Weddings / 2012 Peachtree Road united methodist Church
Weddings at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church The Christian marriage ceremony is a worship experience in which God blesses the union of husband and wife. We are pleased you have chosen Peachtree Road United Methodist Church for your wedding and we look forward to assisting you in this important event in your lives. Every element of a wedding at Peachtree Road is respectful of the sacred concept and because of this, we have established guidelines to help plan your wedding here. To Begin The first step in planning your wedding at Peachtree Road is to contact our Wedding Coordinator & Director, Evelyn Dukes. Evelyn will help you select your date and venue, and guide you through wedding protocol at the church. Evelyn Dukes Wedding Coordinator 404.240.8217 evelynd@prumc.org. Peachtree Road United Methodist Church has two wedding venues from which to choose - the PRUMC Sanctuary which holds 1750, and the Moore Chapel which holds 225. You may choose from four ministers on staff to preside at your wedding and assist in your premarital counseling. Use of a PRUMC minister is required by the church and will assure that all needs are met on this most important day. All weddings are held on Saturdays, with exceptions for holidays and holy days which are listed in this brochure. All rehearsals are held on Fridays at either 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm, or 6:00 pm. We look forward to helping create a beautiful, sacred event with you. You will find more information within this brochure or through our coordinator.
Reserving Your Wedding Couples wishing to be married at any Peacthree Road United Methodist Church venue will contact the Wedding Coordinator to set a time and date and obtain a schedule of fees. A meeting with the Wedding Director is required to discuss procedure and policies for weddings at Peachtree Road. Though a reservation may be made up to a year in advance, confirmation is contingent upon the couple signing and returning appropriate agreements. Weddings are held on Saturdays at various times, with exceptions for the following holidays and holy days. No weddings may be scheduled on New Year s Eve, New Year s Day, Holy Week, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Also please note, no wedding with a church reception may be scheduled after 6:00 pm. Your Wedding Director Once the date and time of your wedding is confirmed, you will be paired with a church Wedding Director - most often, our Wedding Coordinator, Evelyn Dukes. The church Wedding Director is responsible for conducting both the rehearsal and the wedding. This includes the traditions of seating, processionals and retiring processionals and placement of the wedding party in the chancel. On the wedding day, each director has an assistant to help coordinate the activities of the wedding party. Outside bridal consultants are welcome to help the bride and her attendants in the Bride s Room. Once the bridal party leaves the Bride s Room please rely on the Wedding Director from Peachtree Road to coordinate the activities of the wedding party. Choosing Your Minister The couple should contact the PRUMC minister of their choice with regard to performing the service and to arrange for premarital counseling. Peachtree Road United Methodist Church requires all weddings to be presided over and performed by a minister on our staff. Since the format and style of a wedding should be consistent with the PRUMC tradition of worship and weddings, our staff ministers will be most valuable in planning the Order of Worship for your service.
Premarital Counseling The ministers at Peacthree Road require that a couple have at least two premarital counseling sessions before their marriage. As part of your counseling session, couples will receive a copy of the United Methodist Order of Service. You will discuss the service and any special requests you may have. Any changes to the service must be approved by the officiating minister. Your Marriage License It is the responsibility of the couple to obtain a marriage license prior to the wedding. The marriage license should be given to the officiating minister or Wedding Director no later than the rehearsal date. No wedding can be performed without the license. Information regarding the license can be obtained by calling: Fulton County 404.730.4692 DeKalb County 404.371.2746 The Rehearsal All rehearsals are held on the Friday evening prior to your wedding. The time of the rehearsal will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis prior to the mailing of the wedding agreement. Available rehearsal times are 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm. The Wedding Director will conduct the rehearsal, sometimes with a minister in attendance. The Order of Worship, traditions of seating, placement of the attendants, instructions to the ushers and/or groomsmen and bridesmaids will be covered at the rehearsal. The members of the wedding party should remember that they are in a holy place dedicated to the worship of God, and conduct themselves accordingly. PRUMC allows 45 minutes for each rehearsal. Since there may be other rehearsals scheduled on the same evening, please know how important it is that the wedding party arrives on time to receive complete information and instruction. We suggest that everyone involved in the rehearsal arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time.
Selecting Your Music The PRUMC Music Ministry will assist couples with planning for and performing all music for weddings held at the church. Because a wedding is a service of worship, all music must be sacred in nature. An organist from Peachtree Road will play for all weddings. As with our staff ministers, our organist s presence will assure that the ceremony runs smoothly and in accordance with the Order of Worship. After you and your minister have finalized your order of worship, please contact the Music Ministry Office (404.240.8212) for an appointment with Scott Atchison, Organist and Director of Music for PRUMC. Appointments to discuss and select music should take place two to four weeks before the date of your wedding. The organ is the primary instrument used for weddings at the church. While a piano or string quartet may be used in portions of the ceremony, wedding processionals and retiring processionals will be performed by the organ. Our organists will be glad to familiarize you with a variety of selections appropriate for your wedding. All music will be sacred in nature. Secular texts are not used in weddings at Peachtree Road. Professional soloists and additional musicians are available through the Music Department. Other guest vocalists and instrumentalists may be invited to participate in the wedding but must be approved by the Director of Music of Peachtree Road. Texts of vocal solos are to be limited to Scripture and sacred poetry. Soloists and instrumentalists may rehearse one hour before the ceremony and must provide their music in the proper key at that rehearsal. Vocalists must wear the choir vestments of the church. Peachtree Road does not allow taped accompaniments during a wedding ceremony.
Flowers, Candles and Paraments Sanctuary Beautiful flowers will be provided on the altar as well as in the Narthex for weddings taking place in the Sanctuary. Flowers are provided and arranged by the Flower Guild of Peachtree Road and remain at the church for Sunday services. An announcement about your wedding will appear in the worship bulletin on that same day. No additional flowers or candles may be used within the Sanctuary. Chapel For weddings taking place in the Moore Chapel, a beautiful arrangement of flowers will be placed in the Narthex only. Brides should contact their florist to arrange for flowers on the Chapel altar. Arrangements may not be taller than 36 and florists should provide necessary containers. No additional flowers or candles may be added. Chapel arrangements may be left for Sunday worship or taken to your reception. Payment for flowers should be made directly to the Flower Guild. Special Seasons of the Church At special seasons of the year such as Lent, Christmas, Freedom Sunday, Pentecost and Harvest Sunday, certain observances by the church may take precedence over your plans for flowers. The paraments will reflect the liturgical colors of the season and during Lent the cross on the altar will be draped. Please ask the Wedding Director if your date is within one of these special times. Other Elements Kneelers and a unity candle can be provided by the church for use in your wedding ceremony. Please consult your director, so that it is included in your order of service.
Photography Because a wedding is a worship service, Peachtree Road United Methodist Church does not allow photography during the ceremony. This policy is enforced and includes professional photographers, family, friends and guests. Please be sure that they are informed so they may respect the sacredness of our worship space and service. During the retiring processional the photographer may take pictures of the wedding party from the back of the church at the doubles doors. Flash is permissible during the retiring processional only. We do not permit movement or positioning of the photographer during the service. All professional photography may begin no more than one and one half hours before the ceremony. Any pictures taken prior to the ceremony must be completed 30 minutes before the ceremony begins. Any pictures taken after the ceremony must be completed within 30 minutes of the ceremony ending. The officiating minister will be delighted to participate in pictures taken immediately after the ceremony. Videography Videographers may assume a fixed position in the back balcony and transept of the Sanctuary. In the Moore Chapel, videographers may assume a fixed position in the sound booth located in the back left seating area. Videographers may not move during the ceremony and must remain as unobtrusive as possible. No cameras, microphones, recording devices or special lighting are allowed in the chancel area of the Sanctuary or Moore Chapel. Please Note! Photographers, videographers and their assistants must wear appropriate attire for a wedding ceremony. They must not inhibit the job of our Wedding Director, Minister, Organist or Wedding Assistant, particularly in regards to the timing and sacredness of the ceremony. Photographers, videographers and their assistants violating the regulations of the church will be excused from the ceremony and forbidden from taking pictures or video at future weddings at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church.
Church Policies Building Policies No alcoholic beverages are permitted on the church premises. At the discretion of the minister and/or wedding director, a rehearsal or wedding ceremony may not proceed if any member of the wedding party has been consuming alcoholic beverages. Smoking is not permitted on the church premises. No rice, bird seed, confetti, artificial or natural rose petals or potpourri may be used on the church premises. The church is an open building and while every effort is made to maintain security, PRUMC cannot be held responsible for valuables left in the building. Purses and valuables should not be left unattended. Please check before bringing food or beverages into the Bride s Room. Additional Wedding Policies Experience has shown that having a bride s book or a receiving line at the church delays the wedding or wedding photography. Please plan both of these for your reception. The church is reserved for you two (2) hours prior to the ceremony and thirty (30) minutes after. Please observe the church s request that your wedding party arrive at the church no earlier than two (2) hours before the wedding. Flower girls, ring bearers and attendants must be at least 5 years old. No pets may be attendants. Wedding programs should be approved by the Wedding Director and Music Director before being printed.
Peachtree Road United Methodist Church 3180 Peachtree Road, NW Atlanta, Georgia 30305 www.prumc.org 404.266.2373