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It depends what city and state are thinking of?

Most churches will allow you to get married there without being a member. Problem is it will cost more. Sometimes it's better to become a member because it's cheaper rates on both the church and the officiant!

Of course it's all up to you and what you and your FH want to do!

You'll just have to look around your area... what city/state are you getting married in?

We are getting Married in IL
Near Barrington

http://www.chapel.org/news/item/weddings_at_the_chapel

http://www.chicagoweddingceremonysites.com/main/by-location/northwest-suburbs/barrington-united-methodist-church/

...just from a Google search, I don't live in IL so I have no idea what these places are like... the 2nd link actually has a big list of churches.

Any family that lives near there that you can get married at their church?

I'm from IL - right near there... what venue are you at? if you don't mind me asking...

We are having the reception at the Seville in streamwood

You can have a Christian wedding without being a member of a Christian church.....but most churches expect you to be a member to get married there, which only makes sense. A church is not just a building; it's a community that can only thrive when the members take an active part in it.

Maybe a Christian ceremony in a rental space makes more sense?

A Unitarian Universalist church would marry you regardless of religious affiliation or membership.

Sandy, I actually attend (not a member) of Barrington United Methodist Church mentioned above. It's a lovely church with very nice people and I'm pretty sure you don't have to be a member to having a wedding there, at least not according to their web site (http://barringtonumc.com/worship/weddings/). However I'm pretty sure you will have to have several pre-wedding meetings and couple sessions with the Pastor etc. One of the reasons we didn't have our wedding their is I knew that they wouldn't let us customize the ceremony as much as we wanted. Well, that, plus I really wanted to get married in the church I grew up in. BUMC is probably about a 20 minute drive to your reception location.

I don't know that this is true for all UUA churches. Each church is able to set their own policies regarding this, so a general statement like that may not be true.
ALSO, a UUA minister, depending on their particular outlook, may not perform a ceremony that feels 'Christian' enough to the couple. (This, I know about; I was a candidate for ordination within the UUA and a life long member. It's not a 'church about nothing', as some think.

One of my colleagues wanted to have her son married at a UUA church and the minister not only would NOT allow them to write their own ceremony, he would not allow anyone except himself to officiate. It's not as 'free' as you might think.

Mary- Yea i've hear of the United Methodist Church in barrington
Although I dont know how different Methodist is compared to a regular christian church? I dont know their beliefs etc..

I go to a Methodist church here where I'm at. Members get free use of the facilities. Non-members are charged. Not sure how much though.

Methodist is a branch of Christianity just like Baptist, Protestant, Prebyterian, etc.

Regardless, you'll still need to sit down with the pastor there and make sure you get the ceremony you're looking for.

hire Celia, lol

Sandy - most Methodist churches would be considered "orthodox' Christian, if you will, but there is a very wide variation in what one person considers Christian companred to another person. In my area, most of the Methodist churches will rent out for weddings - for a price if you are not a memeber. Are you looking for the ambiance of a traditional church building or tradtional Christian ceremony content?

My church holds 99 people and we have over 200 invited guests. Also, our pastor is on a vacation that weekend. So we are hiring a non-denominational pastor and getting married in a park.

Joining a church just to get the use of their building and minister doesn't sound, well, you know, honest? As for UUA ministers, generally I would think most of them would do your wedding for you, maybe not all of them. (I am a UU member, but a civil appointee).