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Weddings at Epworth LeSourdChristian marriage is most appropriately celebrated in the place where
the community gathers for worship. As a service of Christian worship, the
marriage is under the direction of the minister. Music is generally provided
by the organist/pianist. For all but small, private weddings, a wedding
hostess will be assigned. She assists both the bridal party and the minister
in coordinating the details to make the wedding a pleasant and satisfying
experience for the bridal party and guests. |
More photos of Epworth LeSourd's sanctuary
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Wedding Date Please contact the church secretary or the minister for the availability of the date. In order to rule out possibility of conflict of dates, the sanctuary may be reserved for particular dates only after staff consultation. A tentative clearance may be given by phone, but a final reservation will be confirmed in writing by the Minister or the Wedding Hostess. This will follow an initial consultation with the Minister. |
Photography Photographs may be taken at the church by the photographer of your choice. No flash pictures may be taken during the ceremony. Available light photographs may be taken by a professional photographer discreetly from the rear of the sanctuary or the balconies. If pictures are taken before the ceremony they should be completed thirty minutes before the wedding service. If pictures are to be taken after the ceremony, they should be taken after all guests have left the sanctuary. Videotaping is allowed from the balconies only. All photographers are welcome to the extent that they remain inconspicuous! |
Hostess In all but small, private weddings, a Wedding Hostess will assist in the planning and the wedding service. She will contact each bride prior to the wedding and arrange an appointment. The Hostess will explain the wedding procedures of the church, answer questions, and in other ways help the family to prepare for the wedding. At the rehearsal, she will be present to instruct the ushers, place members of the wedding party and assure that they get in and out of the sanctuary at the appropriate time, and in other ways assist the wedding party. On the wedding day she will be present prior to the service to assist the bridesmaids in dressing, to help with any unforeseen difficulties, and to get the members of the wedding party into the sanctuary in proper order and on time.The Wedding Hostess works with many weddings and therefore she may be able to assist in finding good florists, caterers, and other wedding services. She is familiar with ways to save expenses and knows the details involved in weddings. You will find her services invaluable in planning this important event in your life. |
Church Building Regulations and Conduct An attitude of reverence is expected of all who enter the church sanctuary. Smoking is not permitted in the church building. The use of liquor will not be permitted in or around the church building. Rice, birdseed, or confetti are not allowed anywhere on the church grounds for environmental reasons. Bubbles are permissible outside the church building.The couple and their wedding party are responsible for leaving the building and grounds in orderly condition. The use of shaving cream, toilet tissue, tin cans, or other materials that leave debris is discouraged. |
Decorations Flowers, decorations, and other appointments should be appropriate to the place of worship, enhance the worshipers’ consciousness of the reality of God, and reflect the integrity and simplicity of Christian life.You may select a florist or plan to have family or friends do the floral decorating. No floral arrangements or decorations should ever conceal the altar, pulpit, or lectern. Decorations are to augment the church symbols present, and the cross and candles are to remain on the altar. The church has some floral accessories that may be used at no additional charge. Please check with the wedding hostess to see what is available. If desired, floral arrangements may be left for church use. |
The following considerations should be observed:
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Ushers Ushers should be ready to greet guests one-half hour before the service. At least two ushers are needed to seat one hundred guests. Three to four ushers are desirable for larger weddings. The ushers should also attend the rehearsal.Charges Charges for the service will be discussed with you by the minister during your first conference. Checks should be made payable to Epworth LeSourd United Methodist Church and be sent to the church office at 710 South Anderson, Tacoma, WA 98405-2749, at least one week prior to the rehearsal. .General Information The center aisle of the sanctuary is 4’7” wide and 55 feet long. There are 34 pews on the main floor. Seating capacity is 8 persons per pew. The sanctuary has a total seating capacity of 272 people. For receptions, the Wesley Room accommodates 50-75 people, Wilbur Hall accommodates 180 people seated at table and 400 without tables. |
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Music Music suitable for the marriage service directs attention to God and expresses the faith of the church. The congregation may join in hymns and other musical forms of praise and prayer.Only the church musicians will provide organ music. A grand piano is available for piano selections, and may be played by your own accompanist or our musician. All music selections and special music requests must be given to the organist two weeks in advance. The church does not have soloists on staff. You may choose your own soloist. Vocal and/or instrumental solos are a beautiful way to enhance a wedding. Appropriate recorded music may be used. When used, CD’s or tapes must be clearly labeled and brought to the rehearsal. Music should express reverence and dignity within the church. Favorite songs of the wedding couple may not necessarily be suitable for Christian worship. These songs may be used at the reception. The organist will be able to make suggestions for both Processional and Recessional music. The organist usually plays for about fifteen minutes preceding the service. If you have any specific selections to be used during that time, please discuss them with the organist well in advance. Otherwise, appropriate music will be chosen by the organist. |
Reception Both Wilbur Hall (lower level) and the Wesley Room (adjacent to the Sanctuary) are available for receptions following weddings.Arrangements for the reception, if held at the church, are to be made in consultation with the Wedding Hostess and Reception Coordinator. As a matter of policy, no alcoholic beverages are allowed at wedding receptions held in church facilities. Catering Members of the United Methodist Women’s group are available to cater receptions held at the church. Please see Fee Schedule. Should you choose to use an outside catering service, they must supply all equipment, materials and table service. There will be a small Reception Coordinator fee when outside caterers are used.Parking With regard to parking, please remember to respect the needs of the neighbors. When the parking lot at the church is full it will be necessary for guests to park along the side streets. Please remind guests not to block driveways or alleys. You may elect to have a person assigned as a parking attendant to assist with parking. |
Premarital Consultation The Minister has the responsibility and privilege of counseling with the bride and groom. These sessions are not a guarantee of happily ever after marital bliss, but are meant to raise the questions for consideration now and through the years of marriage. In most cases, there will be three or four sessions with the Minister before the wedding.Rehearsal The time for rehearsal is usually one or two days prior to the wedding. Every member of the wedding party, as well as parents of the bride and groom, should be present to assure the ceremony goes smoothly. A “Rehearsal Information” form will be filled out prior to the time of the rehearsal, which will assist in making it an orderly and expedient experience. The marriage license should be brought to the church at the rehearsal or earlier in the week. Please be considerate of others’ schedules by being prompt, and beginning rehearsal at the scheduled time. A rehearsal should not be longer than one hour. A sixty dollar deposit will be required prior the rehearsal, which will be returned if the rehearsal begins on time. |
Tips for your planning:
- Bring supplies for the reception refreshments no later than the rehearsal.
- Be sure that the napkins, guest book, pen, corsages for servers, groom’s cake, bow for cake knife, and candles are brought ahead of time and placed in the reception area.
- Let the wedding hostess know the number of people serving, pouring, in charge of the guest book, gifts, etc. Ask those people to go to the reception area immediately after the ceremony. They do not go through the reception line. They go directly to their stations.
- Appoint a person(s) other than the ushers to receive gifts from the guests in the narthex as they arrive, and take them to the reception area gift table. Bring scotch tape so cards may be attached to gifts as they are received. We discourage opening of gifts at the church.
- Select two witnesses to sign the marriage certificate. Traditionally this is done by the Best Man and Maid of Honor.
- Anyone bringing items to the church before the service (i.e. florist, baker, caterer, etc.) will need to make arrangements with the Wedding Hostess so that the building will be open.
Church Accessories Available:
Plates, cups, silverwareSilver Service
Tablecloths
Punch bowl and cups
Cake Knife
Candelabra for table
2 Tall Candelabra’s (hold seven candles each)
Altar vases
Kneeling bench
Supplied by the Couple:
Wedding CakePunch ingredients
Coffee and Tea
Sugar, cream, lemon
Groom’s cake
Mints and nuts
Any other food
Napkins
Candles for all candelabras
Guest book and pen
Flower Girl basket
Aisle Runners
Decorations
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Space for this web site is provided courtesy of the General Board of Global Ministries, The United Methodist Church. The content of these home pages is the responsibility of Wes Stanton. Please send site-related feedback here. (Last site update: October 30, 2009 ) |