Our Sanctuary is a beautiful place for a large or small ceremony.

Our scenic courtyard is a perfect photo location.

The walk down our 100 foot aisle is a special highlight for every bride.

A lovely spot for your first moments together as husband and wife.

Congratulations on your engagement! This is an exciting time of anticipation and planning for you!

We are pleased that you are considering First Baptist Church for your wedding ceremony. A wedding service is acutally a worship service - a couple's declaration before God and the community of faith that they are committed to each other and seeking God's blessing of their union. The ceremony is comprised of prayers, Scripture, and music.

Begin Early
Your ceremony is important to us and deserves careful planning and preparation. Your first step is to contact the Wedding Coordinator to select the date, secured with an initial deposit of $500. Weddings must be booked at least three months in advance to allow time for permarital counseling with one of our ministers.

Your first point of contact is the Wedding Coordinator, who will assist you through the entire planning process. Contact Laura Preston at (216) 408-3502 or by .

Laura is available to you from your initial inquiry to the moment you leave the church on your wedding day. She is the link between the church and you. She will help you with booking vendors, guiding the rehearsal, planning a timeline for your wedding day, and so much more.

Rehearsal

A rehearsal is necessary to familiarize your wedding party with the ceremony. The rehearsal is usually scheduled for the day prior to the wedding, and typically lasts at least one hour. The minister, wedding coordinator, organist and custodian are all present at the rehearsal.

The Wedding Day

Because other weddings may be scheduled the same day as yours, each couple will have use of the church for four hours on the day of the wedding. This includes time for decorating, photographs, the ceremony, and receiving line. Couples who exceed the four hour time frame will incur additional charges.

Wedding Bulletin

The wedding coordinator will prepare your wedding program, if desired. The bride and groom are expected to provide the bulletin paper or covers at the final meeting.

Rehearsal Dinner/Reception

You may want to consider using the church as the location for your rehearsal dinner or reception. There are several rooms to choose from that are available to you (at additional cost.) In order to use our commercial kitchen, the church cook must be present. She will be happy to meet with you and discuss planning a delicious meal for your guests. A per-plate price can be decided on once you have made your selections.

Click the following link to download the FBC wedding brochure (including all associated fees) as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file:

Wedding Brochure
Wedding Contract

Obtain your marriage license 30 days prior to the wedding.

A member of the ministerial staff at FBC will officiate at your wedding. If you have another ordained Christian minister you would like to include as part of your ceremony, we will work with you to accommodate your request.

To fully prepare each couple for marriage, a program of pre-marital counseling approved by the officiating minister is required for all couples.

The minister officiating at your ceremony will be selected according to their availability.

Ceremonies at FBC will reflect each couple's style and personality, woven together with elements of Christian worship. Ceremonies at FBC will reflect the standard that God is the center of our lives.

If children under the age of five are part of the wedding ceremony, there must be an adult not in the wedding party assigned to be responsible for the children.

Items such as aisle runner, rings, pillow, baskets, candles, readings, guest book, etc., must be given to the wedding coordinator at the final meeting.

We do not permit the throwing of rice, confetti or other materials requiring cleanup outside the Sanctuary steps or courtyard.

Smoking and alcohol are not allowed on the church grounds.

Your wedding party must agree to indemnify and hold harmless First Baptist Church from any injuries that may occur while on the premises.

The term "members" refers to persons who are on the current membership roll at FBC and their immediate family.