Planning Your Wedding at First United Methodist Church

This page provides our guidelines for helping you create an unforgettable day! Please also consult our page on Wedding Policies  for additional requirements.

 

Pastoral Sessions

• The Bride and Groom should plan to meet with the pastor at FUMC 2-3 months prior to the wedding date. This session is for you to get to know one another and to discuss the format of your ceremony. Call the pastor at the church to set up your appointment.
• A guest minister may co-officiate the ceremony but must be invited to do so by our pastor. You can discuss this further during your counseling session.

Premarital Workshop

• First United Methodist Church requires all nonmember couples to attend the Marriage P.R.E.P (Positive Relationship Enrichment Program) Workshop sponsored by the Samaritan Counseling Center. Church members are strongly encouraged to attend. A Marriage P.R.E.P. brochure is included with this information.
• Each couple is responsible for registering and paying for the Marriage P.R.E.P. workshop. It is offered four or five times a year. Please call Samaritan Counseling at 734-677-0609 to sign up and pay for a workshop.

Wedding Coordinators

• A wedding coordinator from FUMC will help you with the numerous decisions that need to be made during the planning stages of your ceremony. She will be present at your rehearsal and your wedding to assist you and your wedding party.
• She will contact you 3-4 months prior to the ceremony to start working on the details of the event. If you would like to speak to her before that time, contact the Administrative Assistant.

Music

• Contact the Church Organist at least six weeks prior to your wedding to discuss all aspects of your wedding music.
• No photocopies of copyrighted music may be used, as it is illegal to reproduce it.
• Rehearsals with soloists are billed separately on an hourly basis. Soloists’ music must be presented in the correct key.
• Your wedding at First UMC is a sacred event and the music should reflect this. The organist will help you with your selections if you would like. Visit the organist's Wedding Music Website  to review and consider selections. If there is a question regarding a specific musical selection, the officiating pastor will determine whether it is appropriate.

Flowers & Decorations

• Seasonal decorations in the sanctuary and around the church building will not be removed or adjusted by church staff or the wedding party.
• Flowers may be placed on the altar.
• Bows may be fastened to pews using elastic or ribbon. Bows and floral arrangements may be attached to candelabra and pew candle holders with soft wire tape or ribbon. (Do not use tape).
• The church has no aisle cloth. An aisle cloth can be rented through your florist — it should be 100 feet long.
• No rice, birdseed, flower petals, confetti, etc. may be thrown or strewn at any time, either in the building or on the church grounds. Bubbles are acceptable outside.

Pictures & Videos

• For pictures taken prior to the wedding, the photographer should not be at the church more than 2 hours before the wedding time.
• Pre-ceremony pictures must be finished ½ hour before the wedding.
• No flash pictures during the ceremony. The photographer must remain behind the guests at all times.
• If you want the pastor included in post-ceremony photographs, please arrange this with him/her well ahead of time.
• Use of video equipment must be discussed with and approved by your wedding coordinator. Guidelines will be discussed at that time.

Payment of Fees

• A fee schedule has been included with this brochure.
• A $250 deposit is due upon booking the wedding, which confirms your date. See the fee schedule for payment details.
• The balance is due in full ten business days before your wedding.

Marriage Licenses

• Please bring your marriage licenses (in person) to the FUMC Administrative Assistant five business days before the wedding. Do not send your licenses through the mail.
• It is illegal for our pastor to perform the wedding ceremony without the Marriage License.

Rehearsal

• Your rehearsal must begin on time. We allow only one hour for the rehearsal.
• Please schedule your dinner to follow the rehearsal.

On Your Wedding Day

• Plan to be at the church approximately two hours before the wedding. Please confirm your arrival time with the wedding coordinator.
• Rooms will be set aside for preparation of the bride and groom. Other rooms cannot be opened for the wedding party unless pre-arranged with the  church staff — additional charges might be necessary.
• If you plan a receiving line at the church, please note that with 75 or more guests, the average greeting time is thirty minutes to an hour. That time, plus final pictures at the altar, should be figured in to your departure time.
• Please designate someone to be responsible for all of the wedding party’s personal belongings. The church is not responsible for items left unattended before, during, or after the rehearsal or the wedding.

Parking

• Promenade parking spaces are available for bridal party departure vehicles ONLY.
• The parking lot at the back of the church has limited capacity. It should be used for the wedding party, immediate family, and handicapped guests only. (Elevator access is provided off this parking lot, at the west entrance to the building.)
• The closest parking structure is Liberty Square, just across Washington Street from the church lot. Space is available evenings and weekends. The fee is $2.00, paid through a machine; the machine accepts quarters, $1, $5, and $10 bills.

Additional Important Notes

• The church maintains the right to schedule other activities in the church facilities before, during, or after the rehearsal or wedding.
• No hand-held candles.
• No alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs are ever allowed on church property.
• No smoking is allowed anywhere in the building.
• Included in your packet is a sheet with directions to the church that you may duplicate and distribute to your invited guests.

You might like to know...

• The FUMC sanctuary seats 450 (650 with balcony).
• There are 19 rows of pews.

Next Steps

o    Once the wedding date has been approved with the church, you will receive a white information sheet. Please provide what you know and you can work with your wedding coordinator to fill in the blanks later. When the information sheet is received with the check for the deposit, your wedding date will be secured on the church calendar.

o    Contact Samaritan Counseling, 734-677-0609, to enroll in the next Marriage P.R.E.P. seminar. See the enclosed brochure.

o    A Wedding Coordinator from FUMC will contact you 3-4 months prior to your ceremony date. Please call the Administrative Assistant at the church if you do not hear from your coordinator.

o    Call your pastor 2-3 months prior to the wedding to get acquainted and to discuss the particulars of your ceremony.

o    Call the organist at least 6 weeks prior to wedding to discuss the particulars of the music for your ceremony.

o    About a month before your wedding day, the Administrative Assistant will remind you to pay your balance in full and get your marriage licenses to the church so they will be ready for the ceremony.

Names and Numbers

First United Methodist Church -- To reach your pastor:

120 S. State St. ▪ Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Office Phone:  734-662-4536
Office Fax:  734-662-1321

Administrative Assistant -- To discuss fees and scheduling:

Adele Roy: 734-662-4536  ext. 11
Email: adele@fumc-a2.org

Wedding Ministry Team -- For ceremony preparations through a Wedding Coordinator:

Gwynn Sterken: 734-316-2701
Email: gwynnsterken@hotmail.com

Olivia Fanning: 734-429-5839
Email: olfanning@comcast.net

Kathy Lawless: 734-429-5536
Email: momlawless@comcast.net

Church Organist -- To discuss music for the ceremony:

Dr. Naki Sung Kripfgans: 734-662-4536  ext. 32
Email:  nakisung@yahoo.com

Ann Arbor Area information...

The Ann Arbor Area Convention & Visitors Bureau can provide you with information on spaces that are available to host rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions, and other event-planning resources and attractions. Contact information:
     120 West Huron Street,  Ann Arbor, MI 48104
     734-995-7281 or 800-888-9487
     website: www.annarbor.org   email: a2info@annarbor.org