Wedding Policy

Members of Memorial Presbyterian Church as well as nonmembers interested in being married at MPC are invited to contact the church office (904-829-6451) and make the following arrangements:

• Speak with the Church Wedding Coordinator who will ascertain the availability of your desired date for your wedding.
• The wedding application form should be completed and submitted to the Church Wedding Coordinator who will forward it to a pastor. When you meet with a pastor, the following areas will be discussed: the meaning of Christian marriage, your Christian faith, church policies, and premarital conferences. Your wedding can only be scheduled after you have met with a pastor and he/she has agreed to the service. The fee for the use of the church facility must be paid within seven [7] days after your meeting with the pastor. Only at this point is your wedding date confirmed. The fees for pastor, organist, wedding coordinator and church sexton is due no later than 30 days prior to the service. Please make checks for these fees payable to the people providing the service.
• Beyond the guidance of a pastor, you will also have a Wedding Coordinator to help with all the details of your wedding at MPC. The Wedding Coordinator will act as liaison between the bride and groom; the pastor and organist. The Wedding Coordinator will coordinate the wedding rehearsal and the wedding service. While the bride and groom may choose to contract with a “wedding planner” to handle various other details, the direction of the wedding rehearsal and wedding is entirely under the supervision of Memorial Presbyterian Church’s Wedding Coordinator and Pastor. Please notify any planners of this requirement.

One hour is allotted for each rehearsal. Rehearsals are scheduled at 5:00 p.m. the Friday before your wedding (or Thursday if your wedding is scheduled for Friday). Rehearsals begin promptly at 5:00 p.m.; therefore, we would like for brides and grooms to emphasize to the other participants that everyone needs to be on time for the rehearsal. We suggest that all participants arrive at the church at 4:45 p.m. You should bring your Marriage License, Unity Candle and stand (if using one) and Programs to the rehearsal.

Memorial Presbyterian Church has a long tradition of quality organ music. The Wedding Coordinator will present the bride and groom with appropriate music available for the wedding service. Music suitable for the marriage service directs attention to God and expresses the faith of the church. Secular love songs, prerecorded music and music inappropriate for worship will not be permitted. The officiating minister has final approval of all music performed before and during the service.

Memorial’s regular church organist or a designated substitute shall play for all weddings. Additional instrumentalists or soloists may be contracted by the bride and groom with approval from the officiating minister. Please note these musicians shall be under the direction of the organist of Memorial Presbyterian Church. Extra fees with the organist may be incurred to cover rehearsal times with instrumentalists or soloists.

The primary use of the Sanctuary is for congregational worship. The principal service is on Sunday morning. Liturgical decorations that may be in place at the time of your wedding will remain in place.

• For safety reasons, runners, candelabra and wagons are not allowed. Any other wedding accessories, i.e. unity candle and stand etc., must be obtained by the bridal couple and cleared in advance with the Wedding Coordinator.
• Flower arrangements are permitted only in the provided pots/stands. Arrangements must be tasteful and no larger than standard “alter” arrangements. Floral arrangements should be prepared by the florist before being brought to the church.
• The baptismal font may not be obscured from full view of the congregation. The font may not be used for decorations with the exception of a Unity Candle.
• The lectern and pulpit areas shall not be decorated or obscured from full view of the congregation. They may be used for the reading of the Bible and the proclamation of the Word of God.
• Bows and such denoting reserved seating for special guests may be tied to the pews. No other decorations may be affixed to any of the church furnishings including doors.

The environment of the wedding service is one of worship. For this reason, staged photography and videotaping in the Sanctuary are only permitted up to forty-five minutes before the service and immediately after the service. Other pre-service photos on the church grounds must conclude no later than thirty minutes prior to the service to allow the bride and groom and their party adequate time to prepare for the service. No additional lighting may be used during the service. In no way may a photographer and/or videographer disrupt the service.

Professional photographers and/or videographers are required to consult with the Wedding Coordinator and must sign the “Wedding Photography Rules Agreement.”

Flash photography is not permitted during the service. Every effort should be made to let wedding guests know that picture taking and filming is limited to the professionals hired by the bride and groom.

• The use of alcoholic beverages, throwing of rice, birdseed or any like substances, and obscene language are strictly prohibited. Violation of this guideline is grounds for immediate termination of any wedding agreement without refund.
• The use of glitter is strictly prohibited.
• Smoking, eating, or drinking is not permitted in the sanctuary at any time. Use of alcohol anywhere on the church grounds is strictly prohibited.
• The wedding couple will provide their own wedding programs. Please consult with MPC’s Wedding Coordinator for the Ceremony Order of Worship.
• Items belonging to the wedding couple and their guests are the sole responsibility of the parties and not MPC.
• MPC is not responsible for arrangements with third parties for wedding services, accessories, or related concerns.
• The marriage license must be given to the MPC Wedding Coordinator no later than the day of the wedding rehearsal. In the State of Florida it is not necessary for witnesses to sign the license; however, if you would like witnesses to sign, please let the Wedding Coordinator know ahead of time so arrangements can be made to get their signatures.
• Guest Registers are permitted; however, we discourage use of the Guest Register at the church as it creates delays in seating your guests.
• Your wedding invitations and program information should read: Memorial Presbyterian Church 36 Sevilla Street St. Augustine, Florida 32084

The Sanctuary will seat approximately 450 people. Only the East doors (Sevilla Street) will be open for guests to come into the Sanctuary. Guests will not be permitted to enter the Sanctuary through the South doors (Valencia Street). The Sanctuary will be open for your guests’ arrival one hour before the start time of your wedding.

The Bridal Suite will be available to you two hours before the time of your wedding and no more than one hour following the conclusion of the wedding service. These limits will be strictly enforced. Please do not ask for exceptions.

A bridal dressing room is available for the bride and wedding party. Gowns and other items may be placed in the Bridal Suite on the day of the rehearsal. The Church and staff are not responsible for lost or stolen articles. Caution should be used.

It is your responsibility to assign someone to clear out the Bridal Suite of all personal items prior to your departure from the church. The Church and Staff are not responsible for items left in the dressing room after your wedding.

Guests attending your wedding may park in the Church parking lot only during the wedding service without payment. Please remind your guests that cars must be moved immediately following the ceremony. However, if your guests wish to park in the lot after the church service, they will be required to pay for parking. Payment is rendered to the parking attendant upon arrival. The lot is not available to “rent”. Vehicles left in either the paved and/or unpaved lots without payment after the wedding ceremony are subject to towing. You are responsible to notify your wedding party and guests. NO OVERNIGHT PARKING.

The fee for the use of the church facility must be paid within seven [7] days after your meeting with the Pastor. This check should be made payable to Memorial Presbyterian Church. If you choose to pay online, please cover the processing fees, as that is not part of the agreement. Fees for pastor, organist, wedding coordinator and church sexton are due no later than 30 days prior to the service. Checks are to be made payable to the individuals providing the service. You will receive an invoice from the Church Wedding Coordinator for payment. Please mail or bring them to the church office.

For couples seeking to be married at Memorial Presbyterian Church, at least one person must be an active member of Memorial Presbyterian Church for at least one year to receive member rates. Children of members receive the member rate. Please contact the church office for the member fee schedule

WEDDING FEE SCHEDULE

• Sanctuary $3,000 Payable to Memorial Presbyterian Church (paid within seven [7] days after meeting with the pastor, either in person-telephone/zoom)
• Minister $500 (due 30 days before your wedding)
• Organist $400 (due 30 days before your wedding)
• Coordinator $500 (due 30 days before your wedding)
• ** Sexton $250 (due 30 days before your wedding)
• Total: $4,650

Optional:

• Live Stream the Service $300.00 (due 30 days before your wedding)
• Soloist (if contracted through the church) $150.00 (due 30 days before your wedding)

All checks are to be mailed directly to the church office at 32 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084 and must be received and cleared before your wedding. Fees subject to change without notice.

*If you cancel your wedding:

• You may receive a facility refund (less $500 non-refundable portion) if your cancellation occurs twelve months or more before the date of the wedding.
• Fifty percent of your facility fee will be refunded to you (less $500 non-refundable portion) if you cancel between eleven and six months of the wedding date.
• No refund is made if your wedding is cancelled less than six months before the date of the wedding.

Acts of God Clause: In the event that Memorial Presbyterian Church is unable to perform your wedding ceremony due to hurricanes or other natural disasters, we may use your facility payment toward a new mutually agreed available date in the next six to twelve months.

**A Church Wedding Coordinator will be assigned to you upon receipt of your facility payment. It will be your responsibility to make initial contact with the coordinator.