what is the procedure to get married in a Church??

I know with us we have to go through marriage counseling which from what i hear everyone does. the church we are using doesn't charge you to have your wedding there but they do expect a donation. our first meeting with the pastor is thursday and he did tell me that the ones who dont go to church have the hardest time with the marriage counseling. so we will see.

It depends on what type of church you would like to get married in. Some churches will only allow you to marry if you are a member. I would just check with the minister, pastor, or other church officer of church that you attend, and see if it's okay. If so, then ask if the church is available for you to marry on your chosen date. Make sure to reserve it as soon as possible if it is available!

Make sure to ask about your music options as well. Some churches only allow their organ, or a string quartet.

Hope this helps!

http://simplysmittenbrides.blogspot.com

Good Luck! I am going to call a church near my house. I have been there before for a wedding. I looked on their website and it did mention the counseling. So I am not to sure about that. Hopefully it goes well

All churches have different requirements so I'd look into several churches to see what they are. Some are free but ask for a donation, some charge a fee, some require marriage counseling, and to get married in the Catholic church there are lots of requirements that have to be fulfilled. Shop around and see what comes up.

You'll definitely want to contact the church or look online to get the information holding wedding ceremonies there. If the office manager cannot provide information they can put you through to the officiant who can. Some churches will not marry non-members in which case you'll need to decide if you would like to take steps to become a member. This ranges from simply taking classes offered by the church to learn about them to paying fees for membership. As mentioned usually a church doesn't require a "fee" per se, but wants a donation for using the sanctuary. Also they should tell you about the fees and policies related to the officiant, music (some require certain approved pianists/organists and pieces of music), pre-marital counseling, decor and attire.

Hope this helps!

Which church? What denomination are you?

We are getting married at a non-denominational chapel because we are different religions and couldn't decide. At this chapel they require nothing counseling wise, but require you to choose your own officiant although they do give you a list of ones they generally work with.

My church doesn't require membership, but if you want to use the pastor he does require the pre-marital counseling, which I would strongly suggest everyone to take part in anyways.... It helps you air dirty laundry, and hopefully grow you closer together.

Other than that I've never understood the stupid requirements put forth by churches.... I'm a devout follower of Christ, but these unnecessary rules drive me crazy.

I'd definitely suggest calling the church office and ask what you need to do... also do you plan on using your pastor? or are you hiring another?

I would talk to the pastor at the church, or call the church you're interested in,... best thing to do is ask.

PS- Totally with you Brian!

The church we are using did require that either the bride or groom be a member of the church. FH is a member, and I am in the process of becoming a member, so it's not a problem for us. Just check with the pastor...I think it definitely depends on the particular church and pastor.

This church i want to get married in is lutheran.

I'm with brian.....and i know it's off topic, but either way.....all the PP's are right, some churches just have rules/regs and counseling...heck, just for my MIL to marry us, she wants to do counseling...and fh disagrees...so we're doing our license first, then we're doing our ceremony with her...BUT apparently he says she was an option, and that he completely disagrees with everything about her church(oh so do i...they're very very backwards...and yea i'll maybe have to post a blog lol)...so it looks like we'll be looking for a pastor here...we haven't found a church yet...we weren't looking actually...but UH has a tiny chapel, that would probably hold us, and it's in our range, and of course doesn't require counseling, but we have to find our own officiant...

My fiance and I were really skeptical about the counseling but you know what, we both found it really worthwhile. Sometimes you think you have this perfect little relationship and you don't realize there are issues you are bottling up. The counseling helped us make sure we had covered EVERY important issue before we got married (which we were sure we had.) So, I wouldn't necessarily avoid a church because they require counseling, it may end up being one of the best things you invest your time in. Good luck!

Hi Trina,

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. A church wedding can be particularly lovely and meaningful and you have gotten some great advice so far. As has been said, requirements differ from church to church. The first step would be to contact the pastor at the church you attend. He or she will be able to advise you of the requirements for that particular church.

Music is another issue in church. In some, anything goes while others have specific rules about the type of music and musicians. Most churches, however, welcome harpists! ;o) For a discussion of ceremony music options with a repertoire list and lots of suggestions please visit:

http://hudsonvalleyharpist.webs.com/ceremonysuggestions.htm

Best wishes,

Margaret Sneddon, Harpist

www.margaretsneddon.com

New York metro area, Westchester and the Hudson Valley, CT, NJ