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Sanctuary Facts
*Our Sanctuary seats 450.
Inside pews will seat 10-14 people.
Outside pews will seat 7-8 people.
The center aisle is 50 feet long.
The Sanctuary is pyramid shaped with wood plank finish on the ceiling.
Stain glass (primary color blue) with cross in front.
We have a dressing area for the bridal party.
Sanctuary is air conditioned.
*For small weddings our chapel area seats 10 people.
General Information
Weddings may be planned only in consultation with the Pastor and the wedding coordinator. It is important that, insofar as possible, dates be set at least two months in advance. This allows time for the Pastor to meet with the couple and for other wedding events to be planned.
You do not have to be a member of St. Paul‟s United Methodist Church in order to be married here. Our pastor is available to peform the ceremony or the couple is welcome to use their own pastor
License Requirements
Since marriage is a legal matter as well as a religious matter, a license must be secured from the El Paso County Clerk at 200 South Cascade (Centennial Building). The couple must present an ID which can be a driver’s license, military ID or a birth certificate. Parental consent is required for anyone under 18 and a court order is required if you are under 16.
A fee of $10.00 (cash only) is required to obtain the license. There is no waiting period; the license is valid for thirty days and effective in any location within the state of Colorado. No blood tests are required. The license must be brought to the church office no later than the rehearsal.
Scheduling/Planning Your Wedding
A wedding may be scheduled by calling the wedding coordinator at (719)637-3197. A $50 deposit is required to secure your wedding date. The deposit will be applied to your total wedding fee.
The church utilizes a Wedding Coordinator who will assist at both the rehearsal and wedding. This person assists the Pastor and is able to help with a variety of duties, such as wedding etiquette, planning the wedding and giving instructions to ushers, candle lighters, florists, photographers, and videographers. She also takes care of any last minute details that might arise. In general, she will ensure your wedding will go as smoothly as possible. This service is included in the fees to the church. It is important that the Wedding Coordinator be contacted with all arrangements and changes.
The building is available for a period of four hours for weddings. This time period begins when family or members of the wedding party are scheduled to arrive at the church to prepare/dress for the wedding and ends when the wedding photography is completed and the bridal party along with their guests have left the church. A fee of $50.00 per hour will be assessed should you require more than the four hour period scheduled for your wedding. Arrangements for additional time must be made with the Wedding Coordinator and additional fees paid two weeks prior to the wedding date.
Pre-Marital Counseling
The pastor's fee includes meeting with the couple to go over the ceremony. It can also include pre-marital counseling, although the counseling is not required.
Decorations
A wedding ceremony is a Worship Service, so flowers and decorations should be appropriate to a Worship environment. Simplicity best fulfills the intent of the sacredness of the service. The church has pew candles, pew bows, and an aisle runner available for use. Ask the wedding coordinator for details.
No tape or wire of any kind is to be used to secure the flowers and decorations to the pews or railings in the Sanctuary. Pew hooks or pipe cleaners may be used. Please do not toss live flower petals.
Decorating may be done prior to your rehearsal or on the wedding day. Please plan for no more than one hour to place your decorations. You will be asked to remove any decorations you put up. No items in the sanctuary or chapel are to be moved.
Services Outside the Sanctuary
St. Paul‟s does not require the wedding ceremony to be held in the church Sanctuary. Many beautiful and meaningful locations may be chosen: a home, a chapel in the mountains or a public place like Palmer Park or the Garden of the Gods. We believe that God is present wherever we are. For some services outside the sanctuary, the pastor's fee may be increased to compensate for additional travel time and mileage. The pastor will determine the fee.
The Rehearsal
For the wedding ceremony to flow smoothly, it is necessary to have a rehearsal, preferably on the preceding day. The building is available for a period of one hour for the rehearsal. This time period begins when the wedding party and family are scheduled to arrive at the church and ends when everyone has left the church. Keep this in mind when scheduling your rehearsal dinner. Those present at the rehearsal should include the wedding party, parents, ushers, soloist and any special musicians. Please be courteous to all those involved in the wedding service and have all participants present at the rehearsal on time. A fee of $50 per hour will be assessed if the rehearsal is longer than one hour.
Fees
Current fee information is available from the church office or Wedding Coordinator. The non-refundable deposit secures your date on the church calendar. Seventy-five percent of all fees paid will be refunded if the wedding is cancelled one month prior to the scheduled wedding date. Should the wedding be canceled less than 30 days prior to the wedding date, all fees paid are forfeited. Payment in full is due two weeks prior to your wedding date. Mail payments to the church or bring them to the Administrative Assistant. Do not leave your check in the offering plate or with the pastor. If you choose to mail your payment, please address to:
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
Attn: Wedding Coordinator
2111 Carlton Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
Please put your wedding date on the “memo” portion of your check.
A nursery is available on the day of the wedding for an additional fee. A separate check paid to St. Paul's must be paid the day of the wedding to the wedding coordinator.
Sound
St. Paul’s provides a qualified sound technician who will attend the wedding service and will monitor the Sanctuary’s sound system. It is important that you convey to the wedding coordinator at least one month prior to your wedding date any special needs involving sound requirements for your service (soloist, instrumentalist, etc...).
Music
Music is a meaningful enhancement to the wedding service. All music should be sacred in nature and must be approved by the Senior Pastor and/or Director of Music Ministries and given to the organist one month prior to the wedding. All soloists and musicians must coordinate with the Director of Music Ministries. Soloists and musicians must be present at the rehearsal with prepared music. Due to copyright laws, absolutely no copied (Xeroxed or otherwise) music is permitted. Depending upon music requirements, there could be additional organist fees. (i.e. rehearsing for special music.)
St. Paul’s organist is available to play for all weddings at the church when organ and piano music is required. Should St. Paul‘s organist not be available for your ceremony, a list of organists is available. Other organists must be approved by the Director of Music Ministries. Approval is based upon the guest organist's knowledge of the instrument, its use and care. Organ music is not mandatory. Some weddings request other instruments such as a piano, harp, guitar, string quartet. If a guest musician is used, you must arrange for their services and fees separately.
Photographs/Video Taping
The wedding ceremony is a Worship service. Therefore, only pictures using available light may be taken during the ceremony. Flash pictures may be taken during the processional and during the recessional from the back of the sanctuary. Flash pictures may be taken before and after the ceremony.
You may video tape your ceremony from a stationary position, after consultation with the Senior Pastor and Wedding Coordinator.
Unity Candle
Couples often wish to use Unity and Family Candles as part of the wedding service. St. Paul’s does not supply these candles or holders. Please consult the Wedding Coordinator as to where candles and holders may be purchased.
Wedding Programs
Special wedding service programs may be printed by the church office for an extra charge. Your wedding program may include the outline of your ceremony and the names of those participating in the service. The couple is required to provide the wedding program covers. Designs currently available may be found at any local Christian supply store, local paper supply store, or ordered through the church office. Contact the Administrative Assistant at least one month prior to the wedding date if you choose to have the church office print your wedding programs. The wedding coordinator can provide sample wedding programs for your review.
Rice/Bird Seed Throwing
No rice, bird seed, confetti, flower petals or silly string may be thrown inside or outside the church. Bubbles or bells are good alternatives.
Guest Book
To assure that your ceremony begins on time, we ask that the guest book be closed ten minutes before the service. If more than 200 guests are expected, it is helpful to have a second guest book or additional pages to allow for two signing areas.
St. Paul’s buildings and grounds are smoke and alcohol free in their entirety. Persons violating this policy will be escorted off the premises and may cause the wedding to be cancelled.
Outline of Basic Wedding Ceremony*
Processional
Prayer
Greeting
Declaration of Intention
Family Blessing
Reading of the Scripture
Sharing of Vows
Exchange of Rings
Unity Candle/Song
Declaration of Marriage
Prayer of Blessing
Benediction
Kiss
Recessional
* Music, as appropriate, may be added in consultation with the pastor.
Order of Entrances
The following is the traditional order of the wedding processional. This order gives the wedding a worshipful atmosphere. The Wedding Coordinator or Pastor can suggest other ways to change this order.
Prelude (including vocal selections , if desired)
Seating of the grandparents
Groom’s mother is ushered down the center aisle on the usher’s right arm, father following.
Bride’s mother is ushered down the center aisle on the usher’s left arm.
The processional music is started by the organist and the Pastor, groom, best man and groomsmen (in this order) enter the Sanctuary.
The bridesmaids walk slowly down the center aisle, followed by the maid of honor, the flower girl and/or ring bearer.
When the bridesmaids arrive at the front of the Sanctuary, they turn and face the bride.
The children in the wedding party who are under 10 years of age are to be seated in the congregation with family members or close friends.
After the bridal party is in place, the bride enters. The bride’s mother stands at this time and the congregation follows her lead.
When the bride and her father/escort reach the front of the church, all of the bridal party turns and faces the Pastor.
Suggested Scripture Readings (NRSV)
1) Genesis 1:26-31 - - “Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.’ So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.’ God said, ‘See, I give you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.’ And it was so. God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”
2) Ruth 1:16,17– - “ But Ruth said, ‘Do not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die - there I will be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!’”
3) Proverbs 3:3-6 - - “Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and food repute in the sight of God and of people. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
4) Psalm 8 – - “ O Lord, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the mouths of babes and infants you have found a bulwark because of your foes to silence the enemy and the avenger. When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them? Yet you made him a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.”
5) Psalm 37:3-7a – - “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust Him, and he will act. He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like noonday. Be still before the Lord, and patiently wait for Him.”
6) Psalm 95:1-7a – - “O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, the heights of the mountains are His also. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture.”
7) Psalm 100 – - “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come to His presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His, we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and bless His name. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.”
8) Psalm 145-1-7 – - “ I will extol you, my God and King; and bless your name forever and ever. Everyday I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall laud your works to another; and shall declare Your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on your wonderful works, I will meditate. The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness. They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.”
9) Luke 6:36-38 – - “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For the measure you give, it will be the measure you get back.”
10) Romans 12:1,9-18 – - “ I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship... Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another showing honor.
Do not lag in zeal, but ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another, do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”
11) Ephesians 3:14-19 – - “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that according to the riches of His glory, He may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
12) I Corinthians 12:31b – 13:8a – - “But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but have not love, I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and can understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. Love is not envious or boastful arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things; believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
13) Colossians 3:12-17 – - “As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and
patience. Bear with one another, and if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves in love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Recessional
The couple walks down the center aisle at a normal pace, then the maid of honor takes the best man’s arm and follows, as do the attendants, allowing about ten to fifteen feet between couples. Finally, followed by the ring bearer and flower girl, the Pastor and the parents, and grandparents.
Continued Worship
Married couples are urged to attend church regularly, whether in this church or any other church of their choice. A common Christian commitment is not only a source of strength to both partners, but also a powerful stabilizing factor in marriage. We encourage you to visit St. Paul's United Methodist Church and to consider us your church home.
Congratulations and God Bless!