A handbook for weddings at St James Lutheran Church

Click for a printable .PDF file of the Wedding booklet

About Weddings at St. James Lutheran Church

A wedding is a service of worship celebrating a covenant of fidelity which is lifelong. It is a glad occasion overflowing with joy. Those who celebrate a wedding rejoice in gifts which God declared from the beginning to be “very good.”

 Preparing for the wedding day…

The very first thing you should do when you are planning a wedding at St. James is contact one of the Pastors. Your pastor will assist you as you plan the day of your wedding. We encourage you to speak with a pastor as early as possible to begin planning. but six weeks would be considered the minimum time possible.

At your initial meeting with the pastor, she or he will arrange with you for two meetings to talk about your marriage, and to plan the wedding. 

 *The fees for the pastor and the facility are waived for the marriage service of a member of St. James. Through their stewardship offerings, St. James members already contribute to support the upkeep of the facility and the ministry offered by the pastors. If a member wishes to make a special contribution to the church or an honorarium to the pastor, they may do so.

Reception Service

Reception service by the St. James Women of the ELCA is available to St. James members with the cost determined by the number of people served. The hall rental is $20 for members and $50 for non-members. A refundable deposit of

$100 is required for the hall rental unless you plan to have the custodian clean the hall. The custodian’s fee for cleaning the hall is $75. Please make arrangements through the church office for the hall rental when the wedding is scheduled.

You may also use the Great Hall (dining room) for the Rehearsal Dinner. The use of the Great Hall is $25. The custodial fee is $50 (These fees are for non-members.)

Other factors affecting weddings at St. James...

The following are designed to help make the worship service as meaningful as possible for the invited guests, as well as the wedding party. We believe they also respect the wishes of all involved. These apply both to members and non-members.  Any questions should be directed to the pastor as soon as possible. The church council is responsible for these guidelines.

General Information: Please, no silly string or balloons to be used, and all birdseed is to be thrown outdoors. The aisle of  the church is 40 feet for those who would like to use an aisle runner. The seating capacity for the church sanctuary is 250.

Pictures: Formal wedding pictures may be taken either before or after the marriage service, as the schedule of the participants and the church permits. As the marriage service is a worship service, only timed exposure photographs (no flash) may be taken during the service. The photographer should be as unobtrusive as possible. The photographer should speak with the pastor prior to the wedding itself.

Video Taping: Video taping of the worship is permitted. but like the wedding photographer, the videographer should be as unobtrusive as possible. The videographer should also consult with the pastor before the wedding.

Decorations: The sanctuary of St. James is designed to enhance the atmosphere of worship, and any personal decorations should work to enhance the worship service. Please do not move any equipment or furnishings either in the sanctuary or elsewhere without first consulting with the pastor. No tacks, nails or tapes that would leave permanent marks shall be used.

Flowers: Like any other decorations. floral arrangements should follow the guidelines given above. Whether flowers are provided through a professional florist or someone else, please notify the church office so that an understanding may be reached regarding the time and policy on decorations.

Removal of Decorations: Please arrange for all equipment and furnishings to be returned to their original place and for all decorations and flowers to be removed as soon as possible after the wedding.

Alcohol: Except for wine used at Holy Communion, no alcoholic beverages are to be served on the church premises.

Holy Communion: The marriage service may be placed within the context of the Holy Communion. Please remember that Holy Communion is always for the entire baptized congregation which is assembled.

Music: Music needs to be chosen carefully for any worship service and weddings are no exception. Worship calls for high quality music with texts reflecting praise of God and the steadfast love of Christ for the church as foundation and model of love and faithfulness in marriage. Evelyn Mesley, our Director of Music will work with you in selecting music to aid your worship celebration. Her home phone number is 833-2890 or you may contact her at the church. As parish organist, Evelyn has first prerogative in all weddings.

You will make a schedule of meetings with the Pastor.

First Appointment with the Pastor

Second Appointment with the Pastor

Rehearsal Time:

Rehearsal is usually held the evening before. Since weddings are filled with details. it is important that everyone involved in the wedding party be at the rehearsal and that everyone arrive on time. The rehearsal will take one-half hour.

The marriage license should be given to the Pastor at the rehearsal or before that time.

Please note:          

If you would like to invite the Pastor, the Pastor and their family or the organist, Evelyn to a rehearsal dinner or a wedding reception, please mail them an invitation, or mention it to them. We try to attend all festivities to which we are invited.

Wedding Texts:

The following are examples of texts often used in celebrating marriage. Please feel free to consider other Biblical readings as well. Readings from other sources are welcome after discussion with the pastor.