Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

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2 WEDDING HANDBOOK Your Guide to a Successful Wedding at First Baptist Church Windermere Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! Your wedding is an important time, and we are pleased and honored that you have chosen First Baptist Church Windermere to be a part of your memories. We believe that marriage is a covenant ordained by God and look forward to creating a meaningful and beautiful ceremony that will honor this moment. Please use this packet of guidelines as an overview of our policies and procedures to help you prepare for your wedding day.

3 Table of Contents Full Service Weddings 4 Vow Renewals & Destination Weddings 5 Scheduling Your Wedding 6 The Pastor 6 Pre-Marital Counseling 6 FBCW Wedding Coordinator 7 Ceremony Music 7 Sound Technician 7 Wedding Decorations 8 Photographers and Videographers 8 The Wedding Rehearsal 9 Your Wedding Day 9 Receptions 10 Reception Music 10 Catering 10 Custodial Services 10 Reception Decorations 11 Cancellations 11 Revised

4 Full Service Weddings We have three venues available at FBCW. The Chapel 436 Oakdale Street Windermere, FL Our renovated Chapel is an elegant setting in the heart of downtown Windermere. Seats up to 100 guests. $ member $ non-member The Downtown Worship Center 300 Main Street Windermere, FL A beautiful traditional church setting. Seats up to 450 guests. $ member $ non-member The Lakeside Worship Center 8464 Winter Garden Vineland Road Orlando, FL Lakeside is our largest venue. Seats up to 600 guests. $ member $ non-member 4

5 Full Service Weddings Include: use of the wedding site for the ceremony and rehearsal a wedding coordinator (facilitates the use of the venues, directs the rehearsal and ceremony) a sound technician for the ceremony a consultation with the music department use of any available wedding decorations such as candelabras, arches, candle holders, etc. a Prepare-Enrich profile and three to six pre-marital pastoral counseling sessions venue set up and tear down with custodial clean up To qualify for booking the facilities at the member rate, the bride, groom, or their parent must be a member (not just attending) for a minimum of three months prior to the booking of your wedding. Extra / Miscellaneous Fees Pianist - $150 Vocalists - $100 Other Instruments - $150 Media Technician - $125 Chapel Chair Removal /Reset - $150 Wedding Coordinator for off-site receptions - $300 Pastor s Honorarium It is customary to give an honorarium to the officiating pastor. By tradition, the pastor s honorarium is the responsibility of the groom. The suggested fee is $200 to $250. The check should be made out to the pastor performing the ceremony. Vow Renewal or Destination Wedding: We understand that on occasion, a bride and groom may want a simpler and more intimate ceremony with only a minimum number of guests and facility usage. For our Vow Renewal or Destination Wedding option, we merely unlock the chapel and allow for minimal facility use. There is a fee of $400 to cover our basic facility costs and the assistance of a Wedding Coordinator. This fee does not cover the pastor s honorarium. The following requirements must be met in order to qualify for Vow Renewal or Destination Wedding pricing: The chapel may be rented for three (3) hours on weekdays, during the following hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Wednesday 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Friday 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Maximum of 50 people Family and close friends. Three (3) hour time limit in facility. Wedding Coordinator will be present to assist. FBCW wedding decorations not included (may be rented a la carte) Pedestal (2) - $10 each Chapel is opened/closed by facilities personnel Rehearsal time not provided prior to day of wedding. All destination weddings must be approved by the pastoral staff Any deviation from these requirements will require us to offer our normal chapel wedding ceremonies services and normal rates will apply. 5

6 Scheduling Your Wedding We recommend you plan your wedding at least six to twelve months in advance to ensure the church space can be reserved without conflict. A $250 deposit must be paid in order to reserve your wedding date and venue. The balance of the total fee will be due one month prior to the wedding date. If the balance of the wedding fee is not paid within one month of the wedding, the reservation will be removed from the church calendar. Please make checks payable to First Baptist Church Windermere. The Pastor s Honorarium and any musician fees are not included and should be treated separately. The Pastor An appointment will need to be made with the pastor you are requesting to perform the ceremony. If you are using a pastor from another church, this request will need to be approved. Please submit a completed Guest Pastor Request application for approval. Pre-Marital Counseling We believe that marriage is a lifetime commitment that is honored by God. This belief plays an important role in our pre-marital process. Therefore, we feel that marriage counseling is a necessary step, and we require your participation in marriage counseling prior to your marriage ceremony. Once you have met with the pastor and he has agreed to marry you, you must contact our Wedding Liaison to schedule a minimum of three counseling sessions. You must also as a couple complete a PREPARE/ENRICH inventory. PREPARE/ENRICH is a customized couple assessment completed online that identifies a couple's strength and growth areas. Based on a couple's assessment results, a counselor meets with the couple to discuss and understand their results as they are taught proven relationship skills. A certificate of completion will be given upon completion of the course. This certificate qualifies the couple for a $32.50 reduction in the $93.50 Florida marriage license fee. 6

7 The FBCW Wedding Coordinator The FBCW Wedding Coordinator will be assigned to each wedding performed at FBCW. Her purpose is to work with you to ensure that all details of the wedding,as they concern church policy and procedures,are followed, and that the dignity and sanctity of the church and your wedding are preserved. The FBCW Wedding Coordinator will direct the wedding rehearsal, as well as, the wedding ceremony. The FBCW Wedding Coordinator will schedule a meeting time prior to the rehearsal to discuss the details of your rehearsal and wedding ceremony with you. She will also prepare an Order of Service and have it available at the rehearsal to ensure that events will run smoothly. If you are contracting the services of an outside Wedding Planner, the FBCW Wedding Coordinator will still be necessary and will work with your planner regarding the wedding rehearsal and wedding ceremony. Ceremony Music All music selections for the wedding ceremony should be in keeping with the sacred character and appropriate dignity of a church wedding service. The Music Department will schedule a time to meet with the bride and groom to discuss music selections. The bride and groom are free to engage the services of anyone they desire to perform musically at the ceremony. The bride and groom are responsible for contracting and paying directly for the services of the musicians and soloists. Our Music Department also has musicians and soloists available. The fees listed on page five are the minimum, any additional fees will be negotiated. For your convenience, checks made payable to the contracted musician can be placed in labeled envelopes and given to the FBCW Wedding Coordinator the night of the rehearsal, who will distribute them. Sound Technician The worship centers and chapel at FBCW have sophisticated sound systems. Therefore, we require that a member of our sound crew operate the system. A technician will be present during the ceremony and will be providing wireless microphones to the minister and vocalists. A CD player is available for vocalist tracks or music. We also have the ability to plug your personal MP3 player into our sound system. A Media Technician is available to show slides and videos during wedding ceremonies for an additional $125 fee. All music tracks, video, or other media, must be submitted to the FBCW Wedding Coordinator a minimum of one month prior to the wedding. A $50 late fee will be imposed if this deadline is not met. 7

8 Wedding Decorations It is not the responsibility of FBCW to decorate the wedding site for your ceremony. However, the Wedding Coordinator can show you several decorative items the church has for your use. All candles used during the ceremony must be drip-less. Candles are not provided by FBCW. It is imperative that there is no use of nails, tacks, screws, staples or unwrapped wires on the church furnishings. If tape is used, the florist must remove all evidence of such use. No decorations are to be hung or suspended from light fixtures or ventilators. FBCW is not obligated to furnish outside sources with equipment (i.e. ladders) to enable them to complete their job. All items supplied by sources outside the church must be approved by the FBCW Wedding Coordinator. The bride and groom will be responsible for any damage due to the use of decorations. Some furnishings may be moved with the supervision of the custodian. However, if a wedding date is chosen during the period of a holiday or other special church celebrations, it will be necessary to coordinate your wedding decorations with the decorations already in place. Any major church decorations such as wall hangings, garlands, drapes, etc. that are in place for those events, must remain in place and will not be taken down. Only silk rose petals may be scattered in each venue. Chapel: There are 100 pew chairs available for your use, If you choose to rent chairs from an outside vendor instead, there will be a fee of $150 to remove and reset the existing pew chairs. The rental company is responsible for delivery, set up, and pick up of their own chairs. To ensure that facilities are prepared and unlocked, the FBCW Wedding Coordinator must be advised well in advance of any scheduled deliveries or pick-ups by rental companies. Additionally the piano cannot be moved. Decorations must be completed no less than one hour prior to the time of the wedding to ensure that guests arrive to a quiet, serene and reverent atmosphere. All pictures must be taken and wedding decorations removed immediately following the ceremony. If the family does not wish to make use of the flowers after the ceremony, please inform the FBCW Wedding Coordinator. Photographers and Videographers Due to the sacred nature of a church ceremony, FBCW asks that all photographers and videographers respect the reverence of the ceremony and be as unobtrusive as possible. He or she should be dressed appropriately for a wedding and refrain from roaming around on the platform or in front of the altar once the bride reaches the altar. It is up to the pastor and the couple whether flash photography may be used during the ceremony. If wireless microphones are being used for video recording purposes, the FBCW Wedding Coordinator must be notified in advance so that the sound technician can determine if there will be any interference with the church s sound system. Photographers are welcome to take pre-wedding pictures in and around the chosen wedding site two hours before the wedding. The photographer should be finished with the pre-wedding photography thirty minutes before the wedding. The photographer is allotted thirty minutes following the service to take additional pictures. Photos that include the pastor must be taken immediately after the ceremony. 8

9 The Wedding Rehearsal The wedding rehearsal is designed to ease nerves on the wedding day and make sure everyone is comfortable with the ceremony details. Ideally, the wedding rehearsal will be the day before the wedding. The wedding site that you have chosen will be reserved for 2 hours for your rehearsal. In the event that more time is needed, the site can be rented for $100 per half hour to cover the time of the church s support staff. We request that the wedding party arrive fifteen minutes before the beginning of the rehearsal in order start on time. It is also important that everyone connected with the wedding party be at the rehearsal, including the parents of the bride and groom. If the grandparents are being escorted to their seats, they can also be included in the rehearsal. The FBCW Wedding Coordinator will conduct the rehearsal and walk the wedding party through the ceremony. It is expected that members of the wedding party will recognize that the church is a house of God and will conduct themselves at all times in a manner befitting the atmosphere of a place of worship. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to inform the wedding party to dress appropriately and that no alcohol or smoking is permitted on the premises. Your Wedding Day Dressing Rooms A bride s room and a groom s room will be made available to the wedding party, florist, and photographer two hours before the wedding is scheduled to begin. All personal belongings brought to the church are the responsibility of the wedding party. FBCW assumes no responsibility for the security of personal articles left unattended or behind after your use of the facility. Make sure you assign someone to gather up all personal belongings after the wedding. No alcoholic beverages or smoking will be permitted. Child Care FBCW is not responsible to provide child care for the children of the bridal party or the wedding guests. Wedding Recessional The throwing of birdseed, rice, confetti, or flower petals is not permitted inside the building under any circumstances. Outside you may throw birdseed only. Your Marriage License Be sure to bring a copy to be signed. If you would like the FBCW Wedding Coordinator to mail it for you, Please provide a stamped pre-addressed envelope. Video Streaming Live video streaming of your wedding is available at our Downtown Worship Center and Lakeside Worship Center Facilities. The cost is $500 and is to be paid to the church one month before the wedding. 9

10 Receptions The gymnasium is available for your use for an additional fee of $1000 for church members and $1400 for non-members. Your fee includes 4 hours of reserved use for the reception, use of the church s commercial grade kitchen, an FBCW Kitchen Coordinator, an FBCW Wedding Coordinator,and custodial clean-up when the event is over. We will coordinate with you for set-up and preparation times depending on the venue s schedule. The gymnasium can hold approximately 250 guests. Availability may be limited due to church activities. If you prefer to have your reception elsewhere, we have partnered with several local reception venues who can offer special pricing for our FBCW brides. Details available on request. Reception Music All music and dances should be tasteful, and respectful of a worshipful environment. Sacred, contemporary Christian, hymns and classical instrumental music are appropriate. Some secular wedding and love songs are permissible with prior approval from the Music Department. Caterer The FBCW kitchen is available as a service area only, therefore, it is the responsibility of the bride and groom to provide catering for their event. The caterer is responsible for providing everything needed for a complete reception, including their own linens, flatware, dishes, pots, pans and paper products. The church s dishes, glasses, etc. are not available for use. Refrigerator and freezer space will not be provided. Caterers are welcome to use the church s kitchen and appliances. A FBCW Kitchen Coordinator must be present at all times whenever the kitchen is being used and must operate any equipment required by the caterer. At the conclusion of the event, the caterer is responsible for removing all items brought to the event, including all leftover food and drinks, and return the kitchen to its original condition before the reception. The kitchen counters and any equipment used should be thoroughly cleaned. The Kitchen Coordinator and the Custodial Staff will not be responsible for washing dishes or otherwise cleaning the kitchen. The custodian will remove the kitchen garbage and mop the floor. Please remember no alcoholic beverages are permitted at any of our venues. Custodial Services If you choose to use the tables and chairs of FBCW, the custodian will set up the tables and chairs according to the specifications discussed with the FBCW Wedding Coordinator. The custodial staff will also break-down the tables and generally restore the building to proper order when your event is over. If services of a custodian are needed beyond what is stated arrangements must be made with the FBCW Wedding Coordinator. 10

11 Reception Decorations As with the wedding ceremony site, it is the responsibility of the bride and groom to decorate the venue for their reception. If a florist is being used, it is imperative that there is no use of nails, tacks, screws, staples or unwrapped wires on the church furnishings. If tape is used, the florist must remove all evidence of such use. No decorations are to be hung or suspended from light fixtures or ventilators. FBCW is not obligated to furnish outside sources with equipment (i.e. ladders) to enable them to complete their job. All items supplied by sources outside the church must be approved by the FBCW Wedding Coordinator. The bride and groom will be responsible for any damage due to the use of decorations. Some furnishings may be moved with the supervision of the custodian. However, if a wedding date is chosen during the period of a holiday or other special church celebrations, it will be necessary to coordinate your wedding decorations with the decorations already in place. Any major church decorations such as wall hangings, garlands, drapes, etc. that are in place for those events, must remain in place and will not be taken down. The decorations must be completed no less than one hour prior to the time of the wedding reception. All wedding decorations must be immediately removed after the event. If the family does not wish to make use of the flowers after the reception, please inform the FBCW Wedding Coordinator for arrangements to use the flowers in another way. Cancellations Should your wedding reservation be withdrawn before the counseling begins, all but $75 of the deposit will be refunded. If the reservation is withdrawn after the counseling has begun, the $250 deposit will not be refunded in order to cover evaluation fees and administrative costs. 11