A Guide to Weddings at New Life United Methodist Church

A wedding is one of the peak experiences of a lifetime.  It marks the passages of two people from one stage of life to another.  The ceremony is a time of covenant and commitment by which a man and a woman promise their love and loyalty to each other in the presence of God and their loved ones.  Therefore, much careful thought and planning should go into making it the best expression of one’s feelings and intentions.

New Life United Methodist Church believes that God cares deeply for individuals at each stage of life.  Hence, we are happy to make our services and facilities available to you for this holy occasion.

Our major goals are to serve people in Christ’s name, to offer the ministry of the church to those desiring it, and to conduct worship services to the glory of God.

Wedding Fee Schedule

            Pastor                                                              150.00

Musician                                                           150.00

Custodial Fees                                                  150.00

Security Deposit (refundable after wedding)           200.00

What To Do Well in Advance

Consider Several Dates and Times

The selection of a date and time for your wedding should not be finalized prior to the initial consultation with the officiating pastor.  It is our desire to be as cooperative as possible with your desired date, but church programming takes first priority and we usually schedule a number of weddings each year on a first come, first serve basis.  Thus, it is advisable for you to schedule your wedding well in advance so the date and time can be cleared on the church master calendar and the officiating pastor’s calendar.

The facilities and services of New Life United Methodist Church are open to all people, subject to building and pastoral availability. 

We cannot book weddings on January 1, during Holy Week, the Fourth of July weekend, Memorial Day, Labor Day, December 24, December 25, or December 31.

Saturday weddings should be scheduled no later than 5:00 p.m. 

Arrangements for Premarital Counseling

The couple is expected to meet with the officiating pastor at least two times to discuss both the wedding service, and have premarital counseling which is designed to help couples have a long and successful marriage.

Contact the Officiating Pastor

Weddings performed in the facilities of New Life United Methodist Church will be presided over by our pastor, The Rev. Jennifer Kimball Casto.  All arrangements are to be made through the pastor. She can be contacted through the church at 614-294-0134 or via email at nwlifeumc1@att.net.

Use of Other Pastors

All weddings will be conducted by Pastor Jennifer. If the couple would like to include another pastor, it must be agreed to by her, and it will be her prerogative to formally invite the helping minister to assist.  She will be the pastor in charge at the rehearsal and at the wedding itself, and she will assign parts of the ceremony to the assisting pastor.

Wedding Liturgies

The liturgies used for weddings at New Life United Methodist Church are those found in The United Methodist Book of Worship, 1992 edition.  We believe this liturgy best represents a Christ-centered understanding of the marriage covenant.  The words to the liturgy will be provided during one of the premarital interviews.  However, special readings, and other additions to the service can be discussed and integrated if appropriate to the service.

Music Procedure

The church musician and pastor welcome your suggestions and help to choose appropriate music for the wedding service.  The musician will be glad to demonstrate suitable selections from which couples may choose.  Songs of love from the scriptures or the hymnal reflect the Christ-centered nature of worship services and are appropriate for weddings.  Music drawn from secular compositions such as musical shows, operas, folk songs, and non-religious love songs may be considered if appropriate to the service.

The Rehearsal

A wedding rehearsal is designed to acquaint the wedding party with the procedures of the ceremony.  Typically, a rehearsal lasts about 45 minutes and is scheduled the evening before the wedding service.

For You and Your Florist

The church has a kneeler that is available for wedding without charge.

The church has a set of brass candles. 

The church does not have an aisle runner.  This can be rented from the florist. 

Please Note—There shall be no tape, tacks, wires or clamps of any kind used in the placement of decorations.  Yarn, ribbon, pipe cleaners or rubber bands may be used instead.

All chancel furniture and altar appointments are not to be moved or added to without the approval of the pastor.

For You and Your Photographer

It is the wedding couple’s responsibility to inform the photographer, as well as their friends and families, of the following policies:

1. Flash pictures of the processional and recessional are permitted, but NO flash pictures may be taken during the ceremony.
2. The photographer may not go down the aisles farther than the tenth pew prior to the end of the ceremony.
3. It is the responsibility of the photographer to check with the officiating pastor upon arrival to confirm these policies.

 Video-Taping

Couples are welcome to videotape the wedding ceremony with the following conditions:

1. The camera shall be in a fixed location agreed upon by the pastor.

2. There shall be no use of artificial lighting.

3. The person operating the video camera shall check with the pastor prior to the service to confirm these policies.  (Note: It is advantageous to have the video camera person present at the rehearsal).

Some Considerations about which you should be aware

We want your wedding to be a meaningful and joyful occasion. As you make your choice of location for that occasion there are some specific limitations to our facilities about which you should be aware.

1. We have VERY limited parking. Parking is available on the street around our church but our lot has only about 20 spaces.

2. We do NOT have a CENTER AISLE in our Sanctuary. The Sanctuary at New Life is a very beautiful semi circle with 4 side aisles and seats about 300 people.

3. We are NOT handicap accessible. We do have a chair lift from street level to the level of the Sanctuary. But there is no wheel chair ramp.

4. There are very limited unisex restroom facilities on the Sanctuary level of the building.

5. Our organ is not fully functional. It is playable, but some of the stops to not work consistently.

 Thank you for choosing to consider beginning your life together at New Life United Methodist Church.  We pray God’s blessings upon your marriage.