New Hope Baptist Church Wedding Policy (rev. 10/28/15) New Hope Baptist Church is pleased to offer its facilities and staff to New Hope members to make their wedding ceremony a beautiful and worshipful event. At New Hope, we believe a wedding is a worship celebration uniting a man and a woman who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and are committed to living in accordance with Biblical principles. It will be most meaningful to you and your families and friends when there is careful planning. For that reason, the following statements will govern the plans for your wedding at New Hope Baptist Church (north location). We sincerely believe these policies to be the most suitable and practical for all concerned. Please read them carefully. Date and Time of Your Wedding The date of the wedding is considered in consultation with the Church Wedding Coordinator/Director & Church Staff, who will reserve the date on the church calendar. However, no May, November or Decembers dates will be considered. Reservations are taken on a first-come first-served basis. After the date has been confirmed on the church calendar, the Bride should make an appointment with the Church Wedding Director for a walkthrough of the facilities and discuss any questions she may have at that time. The enclosed Wedding Reservation form must be completed and returned with appropriate deposits and fees. It is extremely important that the exact time indicated for the rehearsal and wedding be observed and is the responsibility of the Bride to insure that all members of the wedding party are informed of the rehearsal time and are present to begin on time. We are requesting in consideration of resetting rooms and equipment for Sunday morning Bible Study and Worship, those weddings will not be scheduled any later than 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays at the North location with a reception and 5:00pm without a reception. Please note: No Weddings are being scheduled at the South location or in the chapel at this time. Ministers An ordained pastor or minister on the staff of New Hope Baptist will usually officiate in the wedding ceremony. The selection of the minister is usually correlated with the selection of the wedding date. A pastor or minister from another Baptist church or other evangelical Christian denomination may be permitted to officiate in your wedding ceremony. If you wish to have a visiting minister perform the ceremony, please advise the Wedding Director. If the minister is a member of the New Hope staff, please call their office to check on their availability and their guidelines for pre-marital counseling. 1
Director Our Wedding Director will direct your rehearsal and wedding and will assist you in every way possible. You may choose to employ, at the Bride s expense, an outside wedding director. The church s wedding director will serve as a consultant to the employed director, be present for the rehearsal and wedding, and have final authority in all matters concerning use of facilities and policies of New Hope Baptist. Please note: No weddings can be held at New Hope unless it is cleared by our employed Wedding Director! Wedding Music Please keep in mind that a church wedding is a religious ceremony and music should be selected accordingly. The Bride must submit to the Wedding Director all music to be played and sung during the wedding ceremony. All music must be in written form and submitted at least four weeks before the wedding. Musicians and vocalists are hired independently by the Bride and may rehearse at the church on the day of the wedding two hours prior to the ceremony Audio/Video/Lighting Technician Sound amplification will be necessary for the minister and vocalist(s) in the sanctuary during the ceremony. Therefore, a member of the AVL Saff at New Hope Baptist will serve as AVL technician and will assist in providing microphones and operating the church s sound equipment. (A sound technician will not be necessary for the rehearsal). If you would like an AVL technician present at your rehearsal, that service can be provided for an additional fee and will be paid on final pre-wedding walk thru. Arrangements for this service should be made through the Church Wedding Director at least one month prior to your wedding date. Facilities Policy It is the policy of New Hope Baptist Church that all of the church s assets and property shall be used to glorify God in fulfillment of the mission of the Church. Accordingly, New Hope may disallow any use of its property, formal or informal, by those affiliated with New Hope or otherwise, inconsistent with the mission or principles of New Hope, including, but not limited to, those principles described within New Hopes Constitution and Bylaws. For example, New Hope may refuse to host a wedding ceremony in which the bride and groom are acting outside the biblical definition of marriage, or New Hope may refuse to allow groups who do not hold the values or adhere to the principles of New Hope to utilize the Property. 2
Facilities Usage The pulpit furniture will be removed before the rehearsal and replaced after the wedding by the church maintenance staff. Orchestra and choir equipment or furniture cannot be moved, removed or rearranged under any circumstances because of sound engineering placement. Should this occur, the wedding deposit is subject to forfeiture. *Wedding Director must approve the use of ALL candles. *The Bride is responsible for the removal of ALL flowers from the facility on the day of the wedding *No balloons or confetti will be allowed. *No tape/pinning any items to seating or walls *No hanging of any items from ceiling. *New Hope does not provide or have available items for decorating use. All items to be removed from the facility by 9:00pm or may be subject to loss of deposit. Dressing Rooms North Location - The Bride s Dressing Room is located in the Prayer Room in the front lobby and the Groom s Dressing Room is located in Hospitality Suite in the back hallway of the worship center. You may have your attendants and ushers use these rooms as well. Once the wedding and reception are concluded, please ensure that all personal items are removed and that these rooms be left clean of any trash or debris. New Hope will not be responsibility for any items delivered or left before or after Wedding/Reception. Photography and Videography Because the wedding ceremony is a sacred occasion, flash photography is not allowed after the bride has entered the altar area. Photos, such as time exposure, may be made during the ceremony if made from the balcony or rear area of the worship center. Videography is allowed provided the equipment does not distract from the sacredness of the ceremony and impede the movement of a guest or damage the facilities. Videography must be done without the addition of special lighting. At no time during the ceremony will a photographer or video camera operator be allowed to enter the altar area, the choir or orchestra area, or place himself in a position to distract from the ceremony. Photographer operators are cautioned about damaging church furniture by standing on or placing equipment on them. They will be held responsible for any damage resulting from their actions. 3
Miscellaneous Information Alcoholic beverages and controlled substances are not permitted anywhere in the church buildings or on the church grounds. Any member of the wedding party or any guest who brings alcoholic beverages or controlled substances on the property, or who attempts to serve alcoholic beverages or controlled substances in any form, will be removed from the property immediately. If they are a member of the wedding party, they will not be permitted to participate in the rehearsal or wedding. Any member of the wedding party who is under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances will not be permitted to participate in the rehearsal or wedding. Smoking is not permitted anywhere on New Hope Baptist Church property. No rice, confetti, silly string, shaving cream, sparklers may be used anywhere in the church building or on the church grounds. It is suggested bird seed, flower petals or bubbles be used in place of rice and must be used outdoors. The bride and her family are responsible for all personal items the wedding party brought to the church. If rented or borrowed property is issued, it is the sole responsibility of the bride to see that it is returned immediately after the wedding. The church will not be responsible for personal items in addition to the wedding dress, such as wraps, purses, silver, glassware, decorations, etc., brought to the church for use in a wedding or reception, nor shall the church be liable for such items lost, stolen or damaged. The Bride and Groom are required to sign the enclosed Wedding Reservation Form agreeing they will comply with foregoing policies. Wedding fees and forms are due (4) months prior to your wedding date. Checks for wedding fees should be made payable to New Hope Baptist Church. Soloists, musicians or other persons hired by the wedding party shall be paid by check and made directly to these people and given to the Wedding Director in sealed envelopes on the night of the Wedding Rehearsal. It is understood that the church is in no way responsible for any legal obligations that may arise from the hiring of such persons. Important Numbers New Hope Baptist Church (770)461-4337 Linda Groce (Wedding Director) (678)665-9087 lindag@newhopebc.org New Hope Baptist Church 551 New Hope Road Fayetteville, Georgia 30214 4
Fees Your deposit is due 2 weeks after your reservation is confirmed through the Wedding Coordinator/Director. The remainder of your fees are due four (4) weeks prior to your wedding date. Unless, otherwise specified, the fees are the responsibility of the Bride and are as follows: NHBC Member Fee Includes: Maintenance Clean-up $200 Sound Technicians Fee (Wedding Ceremony only) $200 Wedding Director s Fee $500(no reception) / $700 (with reception) Total Member Wedding Fee: $1,100 (*with reception) $900 (*with no reception) NHBC Member Fee Does Not Include AVL Technician for Rehearsal AVL Technician for Reception $100 per technician $100 per technician Additional AVL technicians may be required based on each set of requirements. The Wedding Director will make the decision on the number of technicians required after your 4 week meeting. *If an AVL technician is requested for the reception and/or rehearsal dinner, an additional fee is charged per event and is required to be paid directly to the sound technician 2 weeks prior to the event. Deposits The wedding deposit is refundable within two (2) weeks after the date of your wedding date if all guidelines are followed and no damages occur. Total Wedding Deposit: $300.00 Kitchen Facilities Deposit (if required) $500.00 If Kitchen Facilities are requested for your event our Foodservice Director must approve and a $500.00 deposit is required for its use. Our Kitchen is subject to inspection by Fayette County 5
Health Department and must be kept to the highest of standards. Please note the list of guidelines for proper kitchen clean-up. Adhering to these guidelines will insure refund of your deposit. New Hope Foodservice Catering Policy It is our recommendation that all catered events be handled through our Foodservice Director. If not, the following applies. Use of the kitchen for catered events must be approved by the Foodservice Director. The dishwasher is not available for use. Prior approval must be obtained for use of any kitchen applicant. It is the responsibility of the caterer to leave all facilities clean. A clean-up checklist will be provided. All floors must be swept and mopped. Maintenance staff must be notified before leaving the premises. A Deposit of $500 is required for use of the kitchen facilities. Adhering to all guidelines will insure refund of caterer s deposit. The wedding deposit is refundable within two (2) weeks of your wedding date if all guidelines are followed and no damages occur. Wedding Reception The Wedding Reception may be held a New Hope should facilities be available. Our Rainbow Room is normally scheduled for a Wedding Reception, however for 100 people or less our Café can be requested. In an effort to accommodate dancing at the reception, dancing is limited to 4 songs and must be approved by the Wedding Director. Background music played at the reception must also be approved by the Wedding Director. All music must be presented by live accompaniment or recording played by the New Hope Technical Team. Disc jockeys or live bands are prohibited. In keeping in attitude with the church, inappropriate behavior will not be allowed and if demonstrated, dance music would immediately cease. 6
Bride s Name: Present Address: Home Number: Cell Number: Email Address: Groom s Name: Present Address: Home Number: Cell Number: Email Address: New Address: New Home Phone: Is Bride or Groom member of New Hope? Yes No Is either Parent a member of New Hope? Yes No Please Reserve the Following: Worship Center and Rainbow Room (For Wedding & Reception) Worship Center Only A/V Technician for Reception** A/V Technician for Rehearsal** **Additional cost of $100.00/event to be paid directly to technician the day of event. Must be reserved at least one month prior to wedding. Bride s Signature Date: Groom s Signature Date: 7