Wedding Policy

Congratulations and blessings on your wedding!

PLEASE NOTE: This is an overview. A detailed explanation will be provided upon request.

Please contact the Pastor as soon as you have a date in mind. The date will be secured and an appointment will be set up to discuss arrangements in detail.

We provide:
the use of all of our facilities, the Pastor, the Organist, the Custodian, all candles except for the Unity Candle and its two tapers.

You provide:
the florist, the photographer, the Unity Candle (if using one), any bulletins, the rehearsal time, the marriage license, fees to be paid for securing date (if non-member), and payment of fees when turning in the marriage license.

Fees

Member Total: $450
Non-Member Total: $450 + $500 (up front, non-refundable deposit to secure date)

Non-Members

Additional Fee: $50 if pew torches are used

Non-members will not be allowed to have weddings at Trinity unless the Pastor of Trinity officiates (except for certain circumstances); Will not be permitted to have weddings at Trinity after 5:00 p.m. on Saturday evenings.

General Guidelines

• No alcoholic beverages are allowed on the premises
  (church buildings and parking lot)
• There is to be no throwing of rice, candy, etc., and no strewing of flowers in the aisle without a runner to protect the carpeting.

Music

The following statement is taken from the Lutheran Book of Worship, Ministers Desk Edition, published in 1978 by Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, MN. It is the official policy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is endorsed by the Music Committee, Staff Musicians, and Pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Kalamazoo, MI.

Music selected should embody high standard of quality and, in general, reflect the praise of God, God’s steadfast love in Christ as the foundation of and model for marriage, and the asking of God’s presence and blessing.

A number of musical options are possible before the entrance procession: solo, ensemble, or choral pieces; organ or other instrumental music; or music using a combination of these media.

Organ music may be based on hymn tunes used within the marriage service. A printed wedding folder helps to establish such themes and relationships for the congregation. Instrumental music may be selected from chamber music literature or similar sources and should reflect the mood of joy and celebration in the service.

Wherever music is employed in the service, and by whatever instruments or voices, it should be high-quality examples of the art of composition, not cloud communication of the content and mood of the service with musical triteness or associations bordering on sentimentality, and be within the ability of the performers at hand to play or sing with assurance.

Although it is usually better to refrain from a list of music, which is not considered appropriate, the following are examples of the art or composition, which are not suitable for a worship service, which includes a wedding held in church: popular "love" songs which do not invoke the blessing of God on the ceremony; such as popular music compositions. In addition, we do not use Wagner's Wedding March (Lohengrin) or the Mendelsshon Wedding Recessional.