I am planning a church wedding for the end of May. Unfortunately we are a little behind in picking a location. We wanted an outdoor wedding but are worried about the weather, so we have now decided on a church wedding. Right now I am waiting for the church to return my call. What should I ask them other than if it is available for the time and day and fees? Is there anything else that would be important to know ahead of time?
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Find out where exactly the ceremony will be… sometimes churches have a sanctuary and a chapel.. and how many it can hold. Ask about the officiant- if you have your own, ask if you can use them, if not, ask if their officiant will do it. If you haven’t seen the church yet, you may want to ask if there is a center aisle.. this is more important to some than others, but you’ll want to know. Find out if the church requires any pre-marital counseling or classes and where and when you should take them. If you do decide on a church, make sure that you see it. Also, most churches will give you the ‘wedding guidelines’ that outline their expectations for your wedding.
Ask what the rules are concerning the music and make sure you understand them clearly. My friend hired a singer and guitarist to play “Their” song as the bridesmaids were coming in. She asked the minister if the song was okay and was told it was fine. Then , at the rehearsal, when the musicians started to play the song the minister interrupted and said they couldn’t play that song in church. Turns out when she asked about it he thought she meant another song with the same title.The musicians ended up playing a generic hymn because it was all they both could perform without practice.
most churches require some sort of premarital counseling so you will want to ask about that.
also eventually you are going to want about the service procedures available
some churches require a specific order of service so you will want to know what those requirments are
also, depending on your religion and how religious you are you may want to ask about communion during the service, some churches have restrictions regarding your guests and you will want to know that kind of stuff ahead of time
At the time of my wedding I thought I knew the answer. I was wrong and embarrased..
Ask them if either one of you has to be baptized, because one of you might have to be, some churches ask you come to a couple of their sunday ceremonies, and you probably will be required to show them that you have done premarital counselling, some churches will do one on one counseling over 5 sessions of 40 mins per, ask if this is an option, its cheaper and its more personal then a class you take with other people.
Other then that I think your fine, maybe ask about Attire and music, if you can use flowers, and candles.?
You want to make sure (especially if your wedding party is in strapless dresses) if you can have bare shoulders, if you aren’t planning on traditional music, will they allow this/.? do you have to pay them an organist fee? Can you bring in flowers?and do they provide candles (if that’s what you both want). Also ask about your photographer, can he takes pictures during the ceremony, is there a point where he cant? can he use a flash