Weddings and Rehearsals

Dear Couples: We are delighted you are considering St. Andrew's Church as the place of your wedding. Please first note that the the bride and or groom must speak to the priest at least 60-days before the wedding date to ask for approval(s) to prepare for the celebration and blessing of their marriage in the Church. This is the mininum time allowable because of the required pre-marital sessions with the priest or with a licensed therapist. Therefore, it is prudent to contact the priest when you first contemplate having your wedding at St. Andrew's.

Please keep in mind a few other things as you ponder contacting St. Andrew's for your wedding: that the priest always has the option whether or not to officiate the marriage; that other clergy of the couple's choosing are welcome to participate in the wedding at the couple's request, they are to be invited by the priest; and that if either or both members of the couple have been married before, proof of the divorce(s) must be submitted and the priest must ask for and receive the Bishop's permission to perform the ceremony. If those conditions are acceptable to you, we invite you to please read further:

Marriage counseling
Following the Healthy Marriage Initiative of Fairfield County, a minimum of eight (8) and a maximum of fifteen (15) hours of premarital counseling are required for all couples. Please make an appointment with the St. Andrew’s priest to discuss the tentative dates and times for the wedding and rehearsal.

Altar Guild Coordinator
A member of the Altar will be contacting you and providing assistance as you plan for flowers and decor for your wedding in the church. There are some practical restrictions to protect the furniture, foloor and objects used in worship.

Ceremony
Marriage is a sacrament of the Church and must conform to the provisions of our Book of Common Prayer. The priest will have final approval of any special request.

Music
The church organist can be available to play for all weddings. A Guest organist may play upon approval by the priest or in the absence of the church organist, but the church organist always has the right of first refusal. Musical selections must be approved by the priest and church organist. The organist can be available for rehearsal.  Fees for the organist and musicians will be negotiated with the organist and musicians.  There is a bench fee of $100.00 if an outside musican uses the church's organ or piano.

Photographs
Please note that flash pictures are to be taken only by the photographer during the ceremony. Professional photographers are requested to talk to the priest performing the ceremony at the rehearsal to discuss the photographer's plans. Guests may take flash photos after the ceremony. Photographs may be taken before or after the service. Video equipment will be allowed in the back of the church or in the narthex.

Reception
Wedding receptions will be welcomed in the Community Room upon approval by the priest at an additional fee of $200.00 paid to St. Andrews for use of the space.

Flowers
All flowers and other decorations are subject to the approval of the Altar Guild representative. Bows and ribbons should be provided by the florist and fastened to the ends of the pews only in an acceptable way with an elastic band or plastic holder. Tacks, wire or sticky tape are not allowed. Bows or other non-floral decorations are not permitted on the altar. Birdseed or other biodegradable products may only be thrown outside the church.

Fees

For Persons not associated with St. Andrews (non-members)	Wedding	Rehearsal
Use of the Sancturary	$100.00	Included
Donation to the Priests Discretionary Fund	$150.00	Included
Organist ( * check with Music Minister about current fee)	*	*
Bench fee for outside musician using either the organ or piano	$100.00	Included
Sexton and Altar Guild Assistance	$100.00	Included
Pre-marital counseling (Per session set up with priest) (Financial assistance is available)	$50.00/session
(Members of St. Andrews and their immediate family are not subject to these fees and instead are invited to consider them as any donation to Andrews in celebration of the event.)		_________
Total  Church Charges (for non-members) this does not include the cost of the reception (+ includes the minimum number of counseling sessions)		$850.00+
Cost of Musician and or Organist		*
Deposit to hold the Date/Time of the Wedding (20% of Church Charges)		$170.00
Permission to have a wedding at St. Andrew's depends upon the approval of the priest.
The Deposit is refundable if the wedding is cancelled three months before the date/time of the ceremony. Pre-marital sessions are not refundable.

Please Contact: Father Paul Williams - (614) 837-6841 (Church Office) if you have questions.

  Profile    Newsletter    Past News    E-News    Times/Directions    Contact Us
Weddings     Baptisms    Funerals    Ministries    Parish Pics    Outreach