HICKORY HAMMOCK BAPTIST CHURCH WEDDING POLICY AGREEMENT

 

Weddings at HHBC will be for active church members only. Weddings for non-members are not allowed at the church. Although it is not mandatory that one of our pastors perform the ceremony, no wedding will be held at the church without involvement of a member of the pastoral staff – nor may another Pastor perform the ceremony without approval of the HHBC Pastoral staff. Pastoral participation in wedding ceremonies is a ministry, not a mandatory obligation. Therefore, all weddings will be strictly Christian in nature. The pastors do not perform weddings for couples that are living together or involved in homosexual “unions”  - nor will they be involved in wedding proceedings that include the use of alcohol.

 

Sanctuary Weddings will be performed for ACTIVE members ONLY. “Active Membership” is defined by our Church By-Laws. This “active membership” must be displayed for a period of at least several months PRIOR to applying for a wedding date to be posted on the Church Calendar. Sanctuary weddings meeting the above requirements are still subject to the below stated conditions.

           

The Pastors involved with Premarital counseling and any other aspect of the actual wedding reserve the right to make decisions based upon each case regarding:

A.      The ability to perform the wedding at all.

B.      The ability to actually have a Sanctuary Wedding.

C.      Any other aspects of the wedding that reflect on the overall witness of the wedding as is reflected in the consistent biblical teachings and overall testimony of HHBC regarding marriage, home and family.

 

Conditions of “consideration” are – for example (but not limited to):

A.      Living together outside of marriage

B.      Children born outside of marriage

C.      Overall witness of Biblical godliness prior to premarital counseling.

D.      Overall “dating” or “courting” relationship prior to marriage.

E.      No homosexual unions will be considered for marriage ceremonies.

 

Premarital Counseling for the engaged couple must be successfully completed before a pastor will obligate himself or the church facilities. This counseling may require several sessions, depending on the circumstances. If premarital counseling reveals that there are unbiblical conditions that the couple is unwilling to rectify, the pastors will not be able to conduct the wedding. If there are other issues of incompatibility, the pastors reserve the right to not perform the wedding ceremony.

 

Custodial Arrangements to allow the use of the facilities must be made with the Church Custodian. No furniture or equipment may be moved without his approval. There will be no custodial fees, however, the bridal party will be responsible for payment for any damages done to church property. The bridal party is also responsible for cleaning and restoring all furniture and equipment to its proper place. This should be done as soon as possible after the ceremony. When clean-up has been completed, the party is to notify the custodian so that he may secure the buildings. Refundable $100 each deposits must be made for the use of the Sanctuary and/or Fellowship Hall. Failure to adhere to church polices may result in forfeiture of deposits. Deposits do not relieve the party’s responsibilities to care for church property. Any cleaning or repair costs to church facilities will be incurred by the bridal party and the deposits will be forfeited. Refund of the deposits is at the discretion of the church.

 

Use of Music and Sound Equipment must be coordinated and approved by the Minister of Music or the person that he may assign. All music must be submitted to the pastoral staff for approval. Inappropriate non-Christian music will not be allowed. Use of the church sound equipment requires the services of an approved and qualified sound technician. Sufficient prior notification and in some instances an honorarium will be required. Other honorariums are not required but may be offered at the discretion of the bridal party. (Pastor, custodian, singers, instrumentalists, others involved in the ceremony)

 

Decorations are necessary in many weddings, but they must not interfere with the normal operations of the church, and they must be removed immediately after the service. Anything permanently attached (church banners, pictures etc.) must not be removed. Only dripless candles may be used with sufficient precautions to prevent damage to church property.

 

Prohibited Activities include: no use of alcoholic beverages allowed on premises, no tobacco products in church buildings, no litter (confetti, rice etc.) used in church buildings or left on church premises, no inappropriate language or actions that would dishonor the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Photography is not allowed during the preaching of the wedding. Arrangements must be made with the pastor as to when pictures may be taken. Pastors will be available for pictures after the service.

 

Marriage Licenses are required by the State of Florida. It is the responsibility of the bridal party to secure all documents and have them present at the time of the wedding rehearsal.

 

All elements of the wedding ceremony are subject to the Pastor’s approval even when a wedding planner has been secured.

 

Agreement Voucher:

 

We have read the above HHBC Wedding Policies and agree to the content. We agree to abide by these procedures.

 

_____________________________                                                       _______________________

Signature of the Groom                                                                          Date

 

_____________________________                                                       _______________________ Signature of the Bride                                                                                Date