Wedding Packet
Please review this entire packet before booking your special day at Eureka Church
Eureka Church Weddings
We are excited that you are considering having your wedding at Eureka Church and look forward to helping you as you prepare for this special event. We have compiled information that we hope you will find helpful as you start thinking about the details for your wedding, and how Eureka Church will fit into that picture. Always feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Eureka Church Church Office
pastorandy@theeurekachurch.com
Eureka Church Wedding & Marriage Policy
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God and, as such, one’s biological sex is not to be rejected. (Gen 1:26-27.) We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one biological man and one biological woman in a single, exclusive, lifelong union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:I8-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4).
The purpose of weddings at Eureka Church is to establish stable Christian homes where Christ is honored as the head of the home. In order to help prepare couples toward that goal, the following policies have been created:
Weddings will only be conducted for two Christians who have demonstrated the maturity & compatibility to have a stable, God-honoring relationship.
Usually weddings will only be conducted at least 6 months after the first meeting between the pastor & couple, unless wisdom would warrant an exception.
To ensure solid preparation for marriage, a minimum of 8-10 hours of premarital counseling sessions (plus assigned homework) are required with the pastor before the wedding. The date may not be set before the pastor feels this will be a successful marriage.
The pastor will not conduct a wedding between a Christian and non-Christian.
A wedding will not be conducted for a couple that is living together or sexually active unless they agree to separate and keep sexually pure until the wedding. This
is for several reasons, including to demonstrate genuine Christian life (see #1 above) & for making a stable Christian home.
You may have a pastor outside of our church officiate the ceremony with approval from Pastor Andy.
Eureka Church Wedding Guidelines
A wedding is a worship service, and members of the wedding party are expected to respect and conduct themselves in a manner befitting the atmosphere of a place of worship.
The wedding party is responsible for all decorating, tear-down, and gathering of personal items for the church premises. Please make sure that you have designated personnel to move church furniture and miscellaneous items back to their original positions. Flower arrangements may be left in the church, but must be planned with the church wedding assistant beforehand. We thank you in advance for making arrangements to leave the church as you found it when you arrived. Those using the church facility must accept full responsibility for any damages to the building, grounds, or equipment during that use.
No smoking, alcoholic beverages, or illegal drugs are allowed in the church or on church grounds.
Rice, birdseed & confetti cannot be used in the church facility or on the church grounds. Bubbles are allowed outside the facility. Any other items to be thrown must be approved by the pastor.
The wedding party is responsible for all personal belongings and their safekeeping. The church is not responsible for any misplaced items.
The church sanctuary seats about 100 people comfortably.
The Annex seats approximately 50 people around tables depending on table size and layout. We have round tables & a few long banquet tables available for use.
Please have a designated person who will clean up the church, gathering all supplies you have brought in. If you would like to donate items to the church, please coordinate that ahead of time with the wedding assistant.
Church equipment specific to weddings hosted at the church property, please talk to wedding assistant to see what is currently available.
Premarital Counseling
A minimum of 8-10 hours of premarital counseling sessions (plus assigned homework) are required with the pastor before the wedding. The date may not be set before the pastor feels this will be a successful marriage.
A follow-up session will be scheduled 6-9 months after the wedding.
Pastor Andy will assign the necessary counseling materials that the couple will be responsible for buying. Included in that is a $35 fee for a marital preparation inventory, a nationally recognized survey that is purchased and sent in for interpretation.
For couples from this church, but not currently residing in the area, counseling may be arranged with an approved pastor or a Christian counselor, with certification from that person that the couple is properly prepared and suitable for marriage.
Musicians
The church has musicians who are willing to participate in the wedding by playing or singing. Members of the church have a variety of gifts and have helped in past weddings. If the particular musician you would like to have does not already have a fee they charge, it is recommended that you give a $50-100 complimentary gift (depending on their involvement in the wedding) for their time put into practice and performance. If you are interested, contact your wedding assistant about musician possibilities.
Dressing Rooms
Classrooms are available so that the bridal party may get dressed at the church.
Personal belongings may be kept there during the ceremony, but Eureka Church is not responsible for the safekeeping of these items. All items must be removed from the dressing rooms after the ceremony and the rooms must be left exactly as they were found. Needed rooms must be claimed & reserved in advance with the reservation.
Church Facility Guidelines
The piano & all sound/tech items on the stage may not be touched or moved by anyone other than the hired sound technician.
Any greenery or flower arrangements that belong to the church may be used in the wedding events with the understanding that it will be returned to its original location. Consult the wedding assistant to see what is available.
Non-drip candles should be used in the candelabras. If non-drip candles are not used, the couple will be responsible for reimbursing the church for cleaning or repair of any damage done to the sanctuary from the wax.
When decorating the church sanctuary, only masking/painters tape or floral wire may be used on any walls or pillars to hold up decorations.
Sound equipment of the church can only be operated by a sound tech from the church. No audiovisual equipment may be used or moved unless the sound technician is present and has approved such use. If the sanctuary is used, only the church’s audiovisual equipment may be used for events.
All music used in the wedding and played at the reception (if on church property) must reflect a Christian lifestyle, even if it is secular in choice.
Annex and Kitchen Use
The Annex in the church can seat approximately 50 people depending on seating arrangement, and the church has round plastic tables & chairs available. A wedding assistant or a site manager from the church must be present throughout the activities.
Decorating guidelines:
Tape may be used on the walls. Please only use masking/painters tape, as other kinds of tape leave a lasting residue.
All candles must be enclosed in votives, globes, or hurricanes. Open flame candles are a fire hazard and are not permitted.
No thumb tacks, nails, screws or scotch tape, please. Floral wire is preferred to secure items.
The group using the kitchen will be responsible for cleaning at the completion of the event.
If there are too many church items in the refrigerator/freezer to accommodate your event, please let us know so we can possibly move some to a different fridge/freezer in the church.
The wedding party is responsible for providing all of its paper products, including cups, plates, napkins, bowls, tableware, covers, etc.
All items used in the kitchen must be washed and replaced in their original location.
Counter tops and other surfaces must be wiped down and left ready for the next function in the kitchen. Please use your own washcloths.
Making a Reservation
Contact the church. The church’s availability is based on those who reserve the facility first (with the included down payment). The church contact will then check to make sure the church and pastor are available, and then get back to you regarding approval.
Read the Eureka Church Wedding & Building Use Policies. Contact the church to fill out an application for building and property use. The reservation will be confirmed upon the submission of this form and the appropriate fees.
Meet with Pastor Andy to set up premarital sessions. You may have a pastor outside the church officiate the ceremony with the approval.
Your church wedding assistant will be in contact with you regarding church property use, and will ask to do a short one-time meeting to show you the property & resources. The wedding assistant will also be available as a resource during your wedding (& rehearsal).