Marriage
Preliminary Arrangements
The only person who can schedule a wedding a St. James Episcopal Church is the Rector or Priest-in-Charge. A ninety (90) day notice is required. Please make arrangements with the Rector or Priest-in-Charge to discuss your schedule and the details of pre-marital counseling. No date for the wedding should be set before this meeting. It would be inappropriate to schedule and confirm with deposits, locations for a wedding reception, rehearsal dinner receptions, and then inquire about a date at the church.
As our nation now has marriage equality, we want to be particularly clear about welcoming same-sex couples to be a part of this sacrament.
We will not schedule weddings around the following weekends: Thanksgiving, The Twelve days of Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day or the Fourth of July. Weddings are not scheduled during the season of Lent (an online search will tell you when Lent takes place each year).
Basic Considerations
A wedding at St James celebrates Christian Marriage and seeks God’s blessing of a couple’s life together. Christian marriage implies a belief that God through Jesus Christ will play an important part in their relationship. It also suggests that the couple embraces the dedication and disciplines to live a Christian life.. The service affirms a commitment and belief that marriage is a life-long covenant, undertaken trough a vow of love and faithfulness, and by a desire for a shared life.
Definition
A wedding is a sacred ceremony that celebrates through public witness, the marital commitment a couple makes to each other. The service is a sacrament in which the couple presents to their God their intended union and commitment. The priest receives the intentions of the couple in the mane of the Church, prays for them, and blesses their union in the name of God. The Rector or Priest-in-Charge will assist each couple in planning for their marriage, and will provide the liturgical framework for the ceremony that will help them express publicly their intentions.
Who May Be Married at St. James Episcopal Church?
At lease one member of the couple must be an active, baptized member of the Parish, or the son or daughter of an active member of the Parish. “Active” means a person or persons who, for period of one year, contributes to the financial support of the parish and regularly attends Sunday services, and is recognized as being a communicant or on the rolls of the Parish Register. The requirements of the Canons of the Episcopal Church regarding Holy Matrimony and pre-marital counseling will be observed. In some instances the Rector or Priest-in-Charge may, but is not required, to exercise alternative discretion in the application of the membership requirement.
Non-members of St. James Episcopal Church, associated with another Episcopal church elsewhere are welcome to call the Rector about weddings at St. James. It is possible for non-St James clergy to be present to lead/assist with a wedding at St. James, but in all circumstances a St. James clergy member or his or her appointed representative must be present for the wedding.
Those who reside outside out-of-town are required to seek marriage counseling from a local Episcopal clergy person or a certified counselor who will provide a report of such counseling to the Rector or Priest-in-Charge of St. James Episcopal Church prior to being married at St. James. A fee of $375.00 applies to non-members under these conditions, and it is due to the church before the wedding. It is refundable up to six months before the wedding. Up to three months before the wedding 50% is refundable. After that there is no refund.
St. James Episcopal Church is available for rent by those of another congregation or clergy as a wedding venue. The rental fee in this instance is $375.00 and the same refund policy above will apply in these cases.
Preliminary Arrangements
The only person who can schedule a wedding a St. James Episcopal Church is the Rector or Priest-in-Charge. A ninety (90) day notice is required. Please make arrangements with the Rector or Priest-in-Charge to discuss your schedule and the details of pre-marital counseling. No date for the wedding should be set before this meeting. It would be inappropriate to schedule and confirm with deposits, locations for a wedding reception, rehearsal dinner receptions, and then inquire about a date at the church.
As our nation now has marriage equality, we want to be particularly clear about welcoming same-sex couples to be a part of this sacrament.
We will not schedule weddings around the following weekends: Thanksgiving, The Twelve days of Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day or the Fourth of July. Weddings are not scheduled during the season of Lent (an online search will tell you when Lent takes place each year).
Basic Considerations
A wedding at St James celebrates Christian Marriage and seeks God’s blessing of a couple’s life together. Christian marriage implies a belief that God through Jesus Christ will play an important part in their relationship. It also suggests that the couple embraces the dedication and disciplines to live a Christian life.. The service affirms a commitment and belief that marriage is a life-long covenant, undertaken trough a vow of love and faithfulness, and by a desire for a shared life.
Definition
A wedding is a sacred ceremony that celebrates through public witness, the marital commitment a couple makes to each other. The service is a sacrament in which the couple presents to their God their intended union and commitment. The priest receives the intentions of the couple in the mane of the Church, prays for them, and blesses their union in the name of God. The Rector or Priest-in-Charge will assist each couple in planning for their marriage, and will provide the liturgical framework for the ceremony that will help them express publicly their intentions.
Who May Be Married at St. James Episcopal Church?
At lease one member of the couple must be an active, baptized member of the Parish, or the son or daughter of an active member of the Parish. “Active” means a person or persons who, for period of one year, contributes to the financial support of the parish and regularly attends Sunday services, and is recognized as being a communicant or on the rolls of the Parish Register. The requirements of the Canons of the Episcopal Church regarding Holy Matrimony and pre-marital counseling will be observed. In some instances the Rector or Priest-in-Charge may, but is not required, to exercise alternative discretion in the application of the membership requirement.
Non-members of St. James Episcopal Church, associated with another Episcopal church elsewhere are welcome to call the Rector about weddings at St. James. It is possible for non-St James clergy to be present to lead/assist with a wedding at St. James, but in all circumstances a St. James clergy member or his or her appointed representative must be present for the wedding.
Those who reside outside out-of-town are required to seek marriage counseling from a local Episcopal clergy person or a certified counselor who will provide a report of such counseling to the Rector or Priest-in-Charge of St. James Episcopal Church prior to being married at St. James. A fee of $375.00 applies to non-members under these conditions, and it is due to the church before the wedding. It is refundable up to six months before the wedding. Up to three months before the wedding 50% is refundable. After that there is no refund.
St. James Episcopal Church is available for rent by those of another congregation or clergy as a wedding venue. The rental fee in this instance is $375.00 and the same refund policy above will apply in these cases.
