Weddings

And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three;
and the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:13

Marriage is one of God’s very special gifts to humankind.  Marriage is best celebrated in the context of a Christian community that affirms its sacredness and invites God’s grace and blessing on the marriage covenant.  It is assumed that all who seek marriage in a Christian church do so out of a desire and intention to center their lives and households in Jesus Christ.  We consider it a privilege to assist those who desire to take on the joys and responsibilities of Christian marriage.

 

FCC Wedding Policies and Procedures

To all who are considering a wedding ceremony at Flossmoor Community Church —  the following items will help you as you begin to navigate the journey toward your wedding: 

Church Membership Requirements
While either the bride or bridegroom [or parent] must normally be a member of this church for a wedding to take place here, requests from non-members may at times be granted.  There is a certain inconsistency involved when a couple seeks to be married in a church ceremony if neither the bride nor the groom are or intend to be committed to the Christian faith.  In such cases, a civil ceremony seems more advisable.

Scheduling Your Wedding
Before you make any firm plans, please call the church office [708/798-2800] to request a date for your wedding.  When the request is made, an information packet will be sent to you that will include complete information about our wedding policies and procedures.  Included in that packet will be a Wedding Request Form to be filled out and returned to the church, along with a $100 nonrefundable deposit.  If you are requesting a particular pastor on our church’s staff, the requested date must be confirmed by him/her.  Once the pastor has approved the date, it will tentatively be reserved on the church calendar.  Your wedding will not be firmly on our wedding calendar until the Wedding Request Form and deposit have been received.

Premarital Counseling
Your relationship is more important than your ceremony and reception.  A wedding and reception generally last 6 or so hours – a marriage is for a lifetime.  Therefore all couples must invest themselves in intentional relationship preparation by arranging for 3-6 sessions of premarital counseling with a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.  Fees for premarital counseling shall be the responsibility of the couple.  While couples are free to seek their own counselors, a list of recommended professionals will be included in the information packet.

Clergy
A pastor on the church’s staff must approve and officiate the wedding.  In some situations, a request for a non-staff clergyperson to assist our pastor in the service might be granted.  You are free to request a specific pastor on this church’s staff.  If there is no such request, the matter will be referred to the Senior Pastor who will see that pastoral services are arranged.  The couple will have two meetings with the officiating pastor to consider together the spirituality of marriage, hear the report of premarital counseling, and to prepare for the wedding ceremony. 

The Service
It is hoped that the service will be as meaningful as possible for the couple and their guests.  As a marriage ceremony is an act of Christian worship it will include reference and commitment to God, scripture and prayer.  We also want this to be your wedding.  It should be the way you want it to be, within the bounds of Christian marriage, our church’s traditions and the dictates of good taste.  The pastor will work with you to ensure that the service reflects your hopes.

The Rehearsal
All rehearsals are held at 5:00 p.m. on the day prior to the wedding service.  Please ensure that the wedding party and members of the bride and groom’s immediate families are present for the rehearsal. 

Wedding Coordinator
Once your wedding is firmly scheduled, you will hear from one of our Wedding Coordinators who will assist you through the process of planning for your wedding rehearsal and ceremony.  The wedding coordinator will be able to answer any questions you might have about church policies and practices and will be present at the rehearsal and ceremony to ensure that things run smoothly.  If you do plan to work with a private wedding consultant, their assistance at the rehearsal and ceremony will not be needed.

Music
Please confer with the church organist two months prior to your wedding.  The organist will advise you of appropriate  music,   both   instrumental   and  vocal,   and   its meaningful integration into the ceremony.  As this is a service of Christian worship, all music in the wedding service must be God centered and worshipful.  If our organist is unable to play the organ for your wedding, he or she will determine a substitute from our list of approved organists.  If you are in need of a paid soloist, the organist will also be able to make arrangements for one or more of our excellent vocalists to sing.

Fees
Fees are explained on a Wedding Cost Sheet that will be included in the information packet. 

Outside Weddings
If their schedules allow, our pastors are able to officiate at weddings held outside of Flossmoor Community Church.  Contact the church office to make arrangements.

Our prayer for you…
Whether or not you choose to be married at Flossmoor Community Church, we celebrate your new beginnings as husband and wife and pray the following blessing for you.

“The grace of Christ attend you,
the love of God surround you,
the Holy Spirit keep you,
that you may live in faith,
abound in hope,
and grow in love,
both now and forevermore.”