Altar Flowers
Please use this form to if you would like to provide altar flowers to enhance our worship space and honor loved ones.
Weddings
Interested in learning more? Fill out our form below!
THE CHRISTIAN SERVICE OF MARRIAGE
At Hamline Church United Methodist weddings are occasions of both joy and reverence—joy because of the gifts of love and happiness that the wedding couple have found in each other, and reverence because of the deep commitment they have made to live out their vows under the grace of God. The staff is eager to help make your wedding a lovely and meaningful event and asks your careful attention to the following guidelines. Because the church receives many wedding requests, these guidelines are necessary to facilitate planning and to provide clarity both for you and for the church.
WEDDING DATE
Weddings are scheduled for both members and non-members. Reservations are made on a first come first served basis. They are normally held on Friday nights and Saturdays, there are some exceptions to these times. To select the time and date for the wedding, please contact the wedding coordinator Phaedre Sanders at weddingcoordinator@hamlinechurch.org.
WEDDING COORDINATOR
Hamline Church provides a wedding coordinator to oversee the arrangements and details of the wedding service. Once your wedding date is confirmed with a deposit, an appointment with the coordinator is required to discuss Hamline Church’s wedding guidelines. Questions about arrangements, minister, music, fees, and use of the facilities will be discussed at this conference. The wedding coordinator is a member of the church staff. If an outside wedding consultant has been employed, we request that his or her involvement be limited to the reception and other non-church activities. The rehearsal and wedding service are the responsibility of the wedding coordinator of Hamline Church.
Please fill out the inquiry form below to get more information about hosting your wedding at Hamline Church!
FEES AND HONORARIUMS
The wedding coordinator will discuss current fees with the wedding couple. A nonrefundable deposit is required at the time a wedding date is reserved. Final payment to the church and all additional fees—for such things as; the minister, soloist(s) and organist—must be paid two weeks prior to the wedding day.
PRESIDING MINISTER
The Senior minister at Hamline Church is available to perform the wedding service. They may also be available to attend the reception. They will meet with the couple and assist in planning the wedding service. Guest Clergy are also invited to perform weddings at Hamline. Credentials must be filed in a county in Minnesota.
THE SERVICE
A wedding at Hamline Church is an act of worship. It is appropriate for the service to include special music, hymns, Scripture readings and other sacred readings, and a brief message by the minister. The officiating clergy will review the order of service and appropriate options with the couple. Clergy, other than from Hamline Church, may participate in or preside over the marriage service. This must be cleared with the wedding coordinator. If the clergy is from out of state, that clergy must register in Minnesota with one of the counties.
MUSIC
Your wedding at Hamline Church is a worship experience as well as a celebration of your love and vows. Our organist will be happy to assist you in choosing music and our music director is available to recommend a soloist.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOTAPING
Wedding photographs may be taken in the Church Sanctuary and on the church grounds, before and/or after the wedding service. Once the wedding date and time is set, the wedding coordinator will provide a timeline for the period of time you will be at the church on your wedding day. Remember the time allotted for your wedding is four hours. The photographer must be done with pre-wedding pictures one hour before the start of the wedding. The Sanctuary aisles must be clear of all equipment at that time. In keeping with the atmosphere of worship, only the professional photographer hired for the wedding may take photographs during the service. During the service, the professional photographer may only photograph from the rear of the Sanctuary with existing light. No photographs can be taken during the prayers. Only the professional photographer may take flash photographs, and these are limited to the escorting of the grandmothers and mothers, the procession of the bridesmaids, the bridal procession, and the time after the benediction at the end of the service. The photographer must remain behind the body of the congregation at all times.
The ushers are to inform the guests that photographs and videos may not be taken once the guests have entered the church. The service may be videotaped with the following restrictions: the taping must be done from the East or West side or North back balcony; no auxiliary lighting equipment may be used; and the equipment may not be moved during the service.
DECORATIONS
The Sanctuary is a place of great beauty and does not need excessive decoration for wedding ceremonies. At certain times of the year the sanctuary may be adorned with temporary art (usually banners or hangings) which complement the architecture. These remain in place during weddings. Paraments (an ecclesiastical hanging) are represented according to the church season. The church will provide a kneeler, 2 candelabras, 2 altar candles and votive candles for each of the ten pillars. Because of fire hazards, hurricane lamps with candles or other candle decorations along the aisle are not permitted.
Unity candles are the responsibility of the wedding couple. Aisle runners can be obtained from florists. Sanctuary: The center aisle is 85 feet long. Florists delivering flowers to the church must enter the church through the South Entrance doors, at a prearranged time. They may be delivered to the Commons Area outside the sanctuary. Please be sure that the florist is aware of the need to have personal flowers (bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, etc.) available for pre-service photographs. If the flowers in the church are to be used at the reception, they may be removed after all of the guests have departed and pictures have been taken.
PROGRAMS
It is not necessary to have a program (an order of service) for your wedding. If you wish to have a one, you may arrange to have it designed and printed by an outside firm.
REHEARSALS
Rehearsals are generally scheduled for Friday afternoons, unless there is a Friday night wedding. Your rehearsal time will be scheduled when your wedding is scheduled. Rehearsals start promptly and last for one hour. They are intended to ensure a smooth ceremony, so all who have a role in the wedding, including ushers, are expected to be present.
TIMES AND SPACE AVAILABLE
Up to four hours is allotted for each wedding. In order to accommodate the demand for wedding time and space, please use your allotted time wisely. Please be prompt, if the rehearsal or the wedding runs past the allotted time, there will be an additional charge of $50 per hour charge.
There are 25 rows of pews and the main sanctuary seats about 450 people, not including the balconies.
DRESSING FACILITIES
A dressing room is available for use on the day of the wedding. Other members of the wedding party are encouraged to arrive dressed. Facilities are provided for final grooming.
LICENSE
It is important that you verify all information with your local marriage license office or county clerk before making any wedding plans. A wedding at Hamline Church cannot take place without a valid marriage license. Please bring the license with you at the time of the rehearsal.
OTHER FACILITY INFORMATION
Hamline Church is handicap accessible. There is a parking lot adjacent to the church with approximately 80 spots. On street parking is also available. Hamline Church is NOT air conditioned. We ask your courtesy in helping to keep the church complex clean and litter-free. Please refrain from throwing rice, birdseed, confetti, flower petals, potpourri, or any other substance either inside or outside the buildings. The release of balloons and live animals is prohibited. Bubbles (provided by the wedding party) are acceptable. Sometimes the bride and groom choose to greet people at the church after the service. The narthex (entry space between the front door and the sanctuary), the Commons area, outside the front doors and in the Garden are appropriate places for greeting. There are no checkrooms or secure package storage areas in the sanctuary. Please discourage guests from bringing gift packages to the church. No child care services or nursery facilities are available during weddings. Parents should make private, offsite babysitting arrangements for children whom they feel are too young to attend the wedding service. Hamline Church is a smoke-free environment, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the church or on the church grounds at any time.
Memorials & Funerals
A worship service following the death of a loved one does at least two things: it enables us to face the reality of our mortality and comforts us in the celebration of another reality -- life after death in God. As one of our creeds declares: “In life, in death, in life beyond death, we are not alone. Thanks be to God!”
A service where the body of the deceased is present is called a funeral; a memorial service is appropriate when the body of the deceased is not present. Most of the services at Hamline Church United Methodist are called A Celebration of Life. Funerals or memorial services are available for Hamline Church members and non-members.
It is the commitment of the clergy and music leadership of Hamline Church United Methodist to claim and present a properly balanced and theologically sound experience for all who seek God through worship at the time of death. To this end, the following are guidelines and suggestions that we purpose to assist those who mourn, and those who look to tomorrow.
Baptisms
To learn more about baptism at Hamline Church, please contact Pastor Mariah.