St. Andrew's has two beautiful worship spaces for weddings large and small
By choosing to be married at St. Andrew's, we invite you to be committed to this church community now and in the future. If you live out of town, we similarly encourage you to find a congregation that will support you in your life together. You should know that because St. Andrew's is an Episcopal Church, at least one of the parties to the marriage must be a baptized Christian (of any denomination) and the wedding ceremony must be attested to by at least two witnesses. The wedding couple must also agree to sign the Declaration of Intention which can be downloaded here and printed. Additionally, here is a link to the Wedding Information Form that must be completed and returned to the church office. A minimum of three pre-marital counseling sessions with the priest is required prior to the wedding day. These sessions allow time for the priest to get to know the couple and vice versa. They also set aside time to discuss the Church’s understanding of marriage, to explore the nature of life as a married couple, and to plan the service. In some cases, the priest may suggest or require the couple seek other counseling. If either party is divorced, the priest, in consultation with the couple, must determine that the prior marriage has been legally dissolved and that continuing concern is being shown for the well-being of the former spouse and of any children.
The marriage license and parish register must be completed by the church office before the rehearsal. Bring your license to the office at least one week prior to your wedding. Please allow yourself plenty of time (we suggest two weeks) before the wedding to obtain the marriage license. Here is the Douglas Country marriage license information page.
Rehearsals are typically scheduled for an afternoon or evening before the wedding date in consultation with the priest. They generally take 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the nature and size of the wedding. It is essential that all members of the wedding party attend and arrive on time.
The clergy at St. Andrew's look forward to working with you to shape the specifics of the service. We find that prayerful attention to service planning is a wonderful way to keep focused on the sacred nature of your wedding day. Please read the marriage service in the Book of Common Prayer (starting on page 423). You should be clear that this is the service you want before deciding to be married at St. Andrew's. Although the service will follow this content and format, there is room for striking a balance that reflects both your preferences and the traditions of the Church. Note that because St. Andrew's has worship every Saturday at 5:00 PM, a Saturday wedding must be scheduled at 2:30 PM or before. The readings during the service should be from the Bible, whether from the list appointed or other passages, chosen in consultation with the priest. We encourage the participation of friends and family members in the reading of lessons and the offering of prayers. A celebration of the Holy Eucharist is a wonderful way to start your life together and to celebrate the blessing of a marriage. In the Episcopal marriage rite, communion is optional, at the discretion of the couple. At St. Andrew's, our custom is to welcome everyone to receive communion or a blessing.
A master copy ready for printing of the service bulletin (showing the order of service, music, and a listing of the bridal party) may be provided through the parish office. If the couple takes on this responsibility, the bulletin must be approved by the priest prior to printing. A sample bulletin is available from the office staff.
Once you and the priest have agreed to go forward with the ceremony, we will work together to discuss options and to begin planning. There are a range of music possibilities from organ alone to organ accompanying congregational hymns to other instruments and soloists. Whatever music is chosen will need to be consistent with the musical traditions of the parish. There is a fee for the organist and any other musicians. Music before the service should set the atmosphere for the occasion. The wedding processional and recessional should express the joy and dignity of the occasion. It is appropriate to have the congregation sing a hymn or two during the service. Instruments used in the service in addition to the organ might include trumpets or other brass, violin, oboe, or string ensembles. In any case, music should be live and not recorded.
Flowers on the altar are limited to two arrangements, using the vases provided by the church. The regular weekend altar flowers are delivered on Saturday mornings, and you are welcome to simply use those. You may provide your own altar flowers, and either take them with you to the reception or leave them and St. Andrew's will deliver them to the sick. No other decorations may be placed on the altar. Flowers, ribbons, etc. may be placed on the pews along the center aisle; they should be secured with a product that does not leave a mark or residue, and not with tape. The church has 16 tall pew candles that can be attached along the center aisle if desired. The fee for this is $80. Flowers, boutonnieres, and bouquets may be brought in by a florist. We ask that the florist be in touch with the Church Office at (402) 391-1950 to arrange for delivery and to let us know whether you are leaving the flowers for Sunday morning as an offering or taking them with you to the reception. Unity candles, sand pourings, and other similar experiences are not used in wedding services in Episcopal churches. Also, please refrain from the use of rose petals, rice, bird seed, or any type of confetti thrown after the service.
The wedding party is expected to treat the Church with respect. The Church is a place of prayer, and an atmosphere of reverence for the presence of God is expected. Food and drink are allowed in most spaces except the sanctuary and sacristy. Please be sure to clean up the rooms and remove excess trash after you are done. And note that alcohol should not be on the premises unless pre-approved.
The wedding ceremony can be held in the sanctuary (comfortable seating capacity of about 300 people) or the chapel (seating capacity of about 40 people). In addition, the wedding party will have access to the parlor (Haviland Hall) and at least one other room as preparation spaces. Others rooms and spaces can be made available on a case by case basis. In addition, the narthex (Engle Hall) or the Undercroft can be reserved for the reception should you wish to hold that onsite.
Prior to the wedding, you will work with the priest and the church wedding coordinator to determine how early you to arrive at the church in order to set up and get settled. Regardless, the wedding party should plan to arrive at least one hour before the wedding. Please have ushers in place no later than 30 minutes prior to the start of the service. A good rule of thumb is at least one usher per 50 people in attendance. Some ushers should be persons other than those in the wedding procession to help seat latecomers.
You are welcome to use the Undercroft or Narthex for your rehearsal dinner or reception. There is an additional fee for this use.
We work hard to maintain a joyful and worshipful atmosphere throughout the wedding ceremony. Therefore, there should be no use of flash pictures or lights for photographs during the wedding ceremony. Your photographer may use a flash for pictures of the wedding party entering and leaving the church, provided they are taken at the rear of the church. Under no circumstances may the photographer be in the front of the church during the service. Photographs without flash may be taken from the rear of the church during the service. The best way to photograph a wedding party is either before or after the service. Photographs may be taken before the ceremony, as long as they are concluded 30 minutes before the start of the service, or for 30 minutes following the ceremony. Videotaping is permitted during the service, with available light only and with the videographer adhering to the same restrictions as above. The videographer and equipment must be unobtrusive. The designated place for a video camera is in the back of the church where the bridal party can be recorded entering and leaving the church. The videographer should not move about in the church during the service and must remain stationary during the recessional.
There are no fees for the sacraments of the Church. The fees for a wedding at St. Andrew's cover the other costs of the event, such as utilities, cleaning, wedding consultant, and the musicians' time. The cost difference for active members and non-members of the St. Andrew's takes into consideration those who support the parish spiritually and financially throughout the year. Members of other Episcopal Churches may also be considered for the member rate at the discretion of the rector. At the Rector’s discretion, these fees may be waived or reduced. Weddings for Active Members-$600Weddings for Non-Members-$1200 Flowers (see note above) are not included in the fees and should be handled through outside arrangements. As noted above, there may be additional fees for the organist and other musicians. Payment of 50% of the wedding fees is due to confirm the date. The remaining fee is due by the rehearsal. If the wedding is canceled three months prior to the date, a full refund of fees paid will be given
One or more of the following passages from Holy Scripture is read. If there is to be a Communion, a passage from the Gospel is always the final reading. Old Testament Genesis 2:4-9, 15-24 (A man cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh)Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7 (Many waters cannot quench love)Tobit 8:5b-8 (New English Bible) (That she and I may grow old together) 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Love is patient and kind) New Testament Ephesians 3:14-19 (The Father from whom ever family is named)Ephesians 5:1-2, 21-33 (Walk in love, as Christ loved us)Colossians 3:12-17 (Love which binds everything together in harmony)1 John 4:7-16 (Let us love one another for love is of God) Between the Readings, a Psalm, hymn, or anthem may be sung or said. Appropriate Psalms are 67, 127, and 128. Gospel Lessons: Matthew 5:1-10 (The Beatitudes)Matthew 5:13-16 (You are the light...Let your light so shine)Matthew 7:21,24-29 (Like a wise man who built his house upon the rock)Mark 10:6-9,13-16 (They are no longer two but one)John 15:9-12 (Love one another as I have loved you)
