Weddings

HERE IS A QUICK Wedding brochure 2011 download-everything you need to know about weddings at PCC

Pasadena Community Church is a United Methodist Church that serves the community by offering its facilities and staff for Christian Wedding ceremonies.
These ceremonies are available to members and non-members of Pasadena Community Church. At Pasadena Community Church we are interested in encouraging couples to be married with a Christian ceremony. This is a sacred ceremony, instituted of God, regulated by His Holy Commandments, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ and to be held in honor among all people.

We are pleased you have chosen our facilities for your wedding. Your wedding is one of the most important events in your life and in order to facilitate the wedding ceremony itself, the following guidelines have been established.

We will do everything we can to assist you in making your wedding as beautiful, meaningful and sacred as possible. The wedding service is an act of worship and all that takes place within the ceremony should contribute to the sense of worship for all who are participating and attending this sacred occasion.

Scheduling

The wedding date should be scheduled with a reasonable amount of time to allow for facilities scheduling, counseling, and avoid a hurry-up atmosphere. To schedule your wedding contact the Wedding Coordinator who will contact the appropriate individuals at the church to determine if the requested date and time is available.

The Wedding Application can be downloaded by clicking here. Once the completed forms are returned with a $300 refundable deposit, the wedding date will be placed on the church calendar. To insure your wedding date gets on the calendar schedule as far in advance as possible.

Couples scheduling less than three months in advance may have trouble meeting the counseling guidelines and may find it difficult to get the dates and time desired. We do not schedule weddings on holidays/holiday weekends. There are several weeks during the year where we may not be able to accommodate weddings due to Church activities, especially during Easter and Christmas seasons.

 

The Wedding Coordinator

Anita Marshall Wedding Coordinator
anitam@pccumc.org
727-381-2499

The Church’s Wedding Coordinator, under the direction of the pastor, is responsible for weddings held on church property. A coordinator is required for all weddings which include invited guests or the use of music. This is the point of contact (the day of the rehearsal and wedding) for everyone participating in the ceremony. The bride/groom are responsible for making sure that these outside resources are familiar and follow all of the Church’s policies and procedures.  The wedding coordinator’s role is to facilitate communications with employees and volunteers at the church insuring that the wedding, church employees, and facilities of the church are available and scheduled properly.

The Church’s Wedding Coordinator will help with church procedures and coordinate activities during the rehearsal and wedding ceremonies at the church through the direction of the Pastor. They will schedule the minister, music, organist, soloist, and custodial staff.

Premarital Counseling

The United Methodist Church requires its pastors to counsel couples regarding the meaning of Christian marriage, preparations for a healthy marriage, and any other concerns raised by the couple. The senior pastor will meet initially with all couples and discuss wedding counseling.  The consultations are to help lay a strong foundation for your marriage.

Marriage License

It is the responsibility of the marriage couple to obtain a valid county marriage license within the time allotted by law prior to the wedding day. The Pastor must receive the wedding license prior to the rehearsal for the wedding service to be completed. The wedding coordinator will see that the license is returned to the County Courthouse following the wedding. If the couple is planning on leaving the country for their honeymoon it may be important to keep a copy of the signed license after the ceremony. A copy may be obtained from the Church’s Wedding Coordinator after the ceremony.

Rehearsal

The rehearsal is an important element in the wedding for it allows the wedding to run smoothly and without incident.  All weddings must have a rehearsal with all of the wedding participants attending. Traditionally the rehearsal is held the day before the wedding so that out of town guests can attend but no later than 5:30 PM.

A normal rehearsal usually only takes 30-45 minutes and are limited to one hour. It is important to have the entire wedding party promptly present at the schedule time. Staff members are instructed to begin the rehearsal at the announced time. The wedding party should plan on being present 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time. Soloist should practice before the rehearsal hour. This practice time needs to be coordinated with the organist. The pastor conducting the wedding will meet with the wedding party at the rehearsal and explain the procedures that will be followed during the wedding. It is very important that all. Members of the wedding party attend the rehearsal to insure a well organized coordinated ceremony. Failure for all of the wedding party to be present for the rehearsal makes it very difficult to coordinate the actual wedding ceremony the following day.  The couple needs to be sure to give the pastor their marriage license at the rehearsal, as by law, the pastors cannot perform a wedding ceremony without the license in hand.

The Wedding Ceremony

A wedding is a service of worship in which we celebrate God’s gift of human love and affirm the covenant between a man and a woman in holy matrimony.

Our Pastor will use the United Methodist Order of Worship for the Service of Christian Marriage. Changes or additions to the service must be made in consultation with the pastor and must be consistent with the theology and tradition of the church.† Guest pastors or other religious leaders not affiliated with Pasadena Community Church may assist with the Senior Minister’s approval. We all want the ceremony to proceed as smoothly as possible. Any last minute details at the church can be handled by the wedding coordinator leaving the bride and groom as relaxed as possible before the ceremony.

The Wedding Party

Your wedding party is a reflection of your individual lives.  The number of attendants is your personal choice.  Children are always welcome addition to a wedding ceremony. Children used in the ceremony should be mature enough to participate effectively.  It is suggested that children participating in the ceremony be at least 4 years of age. At all times on church property members of the wedding party should conduct themselves in a manner befitting the atmosphere of a place of worship.

Our policy concerning the use of alcohol and tobacco is as follows:

Immediately prior to both rehearsal and wedding, it is expected that members of the wedding party will refrain from the use of alcohol beverages.  No rehearsal or wedding will be performed if any member of the wedding party is under the influence of alcohol. No alcoholic beverages may be served on church property at any time.  There is no smoking inside Church buildings or near entrances in accordance with Florida Laws. It is the obligation of the bride/groom to make certain that these policies are made known to and followed by all the members of the wedding party.

Dressing room accommodations are provided for both the bride and grooms and their attendants so that they may dress at the church if desired.† It is the responsibility of the wedding party to remove all items of clothing, food, flowers, and other items from the Church facilities immediately after the ceremony.† There could be additional charges for use of custodial staff to remove these items.

Music

Music selection for the wedding need to reflect the Christian nature of the service, and must be approved by the organist. The church organist is the person designated to play for all the weddings. If the organist is unavailable for the requested date the wedding coordinator will make arrangements for a suitable substitute. The organists will meet with the couple a prior to the wedding to select the music.  The use of pre-recorded music and videos is not permitted. The Pastor and Organist have final authority regarding music selection. Arrangements are done directly with the organist once scheduled by the wedding coordinator.  All weddings in the main sanctuary require the services of a sound technician.

Florist & Decorations Policy

The building will be open two hours prior to the wedding for decorations.  Pasadena Community Church will provide two candelabras, a unity stand with candles, and kneeling bench for the ceremony.  The unity stand cannot be decorated. Additional candelabras used in the church must be equipped with dripless candles or wax catchers. Due to fire regulations no candles can be attached to the pews or carried by the wedding party in the processional. Bows and flowers may be used as aisle markers and to decorate the railing at the front of the church. None of the following are to be used to secure any decorations to any church property: tape, tacks, staples, plastic, nails, or glue.

Adequate precautions must be taken to protect the carpet, woodwork, and furnishings when placing flowers, palms, or other decorations. The wedding couple is responsible for any damage caused by placing decorations improperly.  All decorations must be picked up no later than one hour following the ceremony.  Construction of unique or artificial settings are discouraged but may be discussed with the wedding coordinator. The throwing of rice, bird seed, or confetti is not permitted on church property.  Only silk flower petals (no natural petals) can be used in the processional.

Wedding Planners/Consultants

Some couples choose to utilize the services of outside wedding consultants and advisors.  Please remember that the wedding service is solely under the direction of the minister and all activities performed in church facilities are under his/her direction.  Please remind any consultants or advisors that they are not to assume direction of any portion of the wedding rehearsal or marriage ceremony.

Photographers

We encourage couples to use a professional photographer. We ask photographers to read and agree to abide by this Photographer Agreement (download PDF.)

Once the wedding party is in place for the ceremony no flash photography is permitted until the recessional for it disrupts the dignity, sacredness and beauty of the service.

We also discourage photography by the wedding guests.Constant clicking and flashes disrupts the ceremony.

Video cameras can be set up with natural lighting. If special spotlighting or other light controls are needed, make those plans well in advance with the AV team.

The professional photographers are asked to stay behind the main aisle and audience during the actual service.  After the ceremony formal and re-created scenes are welcome. It is the responsibility or the bride/groom to assure the photographers and guests understand the expectations of the church and the respects the sanctity of their wedding ceremony.

Receptions

Facilities are available at the Church for non-alcoholic receptions. Please contact the Church’s Event Coordinator through the Church office if you are interested in an on-site reception. Fees will vary based on attendees and resources required as determined by the Event Coordinator. Total fees are due two weeks prior to the ceremony.
Additional fees may apply.