Weddings

Weddings at Advent are primarily services of worship, in which the Rite of Marriage is included. We would like to assist you in making arrangements with the church that will ensure that your ceremony is both worshipful and wonderful. Following are the simple guidelines for weddings at Advent Lutheran Church. Requests from non-members are only considered on a space available basis.

Preliminary Preparations

#1 – Book Your Wedding Date through the church office at 913-681-2074, or info@adventolathe.org. We will check the availability of the facilities that you require - the sanctuary for the ceremony and the rehearsal - and the Fellowship Hall for rehearsal dinner and the reception, if desired.

#2 – A Pastor will Contact You as soon as possible after your date is confirmed. You will receive information about premarital classes or appointments, and you will complete an online premarital inventory called “Prepare/Enrich.” There is an online scoring fee of $35 for this inventory, and the confidential results will be sent directly to the pastor.

#3 - Plan on Attending three classes or appointments with the pastor for the purposes of debriefing your Prepare/Enrich inventory, and to plan the worship service and marriage ceremony.

Wedding Hostess Assistance

Nancy Finnerty, Advent’s Wedding Hostess, will contact you to answer any questions you might have about your wedding preparations at the church. She will be present for the rehearsal and during the ceremony to assist you. h Christ. Baptism is one of two sacraments for Lutherans, the other being Holy Communion.

Guidelines for Use of Advent’s Sanctuary and Facilities

#1 - Colors in the Church are pre-determined by the season of the Church Year. When you book your wedding date, you should inquire as to what colors and decorations will be in use at the time of your ceremony. With the exception of candelabra, wedding flowers, and a unity candle or sand ceremony, there will be no additional decorations permitted in the area within the communion rails.

#2 - No tape or tacks may be used on the rail, the pews or other wood.

#3 – All music and non-church musicians used within the ceremony must be approved by the pastor or Director of Music, Tom Williams.

#4 – Immediately following the ceremony, all wedding decorations and personal property should be removed from all rooms that were utilized by the wedding party.

#5 – Smoking and the consumption of alcohol are prohibited on our campus by our property guidelines, as of June 2015.

Some Questions to Ponder in Your Early Planning

#1 – Would you consider a day other than Saturday as your wedding date?

#2 - How might the color of the church season (which is predetermined) contrast with or complement the colors of your wedding?

#3 - Will you include Holy Communion as part of your ceremony?

#4 – When would you want to have use of the sanctuary/grounds for pictures? We discourage the taking of pictures following the ceremony, as it is difficult for us to change over for our Sunday worship in a timely fashion.

#5 – Will you want to engage Advent’s musicians, or will you provide your own? We encourage a meeting with our Director of Music well in advance of the ceremony at which time music can be sampled and arrangements for musicians can be made.

Facility Usage

Advent’s wedding hospitality includes building use, sound system and utilities for rehearsal and wedding ceremony, wedding hostess and altar care, set up of sanctuary, narthex and additional bride’s and groom’s rooms, and janitorial services following the ceremony.

We have several rooms which can be made available for the members of the wedding party. The nursery is the most convenient for the bridal party, as it has its own private bathroom and full length mirror. Chairs and an ironing board will be made available. Men may gather in the library, the youth room or a Sunday school room.

Fees

---Pastoral honorarium: $500 (3 sessions, rehearsal, ceremony)

---House Musician fees: $300 for an organist/pianist;

---$400 for organist and pianist

(less $50 if not required at rehearsal)

---$150 for a Vocal Soloist, Harp or Flute

Fees should be paid directly to the pastor and musicians at the rehearsal. While no facility usage fees are charged to members, a free-will contribution to Advent is always appreciated.

Timing of Photographs

We would like to encourage you to have your pictures taken before the ceremony. Most photographers are prepared to set up a “first look” photo when the bride and groom see each other for the first time. Afterwards, they are free to enjoy time with family and friends as pictures are taken. We have found this relieves stress on the bride, involves her in the pre-ceremony festivities and allows for a quick exit following the wedding so guests are not kept waiting.

Final Thoughts

We want your wedding at Advent to be a meaningful worship service, to honor the love that comes first from God and that you now share with one another. We offer our church, staff and volunteers to help make your day unique, special and a symbol of God’s love in the world.

Blessings on you, and on this exciting time in your life!