Weddings. at Grace Old Columbia Road Fulton, Maryland,

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Gabriel Edwards
7 years ago
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1 Weddings at Grace 8200 Old Columbia Road Fulton, Maryland,

2 W e are glad you are considering Grace Community Church for your wedding. To help you decide if this is the correct location for you, we have created this packet of information we hope you find helpful. The most important element is the ceremony itself. To hold your wedding at Grace you must be married by a Grace Pastor and have attended Pre-marital mentoring which we offer several times a year. If you have any reason these requirements can not be met, please discuss them with a Grace Pastor. Please note that we now have three weekend church services and that limits the times available to perform a wedding ceremony here at Grace. The specifics are listed on the enclosed Facility Information forms. This packet includes the following items: Wedding Ceremony Guidelines Facility Information and Agreement Form Grace Community Church Wedding Coordinator Information

3 Ceremony Guidelines The following information is provided to assist in the planning process of your wedding ceremony. Grace wants your wedding to be uniquely yours and honoring to God and our staff is available to serve you any way we can. Scheduling a Pastor for the Ceremony Coordinating schedules is one of the most difficult parts of wedding planning. Please remember that all Pastors are not available on all dates. Efforts will be made to accommodate your desire for a particular Pastor; however, please be aware that there are eight Pastors at Grace Community Church licensed by the state of Maryland to perform wedding ceremonies. If you would contact Laura Turner at (240) or laura.turner@gcconline.org and she would be more than happy to assist you. You will receive help in the process of securing a commitment from one of the Pastors and connecting with their Administrative Assistant to schedule a time for you to meet with the Pastor for an initial get-to-know-you visit as soon as possible. Premarital Prep Course It is expected that all couples wanting to be married by a Pastor of Grace Community Church participate in a premarital course. It is the engaged couple s responsibility to enroll in a premarital course. Grace Community Church typically offers several throughout the year. Planning the Wedding Ceremony At least one additional appointment with pastoral staff is required to plan the actual ceremony. Schedule this through the Administrative Assistant of the Pastor who will be performing the ceremony. YOUR CEREMONY - This is your day. Please come to the planning appointment with ideas of how you see this day unfolding. VOWS This is a subject that has as many variations as the couples themselves. You can write your own, use the traditional ones, memorize them, or a combination of these or others.

4 PEOPLE In order to make this day as memorable as possible, we encourage you to include as many family members and good friends as possible in the ceremony. PHOTOGRAPHY It would be best that you speak to the Pastor performing your wedding ceremony concerning the use of flash pictures and videography during the ceremony. This information needs to be specifically communicated to your photographer, videographer, and family members. Pastor s Honorarium An honorarium of $200 or more is hightly suggested. This amount should be in addition to any expenses incurred by the Pastor in order to perform your ceremony.

5 Facility Use Information We now have three weekend services at Grace. Unfortunately, this greatly restricts the availability of the building for wedding ceremonies. Please review these time constraints carefully as they are not flexible. Saturday Wedding Ceremony You may start your ceremony any time within the hours of 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. We request that all elements of the ceremony and any other functions (photos, rental pick-up) be completed by 4:00 pm. Sunday Wedding Ceremony You may start your ceremony any time within the hours of 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm. The building will be available to the wedding party beginning at 1:30 pm that day. Time of Year - Due to the increased nature of activity during certain times of the year, we are not able to schedule any weddings in the month of December or three weeks prior to the Easter holiday. Fees The fees listed below are associated with all approved wedding venues at GCC and will provide a three hour timeframe for your wedding. These fees are non-negotiable and we consider them to be fair payment for the costs incurred. Grace Place Wedding Fee: $ Outside wedding (the pavilion) Fee: $ There is limited AV equipment available for an outside wedding. Lobby Wedding Fee: $ No AV is available from GCC in the lobby area Worship Center Any requests for a wedding in the Worship Center will be addressed on a case-by-case basis and the fees will vary from the Wedding rates listed above.

6 Room Set-Up Your wedding reservation will include the space for rehearsal time as well. If additional set-up time is needed, please make this request known to our Wedding Coordinator to confirm availability prior to your ceremony. In addition, two rooms will be made available for the bridal party on the day of the ceremony. Chair Padded chairs are available for your use. Set-up of our chairs will be your responsibility. We will put away the chairs from your wedding ceremony as part of your facilities fee. Signage Grace Community Church will provide a parking sign for use at the bottom of the hill to direct your attendees to the West Parking Lot for entrance into the building. If you prefer to provide the sign for this display, your sign should be 24 x 36 inches. Storage Space Because we do not have any storage space available, all rooms are to be cleared of flowers, rental pieces and any other equipment brought in for your ceremony on the same day of your ceremony. Set-up can possibly take place the day before the actual wedding, prior to the rehearsal. Timing Please review the detailed timeframe information on the previous page. Music There are many gifted vocal and instrumental musicians here at Grace Community Church. We can give you the names and telephone numbers of those individuals. Please keep in mind that the time investment of these musicians. We recommend $100 as a starting figure for their honorariums.

7 AV Support Please do not approach anyone on our AV Team directly to cover your wedding needs. We will request AV Support from our trained team through a system already in place for event coverage. Restrictions Please note that no alcoholic beverages, smoking, or pets (outside of approved handicap assistance animals) are allowed in the building. Upon exiting the building after the ceremony, only bubbles are allowed. Please do not throw any rice, confetti, birdseed or flowers (real or fake) at the exiting bride and groom. Capacity The seating capacity for a wedding in Grace Place is 250. Deposit An initial deposit of $250 made out to Grace Community Church is required to reserve the space. The remaining balance is due two weeks prior to your ceremony. Wedding Reception If you are considering Grace Community Church for both your wedding ceremony and reception, please contact our Wedding Coordinator to discuss the details prior to signing the Wedding Ceremony Agreement Form. We have some limitations on capacity for Wedding Receptions that may affect your decision.

8 Wedding Coordinator Grace Community Church has a Wedding Coordinator who will be your point of contact in planning your wedding ceremony here at Grace Community Church. Laura Turner laura.turner@gcconline.org Laura will guide you through the reservation process, help answer any questions you may have about the facility; confirm any review of the space meetings you may need prior to the wedding, and ensure that the building is open upon your arrival for both the rehearsal and the acutal wedding day. The Grace Community Church Wedding Coordinator is not responsible for setting up the room, but she may be available to accept deliveries prior to your wedding day upon request.

9 Grace Community Church Wedding Ceremony Agreement Form Your signature on this form, along with the $250 deposit, indicates your willingness to comply with the property directly related to your event. to you for your records. (Please print) Bride Name: Bride Phone and Groom Name: Groom Phone and Requested Date and Time of Wedding Ceremony: Bride or Groom Signature: Signature Date To be completed by Grace Community Church Staff: Signature Date

Preparing for your Wedding Vow Renewal

Preparing for your Wedding Vow Renewal Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on your upcoming wedding vow renewal. Our prayer is that this occasion will be a joyous one for you both. We are