Fairlawn West UCC Logo and Name
decorated church

Wedding Guidelines

We offer our prayers for the planning of wedding worship service and the preparation for your marriage.  We thank God for the love the two of you share.  This love is not just between the two of you, but is also shared with the wider world.  

There are a variety of expectations as a service is planned.  Here at Fairlawn-West it is a worship service to honor God, to give thanks to God and for you to covenant with God in Jesus Christ to serve the world through your marriage.  We ask that you attend worship here at least once, if you do not already worship here, to connect with a portion of our congregation and to gather a sense of our mission and vision as a church.   

Weddings have become more social than spiritual in our culture.  It is important for us as the body of Christ to be clear about what we value and honor.  Our hope is that through this experience you will know the presence of God more clearly individually and together.   As we talk about the planning of your service, the words that are used, the music played and sung, how the sanctuary is decorated, how pictures are taken or not taken, and behavior in our facility – all of this reflects our reverence for God.  We will talk about these in the conversation with the Pastor.

You will take the PREPARE marriage inventory (www.lifeinnovation.com) and that will become the center of conversation with the pastor and possibly another couple about your marriage and your service.  The inventory includes categories of: marriage expectations, personality issues, communication, conflict resolution, financial management, leisure activities, sexual expectations and relationship, children and parenting, relationships with family and friends, your roles in respect to each other, and spiritual beliefs.  After you take the inventory, which can be done via email or taken at our bldg and sent in by us, Life Innovation reviews and scores your inventory with an anonymous code number.  It is scored in respect to a national pool of around 20,000 previous couples who have taken the inventory and in comparison the two of you and your families of origin.  It will also evaluate how realistic are your expectations about your relationship.  It will lift up three areas which are already strengths in your relationship and three areas that call for more focus and growth in your relationship. 

You are encouraged to read over the scriptures that have been given you about marriage.  Please use these and pray about them in planning your service and particularly your vows.

If you have any questions, please ask.  Also, check out your assumptions.  Too often there is an assumed understanding of what a wedding is or should be, and what a church is or isn’t.  What we want to do is to help you with celebrating your marriage relationship in light of God’s gift of love between you. Also, we want to honor God with your marriage and strengthen your vows throughout your life together.

Other items:

  1. The Fairlawn-West Wedding Coordinator assists the Pastor and you with the rehearsal and the service.  If you plan to have someone else involved as a wedding planner/coordinator, please clear that with the pastor first.

  2. The music staff of Fairlawn-West will help you plan your music.  If you wish to use another musician, please clear that with the pastor.

  3. If you desire for another pastor to conduct your service in the sanctuary here, please plan to have a conversation with our Pastor to clear this.  Our concern is that we not simply function as a marriage hall and rent out our space.  Also, weddings are part of the ministry of this church so all the wider things described above are part of what we are called to do.

  4. Decorations in the sanctuary should not be overdone (which is obviously a relative term).  Please talk with us before you make any arrangements on how you would like to add decorations to the sanctuary.  The sanctuary is arranged and decorated already to enable all who are in it to worship God.  We assume that is why you have chosen to have your wedding here and in it.  We prefer that the chancel/front platform items not be removed or have a major re-arrangement. We will set back some of our band equipment and place the communion table to the side, if necessary.  We will remove the tables in the sanctuary and set the chair in rows, if you desire.  You will be able to put decorations on the ends of the rows along the center aisle, if you desire.  Any decorations you add should enhance the worship of God and the celebration of your marriage covenant with God.

  5. The sanctuary will seat 300 people.  The center aisle is 75 feet long. 

  6. For ushering, there should be one usher for every 50 guests.

  7. Please make sure you give your photographer(s) and florist the information sheets in sufficient time before the rehearsal.

  8. We request that you not use bird seed or rice to throw as the couple leaves the building through the gathered guests.  There are other alternatives available.

  9. Bring your marriage license to the rehearsal to give to the Pastor.   

Check List

  • Call the office to inquire about a tentative date for your service.  This will not be final until you have met initially with our Pastor.
  • Schedule a time for an initial conversation with our Pastor.  The Pastor will give you a book to use together in preparation for your marriage.
  • Schedule a time for an initial conversation with our Pastor.  The Pastor will give you a book to use together in preparation for your marriage.
  • Take the PREPARE pre-marital inventory.
  • Contact the Fairlawn-West organist/music director to plan out your worship music.
  • Attend at least one worship service at Fairlawn-West if you are not already active in the life of this church.
  • Set the date for your rehearsal with the Pastor.
  • Give the photographer and florist their information sheets.
  • Pay the fees before the date of the rehearsal.