First Congregational Church United Church of Christ  

Our Church

First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Prescott (FCCUCC) has been blessed with a lovely Sanctuary, and weddings held within it are beautiful, God-centered celebrations of  love.  Our pastor and staff will be happy to assist you with the planning of your wedding in our sanctuary.  As we are committed to the theological freedom of the United Church of Christ, we will help you design your wedding ceremony so that it will suit your own expression of faith and belief, as well as preserve the character and dignity worthy of God's sacrament of marriage.

The Wedding Service

A Christian wedding ceremony is a worship service designed to invite God into a covenantal relationship between two people based on love, trust and mutual respect for each other, before family and friends.  In the act of offering unconditional love to each other, the couple enters into this covenant which encourages a relationship of intimacy, affection and mutual enrichment, and at the same time, commits their relationship to the service and glory of God. At First Congregational, our belief is that weddings should be planned and conducted in such a way as to honor God.

The Pastor's role

Weddings held at FCCUCC will be officiated by Pastor Jane.  Pastors of other churches may be invited to participate at the request of the couple.  This request must be approved by our Pastor.

To help you prepare for a life of love and support, Pastor Jane asks that each couple meets with her for three (3) discussion sessions before the wedding day.  Topics for discussion will include preparation for the wedding ceremony, as well as life issues which may become challenges during that first crucial year of marriage. These sessions are designed to better equip you for this new covenant you are entering into, as well as to ensure that plans for your special day are as you want them.

The Wedding Coordinator

Our wedding coordinator (wc) coordinates all weddings held at our church.  She will be available from the early planning stages of your wedding to answer questions and help you prepare for the wedding event.

The WC will be responsible for sharing all policies and procedures with any caterers, florists, or other support personnel.  She will also be present for the rehearsal and the wedding itself, to give instructions and keep things moving smoothly.  She is here to assist you, and she'll be present from the opening of the church on your wedding day until the last photograph is taken and all people have left for the reception, attending to all details and troubleshooting any problems on your behalf.

The Sanctuary

The maximum seating capacity of our Sanctuary is  200.  Because this is a historical building,  we ask that no member of the wedding party, family or guests make alterations to the Sanctuary or move any furnishings without consulting our Coordinator or Pastor Jane first.

The Music

Since the wedding ceremony is a worship service, all music should be appropriate for the worship setting.  If you have specific music you would like played during the ceremony, please submit it a month before the wedding so that our organist can learn it.  If you need suggestions, Pastor Jane will be happy to help you find meaningful music.  We reserve the right to ask you to reconsider a piece of music which may not be appropriate for worship.

The Organist

Our Organist, Carole Sue Linson, is the only individual authorized to play the organ in our Sanctuary. She's a very accomplished musician and can accompany your ceremony on either organ or piano.  If you would like to use the piano or other musical instruments, you are welcome to do so with prior arrangements and approval by Pastor Jane. 

Soloists

Soloists are welcome!  If you would like to have a soloist, (and if our organist is to accompany him or her) please be sure to get the music to us a month before the wedding.  While the responsibility for paying special musicians is yours, if you give the wedding coordinator the contact information, she will be happy to schedule a rehearsal with our organist.  On the day of the wedding, she will also be sure your payment is given to the soloist.  If you would like a soloist but don't know of any, Pastor Jane will help you locate one.  

The Rehearsal

The rehearsal generally will take place the day before the wedding in the evening; the time will be arranged with Pastor Jane.   While we usually don't hold rehearsal dinners in our facility, if you have need for this, arrangements can be made for an additional fee.  Rehearsal usually lasts an hour or so.

The Reception

Receptions may be held in Perkins Hall, adjoining the Sanctuary, for an additional fee.  We ask that receptions held in Perkins Hall end no later than 9:00 p.m., and while you are welcome to use the kitchen, we would appreciate it if you do not bring alcohol into the building. Maximum capacity of Perkins Hall is 125.  Arrangements regarding use of Perkins Hall should be made with Pastor Jane when you secure your wedding date.

The Guest Book & Gifts

Please be sure to arrange for a person to supervise your guest book and gifts that are brought to the church.  First Congregational Church cannot assume responsibility for materials, equipment, clothing, money, jewelry, gifts or other items left at the church at any time.

Decorations

You will be able to decorate the church the day before the ceremony.  Again, because this is a historical building, please do not use things like nails, tacks, and tape to attach your decorations.  If you use any of the church-provided decorations, the wedding coordinator will be happy to assist you with placement of them.

♥ All fresh floral arrangements must have protective shields underneath the containers.  Please do not put flowers on the piano or organ.

♥ We will be happy to use your flowers in our Sunday worship service if you decide not to take them to your reception. Bows or flowers may mark seating areas; please remove these with the other decorations after the service.

♥ If you would like a white aisle runner, we can rent one for you for an additional fee; just let the wedding coordinator know of your needs.

Because worship generally takes place the next day and we need to prepare for it, we ask that all decorations you provide be removed from the sanctuary immediately after the completion of photography the day of the wedding.  It would be helpful if you assigned someone to be responsible for this, and inform the wedding coordinator who that is and how they can be contacted if this hasn't been done.  The church building will remain open one hour after the ceremony and/or reception in Perkins Hall to allow you time to make sure all decorations have been removed. (If you have used church-provided decorations, we will take care of the removal of them in time for worship on the following day).

Photography

Beautiful pictures of your wedding will bring you lasting memories, so flash photographs may be taken prior to the ceremony until the ushers begin seating guests.  To make things easier for you after the ceremony when you want to be with your families and friends, we encourage you to take most (if not all) photographs before the ceremony.  If you need to get into the church earlier to take photos, let the wedding coordinator or Pastor Jane know; one of both of them will be around and will be able to let you into the church to take pictures before your guests arrive.

Because so much of a meaningful wedding rests on the environment that welcomes your guests, prelude music and seating of guests will begin 15 minutes prior to the ceremony.  This is the signal that the  focus of the ceremony should turn to God's place in your wedding and marriage, so we ask that once the music starts, no more flash photographs be taken until the conclusion of the ceremony.  Please inform your family and friends that flash photography is prohibited during the ceremony.  Non-intrusive, stationary video cameras (on a tripod or similar stand) or digital cameras using available light are permitted in the Sanctuary to record the service, provided they are placed in an unobtrusive area of the church and they don't distract from the worship during the ceremony.  

Custodial Responsibilities

Weddings require the services of our staff Custodian, Bill Linson, both prior to and following your ceremony.  He will see that our church is ready for your big day, and he will also do the clean up when you're gone. 

Miscellaneous

♥ Please know that you and your wedding party are responsible for any damage to the building or furniture.  We ask that you respect this beautiful old building by being mindful that much of it is more than 100 years old! 

♥ If you bring in outside wedding personnel, such as caterers,  please know they use the facility at their own risk and must carry their own liability insurance.  Caterers using our facility must provide copies of their Retail Food Permit and copies of their last two (2) Health Inspections including the complete report with comments.

♥ Parking is available on our lot, and  street parking is also available in accordance with City regulations. If parking facilities are needed beyond the conclusion of the rehearsal, wedding ceremony and/or on-site reception, please notify Pastor Jane.  (We need parking spaces for worship, and so discourage allowing vehicles to be left behind).

♥ This church and its grounds are considered a NO SMOKING  and a NO ALCOHOL zone.

♥ Please keep food and beverages in Perkins Hall .

♥ You are welcome to throw rose petals or blow bubbles to the bride and groom outside, but we ask that you do not use confetti, bird seed, glitter and/or rice in-or-outside the church.

♥ We can provide you with a  Bride's room and a Groom's room (if needed). In addition to Perkins Hall, there are lower level restrooms and (if you use Perkins Hall for your reception) the kitchen is also available.  Please do not go into  other areas of the church without clearing it with the wedding coordinator or Pastor Jane.

♥ Please remind your wedding party and guests to take care of their personal belongings.  First Congregational cannot assume responsibility for materials, equipment, clothing, money, jewelry, gifts or other items left at the church at any time.  You might consider having all personal items packed before the service, ready to take away after the service.  We recommend that you have your belongings loaded into your car before the ceremony begins, or you can ask someone in your family to be sure all your items are safely taken from the building.