the reception.
A wedding director will be present at all receptions held at the church. The caterer is to leave the kitchen and Wade Hall exactly as it was found.
All church property is to be cleaned and returned to its original place. This includes sweeping and mopping the floors and replacing tables and chairs.
Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on church property at any time on the day of your wedding.
Saint Mark is not able to provide catering service. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to arrange for catering and to see that the caterers honor the following guidelines.
ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CATERER
The caterer should furnish all serving equipment and supplies, including trays, punch bowls and cups, silver, glassware, china, and linens, as well as paper and plastic items. Saint Mark does not provide these items
The kitchen is available for warming food but not for cooking and food preparation. Caterers should bring needed utensils.
PARKING & SECURITY
Saint Mark owns 2 lots that are available for parking on your wedding day. A representative from Saint Mark will be present to direct guests to park at either the lot directly behind the church or the gravel lot located at 768 Juniper Street. If you feel more parking will be needed, we can provide you with contact information for a representative of the parking company who manages 2 other lots nearby so that you can make arrangements for additional parking. These lots are located at the (back) corner of the intersection of Peachtree Street and Sixth Street, near the 805 Peachtree building next door to the church and at the intersection of 5th Street and Juniper, across from Straits restaurant. For more information, refer to the parking map included in the wedding information packet
If the reception site is near the church (for example, at the Fox Theatre, Biltmore or Georgian Terrace), if at all possible, you are strongly encouraged to direct your guests to park at the reception site and walk to the church for the ceremony. However, guests may leave their cars in the two parking lots owned by the church (the small lot directly behind the church or the parking lot at 768 Juniper Street.) Because the other 2 lots noted above are not church property, guests should be prepared to pay to park in these lots if their cars remain following the wedding ceremony.
The church cannot assume the safety of personal items brought to the church. However, every reasonable effort will be made to assist the wedding party in protecting such property. It is suggested that a friend of the wedding party be asked to be responsible for these valuables during the service and/or the reception.
GENERAL RULES
Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the church facility at any time.
Alcoholic beverages are not allowed anywhere in the church facility at any time. Anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be asked to leave the premises. In no case may such a person be permitted to participate in a rehearsal or wedding. This is strictly enforced.
Guests are not permitted to throw rice. This is a Georgia State Law. However, birdseed may be thrown outside.
After reviewing the information included in this booklet, if you have questions regarding any detail of your wedding, please contact Christia Holloway in the church office or to speak with one of the wedding directors.
These regulations have been put into place for your benefit. Our weddings run smoothly and focus on the important sacrament of marriage. If you would like to speak to a couple who were married at Saint Mark, please let us know; we will be happy to put you in touch with them.
After reviewing the information above, if you have questions regarding any detail of your wedding, please feel free to contact Christia in the church office to speak with one of the wedding directors. These policies have been put into place for your benefit. Our weddings run smoothly and focus on the important sacrament of marriage. If you would like to speak to a couple who were married at Saint Mark, please let us know; we will be happy to put you in touch with
them.
Thank you for your interest in Saint Mark United Methodist Church.
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