A Message to the Bride and Groom:

Your wedding is a sacred union in the eyes of God. The wedding ceremony is a worship service and every element of the wedding (dress, music, decorations, etc.) should contribute to an air of celebrating the reverence of the sacrament.

Officiating Minister:

The Pastor of Sardis United Methodist Church is available to officiate at your ceremony, however, the bride and groom may choose a visiting ordained clergy in good standing to officiate at the ceremony. If the wedding is performed by the Sardis’ pastor the wedding service ordinarily will follow the form found in the United Methodist Hymnal (Pages 864-869) with input from the bride and groom. The visiting minister should contact the Sardis pastor as a matter of professional courtesy prior to the wedding ceremony. A written or oral invitation to officiate at Sardis will then be issued by our Pastor. The name, mailing address and telephone number of the visiting minister should be provided to our Pastor as soon as the church is booked or not later than 90 days prior to the ceremony.

Reservations and Appointments:

No wedding date will be absolutely guaranteed without a deposit. The sanctuary usage fee is $925.00 for the rehearsal and ceremony. Please make checks payable to Sardis United Methodist Church. Indicate date and time of ceremony on the check and notify Wedding Coordinator by phone or email that check has been sent. Weddings scheduled 6 months or more in advance may pay in two payments ($475.00 and $450.00) with the final payment due 30 days prior to the wedding. The Wedding Coordinator will notify you when the final payment is due.

A cancellation fee of $400.00 will be assessed if the wedding is cancelled 30 days or less from the wedding date.

Music:

As a part of your sanctuary fee Sardis provides access to our musical instruments (baby grand piano and organ). You are not required to use our church musicians. Our church organist/pianist is available to play at weddings, however, and can assist you in the selection of appropriate music. You should contact him personally if you would like to engage his services (his fees are arranged and paid to him not through the church). Fees may vary depending on the number of pieces and the complexity of the pieces you choose. If you are having a soloist and wish to conduct a private rehearsal prior to the wedding you need to indicate this before asking him to quote a fee. If you are interested in utilizing our church musicians the Wedding Coordinator can provide the contact information. We discourage, but do not prohibit, the use of pre-recorded music for the ceremony. The equipment and any technical support needed to effectively utilize pre-recorded music must be provided by the wedding party.

Decorations:

• Altar flowers
• Outside door wreaths, bows, and handrail decorations.
• Pew Markers (bow, flowers, etc.)
• Candelabras (if using wax candles must have protective floor covering underneath)
• Unity candles (provided by the wedding party, usually the florist)
• Other decorations as approved by the wedding coordinator and church pastor.

Wedding Coordinator:

1. Seeing that the guidelines for use of the church are followed.
2. Opening the church for the rehearsal and wedding in a timely manner.
3. Responding to questions from the bride and groom and their vendors (florists, photographers, etc.). Arranging for viewings of the sanctuary prior to the rehearsal and service for florists, musicians, family members, etc.
4. Handling other matters related to church use such as lights, heating and air conditioning.
5. Assisting the pastor and wedding party at the rehearsal and on the day of the wedding.
6. 6.Directing the rehearsal and wedding if an outside wedding planner is not utilized. There is no prohibition on using an outside wedding planner to perform these functions if the bride and groom desire.
7. The wedding coordinator will open the church 2 ½ hours prior to the service to receive floral and other decorations and will remain 60 minutes after the service before closing the church. If your time needs are greater or you wish to have her open the church earlier than 2 ½ hours prior to the service (for pictures, etc.) please make prior arrangements with the coordinator at an additional fee of $50.00 per hour for her time.

Additional Guidelines:

1. Persons assisting with your wedding (florists, musicians, etc.) may arrange a prior viewing of the sanctuary by making an appointment through the Wedding Coordinator.
2. Flash pictures during the actual ceremony are at the discretion of the Officiating Pastor. A flash picture of the bride entering the church and the bride and groom leaving the church are appropriate. Photographic or videographic equipment is discouraged forward of the first row of pews during the ceremony unless approved by the Officiating Minister. The choir loft may also be used for attended or unattended videographic or photographic equipment with Pastor’s permission.
3. We prohibit the use of real flower petals but do allow silk petals. Please try to limit the actual number as these must be picked up by hand after the ceremony. We do not allow runners as they are usually made of paper and create a distraction rather than an enhancement of the bridal processional and our center aisle is carpeted.
4. Nothing may be thrown at the bride and groom inside the church. Birdseed, bubbles or biodegradable rice are recommended, if applicable, for post ceremony throwing.
5. Unfortunately, we cannot offer the use of our nursery playroom at this time for either the rehearsal or wedding due to liability issues. However, the nursery playroom may be used as a dressing area for children in the ceremony. It is conveniently located next to the Bride’s Room.
6. Our Fellowship Hall is not available for receptions due to a pre-existing contract with a preschool program.
7. No smoking inside church buildings. No alcoholic beverages permitted anywhere on the premises.
8. No attachments may be made to walls or furnishings. Pew decorations are allowed and most florists are aware of how to attach decorations without harming the pews.
9. Parking at the church is limited. If you are expecting more than 150 guests, you may wish to hire someone to direct parking. There is additional parking in the cemetery next to the church and also in the shopping center. Members of the wedding party (groomsmen and bridesmaids) should consider parking in the cemetery or in the shopping center (both next to the church) in order to save parking spaces for guests.
10. Anyone participating in the wedding should attend the rehearsal if at all possible. This would include anyone doing a reading, soloists, musicians, etc. Attendance at the rehearsal helps insure a smooth ceremony.
11. Marriage license and all additional fees should be brought to the rehearsal.
12. Our sanctuary can seat up to a maximum of 260 persons comfortably.

Fee Requirements:

Sanctuary Fee: $925.00
Sardis Pastor Fee $250.00
Wedding Coordinator $250.00
Cleaning Fee Included

Please retain these guidelines and refer to them during the planning of your wedding. If you have additional questions prior to your rehearsal/wedding, please call our wedding coordinator: