General Wedding Guidelines
Decorations
Your wedding coordinator will advise you regarding decorating guidelines and reserving a decorating time for you. Any wall decorations are to remain as you find them, but they may be covered. Absolutely nothing is to be removed from the walls. No decorations may be used that require nails, tacks or tape that will leave marks in/on church furniture or walls.
Music
In order to honor Christ with your entire ceremony, wedding music should reflect Christian values. If you have any questions, feel free to discuss song selections with your wedding pastor or coordinator.
Smoking/Alcohol
Smoking and alcoholic beverages are not allowed anywhere in or on church property during the rehearsal, wedding, or reception.
Prohibited Items
Rice, birdseed, confetti, glitter, etc. are not allowed due to the extreme difficulty in cleaning up these items and preventing them from being tracked throughout the church. Celebration materials used on Grace Church property need to be approved by your wedding coordinator out of respect for the clean up involved. Extra charges will apply if this is violated.
Childcare
Childcare is not permitted on Grace Church property. Any childcare needs should be arranged off the church premises.
Communion
Occasionally couples request that they be given communion as part of the ceremony. We cannot honor such requests due to Grace Church's understanding of Communion. A bride and groom's private celebration of Communion during their wedding ceremony would be inconsistent with the biblical teaching of the Lord's Supper, which Grace understands to be an observance of the entire Christian community.
Photographs
We strongly recommend that you take your photos prior to the ceremony so that your guests are not kept waiting between the ceremony and the reception. Your photographs should begin two to three hours prior to the ceremony. Be sure to inform everyone whom you want present at the photographs (generally the entire wedding party and close relatives) of what time they should arrive. Make sure friends and relatives take pictures only after the photographer is finished; that way if you run out of time you will be sure to have the "official" shots completed. Only a minimum of photographs should be taken during the ceremony; your Wedding Coordinator will provide your photographer with more detailed guidelines. No flash photography is allowed during the ceremony.
Flowers
Flowers should be delivered at least three hours before the start of the wedding. Your wedding coordinator will provide your florist with more detailed guidelines.
Video Technician
The video technician should arrive 90 minutes before the ceremony. Your Wedding Coordinator will provide your video technician with more detailed guidelines.
Soloists/Accompanists
Soloists and accompanists should arrive 60 minutes before the ceremony so that a sound check and warm-up are completed before the guests are seated.