Weddings at OMPC

Rehearsal. Sanctuary fees are based on the expectation that you will need the facilities for a maximum of two hours from the announced rehearsal hour. Your rehearsal needs to begin promptly at the time you have designated. Please be respectful of these time guidelines as we wish to avoid causing our Facilities Staff to be here an extended amount of time. Should your rehearsal go overtime, you will incur an additional hourly charge.

Wedding. Facilities Staff will unlock the building a maximum of five hours before the ceremony, but no earlier than 8:00am. Flowers, decorations and equipment must be removed immediately from the Sanctuary following the wedding ceremony, with all equipment and decorations removed from the church within one hour from the wedding hour. Please make sure your florist is aware of this policy. Additionally, because of time constraints to prepare for Sunday services, flowers and props may be immediately removed following the ceremony and placed back stage in order to reset the stage for Sunday services. The facilities must be left in the same condition in which they were found.

The Sound Technician(s) will arrive two hours prior to the time of the wedding to set up sound equipment needed. Sound check for any vocalists will be one and one half hours prior to the time of the wedding.

Please see Kitchen Policy. The church kitchen may be available as a staging area for warm-up, food assembly, serving and clean up. The church kitchen and gym will be open as needed for a maximum of five hours prior to the wedding hour, but no earlier than 8:00am. The caterers must complete their work, remove all food and equipment, perform clean up, take all trash out, and vacate the premises within one hour following the reception’s end. Failure to properly clean the kitchen will result in the Bride being charged a $100 clean up fee.

1. Weddings at OMPC are for members and children of members or members of another congregation of the Presbyterian Church in America, therefore at least one of the engaged couple must be a member or child of an OMPC member or PCA church member.

2. Because of the Biblical prohibition against marriage between a Christian and non-Christian (1 Corinthians 6:14-18), both parties must be Christians.

3. Any of OMPC’s ministers may perform the wedding. We welcome other PCA ministers and upon approval by OMPC’s Executive Pastor, other ministers may be allowed to perform the ceremony.

4. Church marriage is a part of the liturgy of the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). It is clearly regarded by the PCA as a specifically Christian act, distinguished from a civil ceremony or rite of a non-Christian organization or religion. The PCA has a specific order for Christian marriage. Any and all variations from this marriage rite must be discussed with and approved by the Executive Pastor in advance of the wedding date.

5. It is the policy of Oak Mountain Church to observe the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper only during public worship services under the time and circumstances authorized by the Session. Therefore, no communion will be performed in a wedding ceremony here at Oak Mountain.

Please read carefully.

Please keep the following in mind as you request church facilities for your wedding:

To enable and encourage our ministers and Facilities Staff to spend time with their families, we do not schedule weddings on certain holidays and holiday weekends.

Weddings are not scheduled earlier than 10:00am and rehearsals are scheduled no earlier than 4:00pm.

Weddings may be scheduled up to one year in advance.

Weddings will not be performed on Holidays or Sundays.

A wedding is a worship service and it is our hope everyone involved chooses to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with the atmosphere of this place of worship. Please be sure to familiarize the members of the wedding party with the policies contained in this packet.

Premarital Counseling: We require all couples to be married at Oak Mountain participate in premarital counseling. We will be happy to provide this counseling to you or assist you in finding appropriate counseling approved by the officiating Oak Mountain pastor.

Rehearsal: Please plan to have your rehearsal at a time when all members of the wedding party can be present and on time. Usually the evening before the wedding is best, but any other time is acceptable as long as there is no scheduling conflict in the use of the sanctuary. The pastor or his designee should be in charge of the rehearsal itself, but the individuals who are to be present rests within the discretion of the Bride. Please communicate your rehearsal plans to your Wedding Coordinator.

Flower petals may not be used inside the buildings, but may be used outside as the bride and groom depart. Because of the hazard involved in walking on rice and birdseed, the use of it is prohibited both inside and outside the buildings. The use of confetti is prohibited anywhere on the church campus. Bubbles may be used outside the building. Sparklers, shaving cream, shoe polish, and paint of any kind is strictly prohibited.

Wedding Coordinator: We require that all weddings use a Wedding Coordinator who has been approved by Oak Mountain. Compensation for these individuals is included in the total wedding fee. The Wedding Coordinator (WC) serves as the Oak Mountain representative to the bride and her wedding party as well as to each vendor. The WC also coordinates on behalf of the wedding party to the various departments of the church. She ensures the knowledge of and adherence to/signing of/filing of copies for all wedding and wedding vendor policies (see manual). She oversees the wedding plans and ensures that they are consistent with the church policies. She acts as a liaison between the church and the bride, facilitating the best utilization of the facilities and assists in arranging for church facilities and dressing areas.

Wedding Director: A Wedding Director (WD) is responsible for running, staging and managing the wedding rehearsal, ceremony and reception. The WD is the bride’s advocate through the wedding process. This is not the role of the coordinator and it is the bride’s choice as to who manages this responsibility.

Technical Support: Oak Mountain will provide all technical support (sound technicians) needed for your ceremony. Please communicate your needs through your Wedding Coordinator.

We prohibit any alcoholic beverages in the church or on the church premises at any time. No wedding rehearsal or wedding will be conducted if any member of the wedding party is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to be certain this policy is understood and followed by all members of the wedding party and those who service the wedding (florist, caterer, photographer, videographer, disc jockey, etc). Failure to abide by this request will result in the forfeiture of your deposit.

We prohibit any smoking in any of our church buildings or on the church campus. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to be certain that this policy is understood and followed by all members of the wedding party and those who service the wedding (florist, caterer, photographer, videographer, disc jockey, etc).

Breakage of and/or damage to any church equipment/facilities, in excess of damage deposit, will be reimbursed at replacement cost.

The church is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items or equipment brought to the church for rehearsals, weddings or receptions. The building will be locked one hour after the ceremony; you will need to collect all personal items before this time.

Unfortunately due to space restraints, we are unable at this time to provide storage for wedding attire prior to the day of the ceremony.

Wax candles are not allowed in the building/facilities.

Let the Wedding Coordinator know of any need to move or rearrange any decorations already in place in the church (i.e. seasonal decorations, silk plants and/or arrangements), as she will coordinate this for you.

All details concerning the wedding and related arrangements must be in keeping with Christian principles and must not conflict with PCA doctrine.

No animals will be allowed in the wedding or the church building(s) with the exception of working dogs for those in attendance with disabilities.

Please have a friend or family member be responsible for removing all property of the wedding party from the dressing area by at least one hour following the ceremony.

A Christian wedding is a worship service; your music must appropriately reflect this. Sacred contemporary Christian, hymns, and classical instrumental music are acceptable. The Oak Mountain Worship Minister must approve any secular music. Please submit secular music to your Wedding Coordinator, who will give it to the Worship Minister to be approved. All secular music should be approved no later than one month prior to the wedding date. NO recorded music will be allowed.

Please have your musician(s) communicate with your Wedding Coordinator regarding musical and technical needs. If there is more than one instrumentalist, please assign a leader of the group to communicate with the Wedding Coordinator. The Wedding Coordinator will handle questions/needs through the Worship Ministry and Technical Director.

It is the Bride and Groom’s responsibility to make financial arrangements directly with instrumentalists and/or vocalists that you engage for your wedding.

Schedule a meeting with your Wedding Coordinator to complete your Technical Services Form for stage set-up needs. Please provide a list of specific instrumentation along with names and contact information of your instrumentalists/vocalists to your Wedding Coordinator. The Wedding Coordinator will furnish a copy of this to the Technical Director.