Your Wedding at Village Is a Sacred Service

Included Below

Getting Started: Selecting a Pastor and a Date

• Required Pre-Marital Counseling
• Wedding/Reception Schedules

Village Assistance to Help Your Wedding Day be Successful

• The Wedding Coordinator
• The Reception Hostess

Guidance for Music, Photographs, Decorations, and More

Rates and Fees

For More Information

Getting Started: Selecting a Pastor and a Date

When desiring to be married at Village, you must first meet with one of the pastors for consent.  Our Scheduling Administrator will ask you to provide the names of three pastors, in order, that you would be interested in having perform the ceremony. She will check with them to see who is available. If you are not a regular attender at Village, we invite you to attend one of the church’s worship services. It’s a great way to meet some of our pastors.

Once a pastor has indicated his availability, you may call him to make an appointment for your initial session. At this first session, the pastor will discuss with you some of the essential elements of Christian marriage and areas to be covered in the required pre-marital counseling.  He will also indicate to you his availability to officiate at your wedding.  When the pastor has confirmed that he will officiate at your wedding, you will need to have your wedding date cleared on the church calendar for the availability of the church facilities. You may meet with the Scheduling Administrator to submit a calendar request form for approval.

(Please note: If you are considering using a pastor other than one from Village, your request needs to be presented for approval to the pastor you have met with. You will need to include information about that pastor, e.g., what church he/she pastors or is affiliated with, address, phone number, etc.)

Required Pre-Marital Counseling

All couples being married in our church are to have several pre-marital counseling sessions with the pastor officiating at the wedding. Do not have the wedding invitations printed until the date has been confirmed and at least one pre-marital session has been held with the pastor. The wedding vows are not arbitrary but are mandatorily prescribed by the Scriptures and historic church tradition. Any unusual innovation in the ceremony must be approved by the minister during the counseling session.

Wedding/Reception Schedules

The Village chapel is available for weddings on most Friday evenings or Saturday mornings.  The typical Friday evening wedding begins at about 7:00 PM.

Village currently holds a worship service on Saturday evenings. This means that Saturday weddings may start no later than 12:30 PM. If you prefer to have your photographer take pictures after your wedding ceremony rather than before, then your wedding should start no later than 11:00 AM. If you will be holding a reception at Village, your wedding may begin no later than 10:30 AM and your reception must end, and all decorations cleared by 2:00 PM. The wedding party and all wedding decorations must be cleared from the chapel and any additional rooms used for the wedding and/or reception no later than 2:00 PM.

Sample Order for Wedding Ceremony

The following is a suggested order for the ceremony. You may vary this according to your wishes. Both the wedding coordinator and pastor are available to help you with these matters:

Village Assistance to Help Your Wedding Day be Successful

The Wedding Coordinator

All weddings to be solemnized in our church are to be supervised by our wedding coordinator, Joanne Doyle. It is our desire that everything shall be just as you wish it to be within the tradition of a beautiful Christian wedding. You will need to make an appointment to meet with her to go through your wedding plans at least two months before the wedding. You may contact Joanne to set up an appointment at (503) 643-6511.

The Reception Hostess

Village has an official reception hostess who will make your reception plans go smoothly.  We do require that she host all wedding receptions that occur at Village.

Guidance for Music, Photographs, Decorations, and More

Selecting the Best Music

Since the church building is a house of worship and the wedding ceremony a sacred ceremony, care should be taken to choose music that is appropriate.  If you would like to have organ music for your ceremony, please let the Scheduling Administrator know this and she will contact our church organist to check his availability. Only our organist is to be used. Any music in question should be approved by the organist or the wedding coordinator before the rehearsal. You may also use the piano or other instruments for your music. You will want music in several different places in your wedding. Prelude music provides background music as the guests are seated. This music can be varied with hymns, classical selections, or contemporary music. The processional provides music as the wedding party enters. You may have one selection or use one for the bridesmaids and another for the bride. Music during the service provides a change of pace and directs the flow and worship. Do not select so many numbers that the wedding becomes a concert.

An excellent selection of wedding music may be found at music shops, especially at Christian stores. They will have CD’s, tapes, and books that have the most commonly requested music. You can search the internet and your local library for audio files and recordings of suitable wedding music, as well.

Preserving Memories through Photographs

Your marriage ceremony will soon be over, but the photographs of your wedding will last a lifetime. Although a competent photographer does not need coaching to capture the highlights of a wedding, he or she does need to know your personal plans and wishes. You need to think out and write down all the poses you (and the groom and your parents) will want taken so that you can go over the list with the photographer ahead of time. You should make sure that he or she is familiar with the church regulations. In order to preserve the spirit of reverence, no flash photography may be taken except in the balcony or lobby during the service. Flash pictures may be taken during the processional, kiss and recessional. Any deviation from this needs to be approved by the officiating pastor. It is very helpful, if the bride and groom are willing, to have the formal wedding pictures taken before the ceremony. This allows them to spend more time with their guests at the reception. If this is done, the wedding party must plan to be out of the chapel or sanctuary thirty to forty minutes before the ceremony is to begin. Also, family members should be instructed to come early.

Choosing Decorations

You may engage the florist of your choice. Decorations may be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. The use of thumbtacks, safety pins or scotch tape is not permitted. Florists must be asked to protect the finish of furniture and the carpets from the dampness of plants and to use dripless candles. If you choose to have decorations such as bows or flowers on the edge of the aisle, you or your florist must use either plastic pew bow holders or thin elastic—use of pins is not permitted on the chapel or sanctuary chairs.

At certain times of the year—particularly as we approach Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and our October/November World Impact Conference—floral arrangements, banners, flags, etc. may be set up for these celebrations. These decorations may not be taken down or altered in any way. If you have any questions as to what decorations will be up at the time of your wedding, please feel free to contact Patty Deiser at the church office.

In addition to the decorations listed above, there are white screens at the front of the chapel used for all worship services. This screen cannot be taken down at any time. Please make arrangements with your florist or member of your wedding party to take down the decorations after your wedding and reception according to the times listed under the wedding and reception schedule.

Available Equipment:

• Unity Candle table
• Brass candelabras (1 large — 15-candle arch, 2 smaller — 7-candle arch)
• Kneeling benches — 2 white and brass

Chapel Information:

• Aisle length: 64 feet
• There are 12 windows on each side of the chapel.
• The silk plants and trees currently in the chapel are available for use at your wedding, if desired, but may not be taken to other rooms.

Other Regulations

No alcoholic beverages are permitted on the church property. No smoking is permitted in the church building. No rice or confetti may be thrown, or used in any way, either inside or outside the building.

Rates and Fees

Wedding and Reception Charges

A copy of the fees for the various services available for your wedding and reception is available in the church office. The bride or her parents normally pay these fees. The deposit needs to be made within the designated time frame and FULL PAYMENT is due one month before the rehearsal. Payments are to be made out to Village Baptist Church and presented to the Scheduling Administrator.

Honorarium

The pastor’s honorarium is not covered by any of the wedding fees. The amount is discretionary and is to be paid by the groom. The best man usually gives it to the pastor in an envelope at the wedding.

For More Information

Scheduling Administrator Patty Deiser (503) 643-6511, extension 238

Wedding Coordinator Joanne Doyle (503) 643-6511, extension 234

Village Baptist Church (503) 643-6511

Our Hope for You: Building a Home

House or Home?

“What is the difference between a house and home? Anybody can build a house; we need something more for the creation of a home. A house is an accumulation of brick and stone, with an assorted collection of manufactured goods; a home is the abiding place of ardent affection, of fervent hope, of genial trust. There is many a homeless man who lives in a richly furnished house.  There is many a modest house in the crowded street which is an illuminated and beautiful home. The sumptuously furnished house may be only an exquisitely sculptured tomb; the scantily furnished house may the very hearthstone of the eternal God.

The Bible does not say very much about homes; it does say a great deal about the things that make them. It speaks about life and love and joy and peace and rest! If we get a house and put these into it, we shall have secured a home.”

John Henry