Weddings at Christ First UMC

Guidelines for Weddings

Marriage is a happy and exciting time. The family of Christ First United Methodist Church and the Pastor desires to assist those who plan a wedding to make it a joyous and memorable event.  A Wedding Service is a service of worship of our church. Every part of the service should be planned carefully so that it will be appropriate and meaningful to the wedding liturgy.

  • The Pastor has final authority concerning all aspects of the wedding service at Christ First Church. Every effort will be made to honor the requests of the bride and groom and accommodate their desires and tastes within the accepted standards of the Discipline of the United Methodist Church and the laws of the State of Maryland.

    Every couple is required to meet with the minister and discuss their understanding of marriage, plan the service and work out the details. The amount of planning will be at the pastor’s discretion.

    All weddings that take place in the facilities of either of the Christ First United Methodist Church, located at 401 High Street, or 360 High Street, Chestertown, MD, or any other facility owned or rented by the church, will be officiated over by the senior or associate pastor appointed to serve the church by the Bishop and cabinet of the Peninsula-Delaware conference.

    The officiating pastor may invite another clergy (United Methodist or from any other denomination) to assist with the ceremony.  Such invitations will be extended solely at the discretion of the current pastor serving Christ First United Methodist Church.

  • Before a definite date is planned, please telephone the church office to make sure the church and minister are available. All weddings in Christ First Church will be under the direction of the Pastor. When another clergy person is desired for personal reasons, please discuss this with the minister.

    It is well to begin meeting with the Pastor six months before the wedding date.

  •  It is the responsibility of the couple to secure a marriage license through the Kent County Court House if you are to be married in Kent County and in Christ First Church.

  • After the date and time of the rehearsal is set, it is the responsibility of the couple to ensure that the wedding party arrives on time.

  • If the couple desires wedding music, they will make their own arrangements with the person authorized to play the organ at our church.  The Pastor will provide information as needed.

    Because the wedding service is a worship service, appropriate music is in order.  Please consult with the pastor and/or Organist when selecting music.  If an outside organist is selected, please make sure he/she is familiar with the unique aspects of a pipe organ.

  • Flash photography is not permitted during the service of worship.  Please ask your photographer to check with the minister.  The use of video without lights is permissible after discussion with the Pastor.

    The minister will be happy to stay after the service for picture taking and recreate any portion of the wedding desired for photos.

  • We suggest the use of birdseed. The use of confetti is not permitted. Nothing is to be thrown inside the building regardless of weather conditions.

  • Occasionally a couple will engage the use of a Wedding Consultant.  Please recognize that they are guests of the church and that the Pastor is in charge of all weddings held in the church.  Any changes contemplated such as removing of flowers, etc., should be agreed upon with the Pastor and Altar Guild.  The wedding consultant is requested to contact the Pastor by phone at least one day prior to the rehearsal so there will be no misunderstandings to the procedures for the rehearsal or on the day of the wedding.

Fees

Please consider the extra hours spent by the Pastor, Organist and Custodian to prepare for your special day. The following minimum fees are set. 

Members of Christ First United Methodist Church

Pastor Reasonable and Customary Honorarium
Organist Fee negotiated with the Organist
Custodian $100.00

Non-Members of Christ First United Methodist Church

Pastor Reasonable and Customary Honorarium
Organist Fee negotiated with the Organist
Custodian $100.00
Use of Church $250.00

Wedding Ceremony Availability Request