If you are interested in having your wedding ceremony at our facilities, please take a moment to read our policy. Should you have questions, you may contact us at (254) 666-2741. Thank you.
Your wedding is a sacred occasion. It will be most meaningful to you, your families and friends when there is careful planning. For that reason, the following statements will govern your plans for your wedding here at First Baptist Church . We sincerely believe these policies to be the most suitable and practical for all concerned. Please read them fully. NOTE: WEDDINGS MAY NOT BE BOOKED MORE THAN 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE WEDDING DATE.
Careful planning is necessary for ALL weddings. You will want to plan as early in advance as possible so that the use of the church space can be arranged without conflict. The date of the wedding is set in consultation with the Senior Pastor's Administrative Assistant. At this consultation, the wedding application form is filled out and returned with your deposit. She will present this at the next staff meeting for approval. No weddings or rehearsals will be scheduled on Wednesdays or Sundays. No weddings, rehearsals, or receptions may be scheduled on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day or the weekend following, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. No weddings will be scheduled any later than 7:00 p.m. on Saturday evening. After the wedding date is officially set, the pastor's secretary will notify you by phone or mail of its approval.
It is extremely important that the exact time indicated for the rehearsals and wedding be observed, and care should be taken to have all members of the wedding party in their place at the time indicated.
Weddings may be held in the sanctuary (850 seats) or in the chapel (30 seats). If the couple wishes to have it in a private home, they still need to check with the minister regarding his availability.
You are invited to request the services of our Senior Pastor or any ordained minister on our staff to perform the marriage ceremony. In the event one is not available or if for a special reason a visiting minister is to officiate, that minister and participants are asked to abide by the policies for weddings.
Our ministers perform the wedding ceremony only after pre-wedding counseling conferences with the bride and groom have been made. These conferences should be arranged through their Administrative Assistants in advance. A minister's experience equips him to give the couple insight which will help prepare them for a successful Christian marriage and a beautiful wedding ceremony.
If the Senior Pastor of FBCH is to officiate the wedding, there must be a confirmation from the pastor. The Senior Pastor requires two sessions with the couple. One session is a pre-marital counseling session. The second session is a wedding planning session in which the Senior Pastor and the couple plan the wedding outline. The discussed outline will be prepared, reproduced and used as a guide at the rehearsal.
The rehearsal should begin promptly at the time scheduled. Delay in beginning consumes the time of the minister and other personnel and add to the expense of lighting and air conditioning. The bride and groom, therefore, should insist that all members of the wedding party be as prompt for the rehearsal as for the wedding. The wedding director or minister will meet with the bride and groom 30 minutes prior to the scheduled time of the rehearsal to go over any last minute details or changes. The minister or wedding director will begin the rehearsal at the scheduled time.
The following suggestions will guide you as you prepare for your rehearsal:
It is most important to keep in mind that church weddings are a service of the church, and the music should be in keeping with the reverence that is observed upon entering the House of the Lord. To maintain the integrity of a worshipful and beautiful wedding ceremony, all music should be discussed with and approved by our Senior Pastor or Associate Pastor of Music and Worship.
If an organist or pianist other than our church accompanist is used our Senior Pastor or Associate Pastor of Music and Worship must approve them. If a soloist is to be accompanied by our organist or pianist, it is the responsibility of the bride to see that the soloist contacts the accompanist to schedule needed rehearsal times. Musicians and soloists should coordinate music, practice times and locations with the Associate Pastor of Music and Worship. If music CD's are used, it is essential that multiple songs be put on one CD in the order of their use in the ceremony. These CD's are to be in the church office as soon as possible, but no later than one (1) week prior to the rehearsal.
If it is desired to have pictures, it is the responsibility of the bride to instruct the photographer that no flash pictures are permissible in the sanctuary or chapel once the ceremony begins. (Picture of bride entering and leaving is permitted.) A time exposure of the ceremony itself may be taken unobtrusively. Pictures may be taken of the bridal party following the completion of the service or at another time designated by the bride with the approval of the minister officiating at the ceremony. Videotaping should be done only with the available lighting so as not to distract from the ceremony.
Wedding fees are divided into two (2) categories, depending whether or not the participants are Active Members of the church or Inactive or Non-Members. They are as follows:
| Active Member | Non- Members/ Inactive Members | |
|---|---|---|
Deposit*** (Refundable if every area is left clean) |
$100.00 | $200.00 |
Worship Center Only |
$225.00 | $525.00 |
Worship Center for Wedding &Rehearsal Friendship Hall/Reception or Rehearsal Dinner |
$275.00 | $575.00 |
| Worship Center for Wedding & Rehearsal
Friendship Hall for Reception and Fellowship Hall for Rehearsal Dinner |
$300.00 | $600.00 |
Church Organist and/or Church Pianist |
$125.00 | $125.00 |
Church Soloist |
$125.00 | $125.00 |
| Minister .....Weddings without a rehearsal |
$150.00 $100.00 |
$150.00 $100.00 |
Removal of Choir Railing and Choir Chairs |
$50.00 | $50.00 |
Nursery Room |
$25.00 | $25.00 |
Sound/Video Technicians $100.00* |
||
| ***PLEASE NOTE: The deposits are required for members and Inactive/non-members for the use of the church. This deposit is due and payable upon confirmation of the requested wedding and reception date. Your deposit fee will be refunded no later than two weeks after the wedding provided that there has been no damage to the facilities or its furnishings, all fees have been paid by both the bride and the groom, the Bride's room key is returned, and the policies stated herein have been followed. | ||
(These fees include custodians and sound engineers and use of the building for both the rehearsal and the wedding.) Please Note: Active Member fees are for those participants who have been a member of First Hewitt for at least six months and have shown themselves to be actively involved in the life of First Baptist Church as defined in our constitution and bylaws. Wedding fees and charges are reviewed periodically and are subject to change. The current fees and cost for the use of our facilities are listed below:
The Sound/Video Technician's fee is included in the fees for the wedding. The Sound Technician will be at both the rehearsal and wedding. The technician will set up microphones, conduct sound checks and will monitor the sound for the weddings. They will arrive 15 minutes prior to the rehearsal and 30 minutes prior to the wedding unless prior arrangements are made. An audiotape/CD of the ceremony will be made and presented to the bride and groom after the wedding.
The bride and groom are required to sign the enclosed reservation form agreeing that they will comply with the foregoing rules. Reservations for the building will be considered firm when the Wedding Reservation Form has been filled out, returned to the office, cleared with the official church calendar, and security deposit is paid. The Senior Pastor's Administrative will notify you by mail, email, or phone that the date has been officially set. IMPORTANT: The date of your wedding will not be confirmed until we receive your reservation deposit and completed reservation form.
The fees for the total cost of the wedding, including both the expenses of the bride and the groom, must be paid to the church (1) one month prior to the date of the wedding. Should you desire the services of the church minister, church organist, church pianist and/or church soloist, the fees for their services will be included in your statement of fees. The church will then be responsible for payment of fees to the respective parties. Checks for all wedding fees, should be made payable to First Baptist Church of Hewitt. Soloists or other musicians hired by the bride or groom shall have their fee paid directly to them. It is understood that the church is in no way responsible for any legal obligations that may arise from the hiring of such persons.
The telephone number of the church is (254) 666-2741. Office hours are from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Thursday and 8:30 AM to 1:00 PM on Friday. The Senior Pastor and the Associate Pastor Music and Worship may be reached at the church.
(PLEASE NOTE AND ADVISE FLORIST)
In the worship center of the church, there exists a setting for a sacred service, which is dignified and beautiful. A minimum of decorations is required and this should be carefully planned. It is the responsibility of the bride's family to arrange with a florist for decorations. The bride's family is responsible for any damages to the church facilities caused by the florist or any other person involved with the wedding.
The church custodians will have the buildings clean and ready for you by 10:00 a.m. on the day before your wedding. The Bride will be issued a key to the Bride's Room at that time. After that time, you or your florist/decorator will be responsible for any cleaning that may be necessary after you decorate and after your rehearsal time. Florists, caterers and/or family members may have access to the buildings after this time. Decorating for the wedding must be done during regular church office hours (8:30 AM – 1:00 PM) unless other arrangements are made. The church custodians will unlock the buildings on the day of your wedding as scheduled in consultation with the Senior Pastor's Administrative Assistant. Air/heat will be turned on one (1) hour before your rehearsal and four (4) hours prior to your wedding. Custodians will be at the church at least one (1) hour prior to your wedding time.
Whenever candles are used, they must be ceramic candles and must be in candelabras, which will catch and contain all drippings, and the floor must be thoroughly protected. The bride's family will be held directly responsible for the cleaning of wax from all floor coverings and furniture in every case.
Under no conditions shall decorations be attached to the pews or other furniture by pinning, gluing, or nailing.
When facilities are used on Saturday afternoon or evening, all decorations, flowers, and other equipment shall be removed from the church building immediately following its use. (There are no facilities for storing these things.) The church is not responsible for any damage or loss of equipment left after the wedding.
In the event that extra help/professional help is required by the church to put facilities back into their usual conditions, the amount will be withheld from your deposit.
Florists and their employees must refrain from the use of irreverent language, discourteous actions, or from smoking inside the building.