FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF CHRIST
Wedding Guidelines
Updated October 23, 2023
You have requested information from First Baptist Church of Christ because you want your wedding to be a worship experience, not merely a social event. You realize that the love shared by you and your future spouse reflects God’s love for you. You desire God’s presence and the local church to be central in your wedding and central in your marriage. We affirm your desires.
While First Baptist Church of Christ is an organized institution, we are first and foremost people—the people of God who assemble and minister as a congregation of faith and grace. We seek to serve you at this time in your life, so that the beginnings of your life together are filled with joy and celebration.
We are pleased that you have chosen our church for your wedding. To maintain the spirit of worship and recognizing the seriousness of this commitment, the following suggestions and regulations have been made.
PROCEDURES FOR RESERVING FACILITIES
Reservations should include the dates and times of the rehearsal, decorating time, dressing time, time for
photographs, and wedding, as well as other times that might require use of the buildings. Reservations should include rooms needed, such as Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall or Great Room and rooms for dressing in addition to the Bride’s Dressing Room.
Reservations for the date and facilities must be made through the Church Wedding Coordinator. While we will do all we can to provide the requested rooms and services, you should remember that there is no guarantee that the dates and/or facilities will be available. Until your request has been cleared with the church staff, reservations are not
confirmed. If your request is approved, the Wedding Coordinator will help you with all of your paperwork.
Weekday and Saturday weddings will be scheduled no later than 6:00 pm. No weddings will be held on Sunday. Only one wedding may be scheduled on any one date. No rehearsals and/or weddings will be allowed on New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, during the season of Advent, Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day.
THE MINISTER
First Baptist Church of Christ is blessed to have several ministers on our pastoral staff and within our congregation. We require that either a member of our pastoral staff or a recommended minister from within our congregation
officiate any wedding in our facilities.
PREMARITAL CONFERENCE
The couple wishing to be married will arrange an appointment with the minister who will officiate at your wedding. The premarital session(s) enables you to discuss and plan in detail your wedding ceremony and provide opportunities to discuss several aspects of Christian marriage. Additional premarital counseling sessions may be contracted with the minister for an additional fee.
MUSIC
It is the responsibility of the wedding party to make their own arrangements for the music that will be used in the wedding ceremony.
Wedding music is not for the purpose of entertainment. Rather, it is for the purpose of worship and should be
reverent in nature. While only sacred music should be used in the wedding ceremony, approved secular music may be used at the reception with approval. All sung texts must be of a religious nature. All musical selections must be submitted to the Minister of Music for approval. If the church organ is to be used, the selected organist must be approved by the Minister of Music at least one month before the date of the wedding.
Our First Baptist Church of Christ organist and soloists are generally available for wedding ceremonies, though they are optional. The use of any other individuals is to be approved by the Minister of Music. As you select your
musicians, you need to consider their experience and competence in singing and playing before large numbers of people.
WEDDING RECEPTIONS
If the reception is held at the church, the caterer or a family member needs to contact the Church Wedding
Coordinator. Outside help may be used at the reception, but consultation by the Church Wedding Coordinator is
essential for the proper care of church equipment. The Church Wedding Coordinator can advise what preparations are needed for the reception. Any use of the church crystal and silver must be cleared with the Church Wedding
Coordinator. It must be returned clean, boxed, and ready to store—without exception. Any use of the church kitchen requires the presence of a member of the church kitchen staff. The wedding party will be responsible for
compensating this staff member at an hourly rate determined by the Church Wedding Coordinator (the payment will be included in the wedding fees paid to the church).
It will be the responsibility of the wedding party to see that the following rules are carefully enforced:
- No alcoholic beverages are allowed anywhere in or on church property.
- No smoking is allowed inside church facilities.
- Birdseed may be thrown outside church facilities. No confetti or rice is allowed anywhere on church property.
GENERAL POLICIES FOR WEDDINGS
- The Wedding Coordinator of First Baptist Church of Christ will serve in the capacity of liaison between the
wedding party and the church. It is the Wedding Coordinator’s duty to communicate with the wedding party on all pertinent issues regarding the rehearsal and wedding and report concerns, details, and needs to the appropriate ministers and staff of FBCX. The Wedding Coordinator will be present at the wedding rehearsal to lead the rehearsal events and be sure that all needs are addressed prior to the wedding day. The Wedding Coordinator will be present prior to the wedding and during the wedding ceremony to assist the wedding party and oversee all uses of the FBCX facilities so that all is in keeping with the policies of FBCX. The Wedding Coordinator is not the Custodian, but will communicate directly with the Custodial staff to be sure that all details are covered and appropriate time is allowed for clean-up following the wedding. - A request for the needed facilities must be filed with the Church Wedding Coordinator and the date desired for the rehearsal and wedding cleared with the church staff. When the date and facilities are approved, the date will be entered upon the church calendar.
- Special instructions for the florist and/or photographer are included at the end of this booklet. The wedding party will be held responsible for any damage caused by the florist or photographer in violation of these policies.
- The Church Wedding Coordinator will make arrangements with the Audio Visual Team of the church in order to schedule someone to run the church sound system. That person will be responsible for providing sound for the ceremony which requires use of microphones and/or lavalieres by the minister(s), musicians and/or soloists. The sound technician will also make an audio recording if requested.
- Responsibility for breakage and/or other than normal wear and tear of facilities is to be assumed by the person arranging the use of such facilities. Furniture (including the Communion Table) must be moved only by church custodians.
- It is the responsibility of the couple to familiarize the members of the wedding party with policies pertinent to their conduct during the rehearsal and wedding. Particular attention should be given to the policy prohibiting smoking and alcoholic beverages.
- The building will be open 30 minutes prior to the rehearsal. Please be on time for rehearsal.
- Arrangements for security personnel are the responsibility of the group using the facility. Contact the Church Wedding Coordinator for more information.
POLICIES FOR VENDORS
Florist:
- You or your florist must arrange with the Church Wedding Coordinator the time of arrival to place flowers and other decorations. No tacks, nails, tape or other materials which may deface the buildings, pews or furnishings may be used in decorating.
- Only chase candles (dripless) may be used. (NO EXCEPTIONS)
- Flowers may be placed only where there will be no water damage or other stains. Proper containers need to be used to insure carpet will not be soiled. No flowers or decorations of any kind may be placed on the Communion Table.
- No furniture, musical instruments or plants will be moved or rearranged without specific permission of the
Wedding Coordinator, Minister or Music or Church Organist. - Flowers and decorations must be removed immediately following the wedding ceremony.
- The florist is expected to provide all equipment necessary for decorating, including a dust buster or vacuum
cleaner to clean up any spillage from plants or flowers. - The florist is responsible for any damage caused by his or her arrangements.
- The florist must observe the following: No smoking inside the church facilities, no alcoholic beverages anywhere on church property.
Photographer:
- You or your florist must arrange with the Church Wedding Coordinator the time of arrival to place flowers and Furniture must not be moved and furniture should not be used as a step ladder.
- It is suggested that the photographer arrange with the couple to take as many pictures as possible prior to the hour of the wedding.
- No flash attachments or artificial lights are to be used during the wedding ceremony.
- It is the photographer’s responsibility to see that the wedding party is informed about group pictures to be made after the wedding ceremony.
- The minister will be available to pose for one or two pictures following the ceremony. Please see that those
photographs are taken first. - Following the benediction and at the time of the recessional, the photographer may take pictures of the couple as they exit down the aisle.
- The photographer must observe the following: No smoking inside the church facilities, no alcoholic beverages anywhere on church property.
- The photographer may not move around the sanctuary once the ceremony begins.
- Photographers who do not abide by these policies will not be permitted to shoot photographs in our church again.
Videographer:
- Video taping is permitted as long as no artificial light is used.
- Operator must be dressed in black and may not walk around.
- Furniture must not be moved; the furniture should not be used as a step ladder.
- A camera is allowed at the front but must be placed in either choir loft or piano well. No movement is allowed.
- The videographer must observe the following: No smoking inside the church facilities; no alcoholic beverages anywhere on church property.
- Videographers who do not abide by these policies will not be permitted to shoot in our church again.
FEES
Members of First Baptist Church of Christ are not required to pay for the use of church space. Members and their
immediate family members qualify for the member fees. Members are required to pay the personnel costs incurred for the rehearsal and ceremony, including fees for the custodial staff, Church Wedding Coordinator, Audio Visual Team, and musicians.
Non-members are required to pay for the use of the space to help offset the cost of utilities and wear-and-tear on the facilities.
Checklist of Fees
Personnel Fees (required for members and non-members paid directly to the church. Payments need to be made two weeks before the wedding and given to the wedding coordinator.)
_____ Church Wedding Coordinator: $600
_____ Custodian: $250 (includes up to 2 hours of custodial time for the rehearsal and 8 hours for wedding day. Additional hours will be billed at custodian’s overtime rate).
_____ Audio-Visual Technician: $250
_____ Kitchen Staff Member (if kitchen is used): $20/hour
_____ Nursery staff may be available by request at the rate of $20/hour per staff member. Church policies require
two adults present when working with children.
______ Soloists, Organists and Other Musicians
It is the custom for the couple to be married to engage their own vocal or instrumental soloists, and arrangements, including any fee, should be made between them. First Baptist Church of Christ is particularly blessed to have many professional, trained musicians in its various music programs. Ask the Wedding Coordinator for information on soloists and instrumentalists.
_____ Ministerial Honorarium
There is no set fee for members. The ministerial honorarium for non-member weddings using a minister of the First Baptist Church of Christ is $500.
_____ Organist Honorarium $150
Additional Fees for Non-Members
Ceremony Space:
_____ Sanctuary—$1,200
These charges allow time for vendor setup, rehearsal, dressing, photographs, wedding and clean up. If other rooms are needed such as classrooms or hallways not adjacent to the above room(s), the Church Wedding Coordinator should be consulted.
Reception Space:
_____ Fellowship Hall and Kitchen (for rehearsal dinner or reception) — $500
_____ Great Room (for rehearsal dinner or reception) — $250
Payment of Fees
All facility fees are required to be paid before the date may be secured on the church calendar. The balance of
personnel fees must be paid two weeks before the wedding date. Since they are not charged facility fees, members are required to pay a $150 deposit at the time of reservation.
DISCLAIMER
First Baptist Church of Christ is not responsible or liable for injury to any person or persons during the wedding activities. First Baptist Church of Christ is not responsible for personal property such as wedding dresses, purses, and wedding gifts. First Baptist Church of Christ is not responsible for lost, stolen or damaged items. We suggest you take reasonable precautions for your own protection.
Time and date of rehearsal : __________________
Time and date of wedding: ___________________
Arrival time on wedding day: ______________________
511 High Place, Macon, GA 31201
(478) 742-6485
www.fbcxmacon.org
Signature of participant ____________________________________________ Date ________________
Approved by office staff ____________________________________________________