Weddings @ Floris
Congratulations on Your Engagement and Upcoming Wedding
We are grateful and blessed that you have chosen to have your wedding here at Floris United Methodist Church.
We consider the estate of marriage to be a most holy and special bond and are pleased that we can play a part in this special time for you. At Floris we believe that a wedding is a religious service. As such, it is a Christian celebration of your love and commitment to each other and to God. Your wedding is also a worship experience, involving family and friends who want to participate in your joy. We encourage you to include responsive readings, prayers and congregational singing in your ceremony. The following guide will help you begin the planning process.
We look forward to meeting with you both and assisting in making this a special and memorable time.
Getting Started
Schedule Your Wedding
Peggy Manduke, our wedding scheduler, will be in touch with you shortly when you submit your Wedding Information Form. Click on the appropriate link below and fill out the information to start the process. (If you do not have an online account, you will need to create an account).
>Wedding Being Held Offsite (member or non-member)
If you have difficulty creating an account when submitting your interest information, here are some instructions to help you guide through the process. Step-by-Step Floris Online Account Setup
If you have questions about completing the online process, please contact Peggy Manduke at (703)793-0026 or pmanduke@florisumc.org. Members may schedule weddings up to 18 months in advance and non-members may schedule 12 months in advance.
Marriage Preparation and Wedding Policy
It is the policy of Floris UMC that all couples wishing to be married in this church must meet the following criteria before the date of the ceremony:
A. Pastoral Conferences:
You will meet with the pastor at least once. This meeting will provide you with an opportunity to get to know one another. This will make for a much richer wedding ceremony. This meeting will also enable you to talk about marriage in general and your wedding service in particular. Please plan to meet with the pastor about three to six months before your wedding.
A licensed or ordained Floris United Methodist pastor must be selected to perform your ceremony and supervise the marriage Preparation Policy before you can be placed on our wedding schedule. Floris pastors include Rev. Tom Berlin, Rev. Barbara Miner, Rev. Tim Ward and Rev. Martha Real. If you have a particular pastor in mind for your ceremony, please let the wedding schedule coordinator know when you call to schedule your wedding date. There is no way to guarantee that a particular pastor will be available, but every effort will be made. Guest clergy may assist or officiate after consultation with the designated Floris pastor. Our pastors also officiate at offsite weddings.
B. Marriage Preparation/Instruction:
You will need to complete premarital counseling prior to your wedding date. You must provide Floris a Certificate of Completion for your premarital counseling.
For your convenience, we offer premarital counseling sessions at Floris with Rev. Dr. William Everhart with Pastoral Counseling of Northern Virginia.
C. Rehearsal and Wedding Service Policies:
Our Wedding Coordinator is your point of contact at Floris. The coordinator will assist you in managing the process leading up to your special event. She will contact you within one week of receipt of the Wedding Information Form (see links above) and the Scheduling Deposit. The coordinator will assist you in selecting a pre-marital counselor. She will also assign a coordinator who will manage the details on the actual weekend of your wedding. If you have any questions about the process please contact Peggy Manduke at pmanduke@florisumc.org or 703-793-0026.
REHEARSAL
The rehearsal is generally scheduled for the evening before the wedding. One hour is allocated and it is essential that you begin and end promptly. Floris pastors are generally not present for the rehearsal.
MUSIC
The wedding is a service of worship. All music played or sung during the wedding should express a Christian message appropriate for the occasion. The selection of all music is accomplished through consultation with the head wedding coordinator who will help you select either our traditional or contemporary music accompanist to provide and direct the music for your special day. The head wedding coordinator will also provide final approval for all wedding music that you have selected with your accompanist. All music must have live accompaniment, therefore, the services of a musician are included. There will be no taped or prerecorded music. The couple will be responsible for the purchase of any music not currently found in the church’s music library.
Our traditional accompanist is Yoon Nam and our contemporary accompanist is Ward Ferguson. Both play the piano and can make suggestions regarding soloists and other instrumentalists.
VIDEO TAPING
Videographers may be used during the ceremony. Videotaping can be done from a pre-approved location using available lighting.
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Floris encourages couples to employ a professional photographer for the wedding. Pictures may be taken by a designated photographer from the rear of the sanctuary using available light. Flash pictures are permitted only of the processional and recessional. No pictures may be taken from the altar during the ceremony. Reposed pictures with flash may be taken after the ceremony. In your wedding program, please request that your guests refrain from using their cameras during the service.
FLOWERS AND DECORATION
The couple is responsible for decorations for the wedding. The Wedding Coordinator can provide you with ideas and suggestions for the altar area and aisle seat décor. If you would like to leave flowers for church decoration following your wedding, please let your Wedding Coordinator know. All other decorations should be removed immediately following the service. If a flower girl is used, she must scatter silk petals only.
CANDLES
If a unity candle is used, the couple will need to provide 3 candles: One (1) Pillar (your choice) and two (2) Tapers (size in relation to the height of your Pillar).
RESTRICTIONS
Because of county ordinances and other restrictions, confetti, rice and birdseed are not to be distributed and/or thrown inside or outside the church. Only bubbles used outside the church may be substituted for this tradition.
WEDDING PARTY AND GUESTS
It is important that the exact times scheduled for your rehearsal and wedding are observed. Care should be taken to have all members of the wedding party in their places at the appropriate times.
All members of the wedding party and guests should be reminded that Floris is a smoke-free and alcohol-free facility, therefore, smoking is not permitted inside the church and alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the church or on church grounds.
MARRIAGE LICENSE
The state of Virginia requires that a license for marriage be obtained and the couple fulfills the legal formality pronouncement. A license may be obtained from the office of the clerk in any county of the Commonwealth of Virginia and is good for 60 days following the date of issue. Please remit copies A & B of the Marriage Registration, Certificate of Marriage, and the mailing envelope provided by the Circuit Court to the church office Attention: Wedding Coordinator, no later than one week prior to wedding.
Contact Information:
Peggy Manduke - Wedding Scheduler
pmanduke@florisumc.org or 703-793-0026
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