Wedding Brochure
“The Lord said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone.
I will make a helper suitable for him. … For this reason a man will leave his father And mother, and be united to his wife, And they will become one flesh.’ “ Genesis 2:18 & 24 (NIV)
The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs 650 Mt. Vernon Hwy. NE Atlanta, Georgia 30328 404-257-1143
Jennifer Moon Chairman Wedding Committee
Dear Bride and Groom,
One of the ministries of The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs is to offer a place where a Christian wedding ceremony may be performed. We want to help you in making your wedding one of the happiest and most sacred memories of your life.
It will be more pleasant and meaningful for all concerned if there has been careful planning. The following policies will help to make the occasion a memorable and joyful experience.
We look forward to working with you as you plan this special event.
God bless you as you begin the exciting journey of marriage.
Sincerely,
The Wedding Committee
Page 1
Members and Non Members
Call at the earliest possible time to get your wedding date on the church calendar. You will first speak to the church office, who will collect your information and forward it to the Wedding Committee Chairperson. A Wedding Coordinator will then contact you to set up a short meeting to advise you concerning the minister, clearing the date, payment, view the church, etc. After reading this Wedding Brochure, please complete and return to your Wedding Coordinator: the Wedding Application along with a Request Deposit of $150 to reserve the Sanctuary. If you would like to have your wedding reception in our Gymnasium, ask your Wedding Coordinator to make this reservation. Please include a Request Deposit of $150 to reserve the Gymnasium (to reserve the Sanctuary and Gymnasium, a deposit of $300 is required.) While the wedding and/or reception will be entered on the Church Calendar, it is understood that the arrangements are definite only when you have: returned the Wedding Application, contacted the minister and submitted the Request Deposit.
Date and Time
The wedding should be set as far ahead as possible to insure the date you wish, but no wedding will be scheduled more than 12 months in advance. There are certain rules about the date and time that must be adhered to: 1. All weddings must be approved on the church calendar. It is important to receive verification of your date before proceeding with further plans. The church will confirm your date when it is approved and your deposit is received. 2. A time for your wedding must be given in order for it to be placed on the calendar. 3. Weddings on Saturday will be scheduled no later than 2:00 p.m. if the reception is held at First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs, and no later than 7:00 p.m. if the reception is held elsewhere. 4. Because we want your wedding to have the attention and time it deserves, First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs will schedule only one wedding each Saturday. 5. We do not schedule Sunday weddings. 6. A time for your rehearsal must be set when your wedding is scheduled and requires approval on the Church Calendar. There are a few weekends during the year when The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs will not schedule weddings. Weekends of special events previously planned or weekends of special holidays are not available. THE LAST THREE WEEKENDS OF DECEMBER ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR WEDDINGS. If you would like to have your wedding the first weekend of December, please note, the church’s Christmas decorations will be up at that time and will not be removed. *** Performing wedding ceremonies is an important ministry of The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs, but we must also be considerate of our other ministries and our staff. ***Please see page 5 and page 8
Page 2
The Cost
The membership rate is applicable for The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs’ members. The bride, groom, or his or her parents must be members to receive this rate. To be considered a member for the purpose of a wedding, one must be voted into membership for at least three months prior to scheduling. If you are not a member of The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs you may request permission to use our church. Each request will be evaluated and then be decided. A higher fee is charged for non-members. Members’ wedding fees are charged in order to compensate the church for the direct labor costs of our maintenance personnel and the sound and light technician. The sound and light technician will arrive 1 hour prior to the wedding in order to set up and check the sound equipment needed. *** The costs, listed below, do NOT include honoraria (your gift) for the minister and the musicians, who need to be compensated directly by you on the day of the wedding.*** All church fees must be paid in full two weeks prior to the wedding. Checks should be made payable to The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs and noted “Wedding Fee for (name of bride and groom—date of wedding).” Please mail this payment to the church marked to the attention of your Church Wedding Coordinator. The Wedding and Reception Fees are as follows: For Weddings = Sanctuary Parlor Sound and Lights Candelabrum (Floor Length Pair) Floor-length Unity Candle Kneeling Bench Post Wedding Church Cleaning (Carpet Cleaning If Needed) For Receptions = Gymnasium Parlor Carpet Cleaning If Needed Members: 00.00 00.00 $150.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 00.00 Variable Members: 00.00 00.00 Variable Non Members: $850.00 $100.00 $200.00 $30.00 $10.00 00.00 $50.00 Variable Non Members: $950.00 $150.00 Variable
Please Note : A late fee of $75 per event will be charged for rehearsals and/or weddings that go beyond the time for which the church has been reserved.
Page 3
< No more than 50 people may attend a ceremony in the Parlor. The Parlor furniture must be returned to its original state. No candles may be used without globes. >
Marriage License
The marriage license must be in the hands of the minister before the wedding can be performed. REMEMBER TO BRING IT WITH YOU ON THE WEDDING DAY. If either the bride or the groom is a resident of Georgia, you may obtain the marriage license at any probate court in Georgia. If both the bride and groom are out-of-state residents, the marriage license must be obtained in the same county as the building where the wedding ceremony will be performed. For further information, call the North Fulton County Courthouse Annex, Probate Court at 770-551-7638.
Ministers
It is your responsibility to contact the minister of your choice to determine if he is available on the day you are planning to be married and to arrange pre-marital counseling. Use of a minister other than the one of The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs must receive the consent of our Senior Pastor, Dr. Terry L. Quick. The honorarium for the officiating minister is NOT covered in the Wedding Fees paid to The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs, but is a discretionary amount given to him, by the bride, on the day of the wedding.
Musicians/Music
If you would like First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs' musicians to play for your wedding, you must contact them personally as their schedules and fees are not set by The Church. See your Wedding Coordinator for this information. All wedding music should be chosen with the sacred nature of the marriage ceremony in mind and should be reviewed by our Minister of Music or Wedding Committee member. Vocalists and musicians will rehearse at a time other than the wedding rehearsal. Music rehearsal can be scheduled through your Wedding Coordinator. The wedding rehearsal is to rehearse the wedding ceremony and not the musical performances. Music at the reception (if held on church grounds) must be approved by the Minister of Music.
Wedding Committee
A member of the Wedding Committee will be assigned to you and your Wedding Director. She will call to offer assistance. Her role is not to be that of a Wedding Director, but rather of a liaison and representative of the church. Your assigned Wedding Coordinator will be present for your wedding rehearsal and wedding day to see that you have everything you need and that these wedding policies are observed. If you have any questions at any time concerning the church policies, you should contact your Wedding Coordinator.
Page 4
Wedding Director
It is the policy of The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs that a Wedding Director be used. The bride is responsible for acquiring her own Wedding Director to help in planning and directing her rehearsal and wedding day. It will be the duty of the director to be sure that each person involved with the wedding abides on time and by the church policies. The Director will be paid by the bride.
Florist/Decorations
The following guidelines have been established concerning florists or persons decorating for a wedding in the Sanctuary or for a reception in the Gymnasium: 1. No decorations of any kind may be glued, tacked, nailed, or stapled to the walls, woodwork, pews, furniture, carpets, or floors. Care should be taken to protect all church property. 2. Masking tape may be used to secure aisle cloth. Pew decorations should be wrapped to prevent damage to the wood. 3. Decorations must not be hung or suspended from the fixtures or furnishings. 4. Wax candles may not be used. Only chase candles (“No Drip”) are used in the Sanctuary. All candles must be properly shielded in a manner to prevent smoke damage to walls or furnishings. Candles will not be placed under the choir microphones. 5. All containers holding water must be leak proof. If containers are used on furnishings, a protective covering must be used. 6. The bride and your Wedding Coordinator will set a time for the florist to decorate the Sanctuary. 7. Floral arrangements left to be used on Sunday in the Sanctuary must be approved by the Decorating Committee of The First Baptist Sandy Springs. Your Wedding Coordinator will take care of this matter if you inform her of your plans. 8. All floral arrangements and decorations must be removed within one hour after the wedding. No equipment will be stored over the weekend at Sandy Springs First Baptist Church. 9. At times when special decorations are used by the church, i.e. Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc., it is understood that these special decorations will not be removed or disturbed. 10. Balloons are prohibited in the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall (Gymnasium/Parlor).
Page 5
Kneeling Bench
The church provides a kneeling bench for use during your wedding ceremony. If you do not plan to kneel during the ceremony, please advise both the officiating minister and your Wedding Coordinator.
Unity Candle
If you want to use a Unity Candle as part of your service, this should be arranged with the florist and you will need to make this known to the officiating minister. If you use a Unity Candle, plastic must be used to protect carpet from wax.
Photographer
We understand that photographs are important mementos of your wedding. Because of the solemnity of the occasion, no flash bulb pictures may be taken during the ceremony. One flash picture may be made of the Bride and Groom as they exit. Non church members check with your officiating minister about his policies. Under no circumstances are pictures to be made from the front during the ceremony. The photographer is not to be visible to the congregation during the wedding ceremony. Photographs may be made in the Parlor before the wedding, but all furniture and accessories must be placed in their original state.
Video
Video equipment may be operated from the rear of the church with a remote camera placed in an obscure location in the front. This location must be approved by your Wedding Coordinator and the sound technician. The videographer must check with the sound technician one hour before the wedding to confirm that he is not on the same frequency as the church sound system.
Page 6
General Church Policies
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY We sincerely believe these policies to be the most suitable and practical for all concerned. There are, therefore, no exceptions to these provisions. 1. Pre-marital counseling is required and can be arranged through the church office. The church phone number is (404) 257-1143. Check with your minister for his requirements if not using Dr. Terry L. Quick for your wedding.
2. Calendar dates are reserved only when the time of the wedding has been set and the deposit has been received. Applications are accepted up to twelve (12) months in advance.
3. No weddings will be scheduled on Sundays.
4. Due to facility scheduling, your rehearsal and wedding must begin on time. You will be given one hour for your wedding rehearsal.
5. The church will be ready for you in clean condition. Please respect church furnishings, and if anything is moved, return the facility in the same manner as received. 6. The Parlor and all of the dressing rooms must be cleared of personal belongings one hour after the ceremony or two hours after if there is a reception at the church. It must be understood that First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs cannot be responsible for any property on the premises before, during or after the wedding or its related functions.
7. For weddings, the hanging choir microphones may not be raised or lowered.
8. NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES of any kind are allowed on church property. This includes punches containing any degree of alcohol.
9. NO SMOKING anywhere in the church building. 10. NO FOOD OR DRINKS are allowed in the Sanctuary. Food and drinks must not be carried outside the Gymnasium.
Page 7
11. NO CANDLES may be used in the Parlor. 12. Throwing rice or birdseed inside or outside of the church is strictly forbidden. Bubbles and/or real flower petals may be used only outside of the building. Artificial flower petals ( rose petals ) may be used inside the building. 13. At times when special decorations are used by the church, i.e. Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, etc., these decorations cannot be disturbed or removed for wedding decorations. If the bride desires to use our special decorations as they are, she may do so. Otherwise, the wedding cannot be scheduled during these particular times. 14. The church can make no provision for organized childcare during weddings. Classrooms and other meeting areas should not be used by the wedding party for childcare purposes. 15. Please notify the church in writing in the event of a cancellation or change in your plans. 16. Dancing is prohibited.
Receptions
The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs’ Gymnasium is available for wedding receptions if the wedding is not later that 2:00p.m. The rental fee for the Fellowship Hall (Gymnasium/Parlor) (See page 3) includes access to the kitchen, and use of the church’s available tables and chairs. (See page 9). The bride will furnish a caterer who will be responsible for the reception and its details. It is the responsibility of the bride to insure that the caterer adheres to the church requirements and policies as defined in the Caterer Contract. A deposit will be required of the caterer to insure proper use of the kitchen, timely clean up, and liability for any damages. The deposit will be forfeited if this policy is violated. The caterer will bring their own help for setting up, serving, washing cups, and carrying food and equipment. The caterer may not have access to the kitchen earlier than three (3) hours prior to the wedding. All cleanups of the gymnasium and kitchen must be completed four (4) hours after the wedding. The church kitchen is not be used for the preparation of foods, but simply as a staging kitchen from which to serve, wash punch cups, etc. No beverage containing any degree of alcohol may be served.
Page 8
Two weeks prior to the wedding, the caterer is responsible for notifying your Wedding Coordinator of the number of tables, sizes, etc. and the number of chairs that will be needed. The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs has the following tables and chairs available. Oblong Tables Round Tables Folding Chairs 12 8 200
All caterers must read and sign The First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs Caterer Contract, which is to be turned in to your Wedding Coordinator as soon as possible.
“Love is patient, love is kind; love is not jealous or boastful; It is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, But rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, Believes all things, Hopes all things, Endures all things. Love never fails. As for prophecies, they will pass away. As for tongues, they will cease; As for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect. And our prophecy is imperfect. So these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13: 4-9, 13.
Page 9