Weddings Services
Is Brecksville United Methodist Church is the right location for your wedding?
A wedding held in a church is a Christian service of worship. The purpose of a wedding is not only to legally create a marriage, but to allow an opportunity for a marriage to begin in the presence of God. The vows taken are promised in the sight of God. The friends and family who take part in the wedding are present as witnesses and also to surround a bride and groom with love and blessings.
Throughout all the planning, it should never be forgotten that the wedding is a holy event. This will affect the kinds of words spoken, music played, decorations used, and general demeanor of the family and wedding party.
While you are responsible for planning your wedding day, the minister and other staff of the Brecksville United Methodist Church are here to help the day go smoothly. We will do what we can to make your wedding a blessing to you and to allow you to start your marriage with peace and joy.
While it is not necessary for you to be a member or regular attender at Brecksville UMC to have your wedding here, we strongly encourage you to visit a worship service. It will give you a chance to see who we are and meet the pastor informally.
Information on Fees
A $200 refundable deposit is required at the time a wedding is placed on the church calendar. The remainder of the fees is due two weeks before the wedding. If the wedding is cancelled one month or more before the wedding date, the fees are refunded. If a wedding is cancelled within one month of the wedding date, the deposit is not refunded.
Wedding Fees are as follows:
- Sanctuary Use $500
- Clergy time and Counsel $350
- Premarital Assessment $35
- Wedding Coordinator $250
- Music Coordinator $250
- Custodian $200
- Audio/Visual Technician $100
- Live stream $50
Weddings scheduled on a holiday weekend will incur an extra 20% in fees. A $200 refundable deposit is required. The deposit will cover any additional fees for extra clean up (above and beyond basic cleaning), and/or damage to the Church and its property. Assuming no additional fees are incurred, the deposit will be refunded within two weeks of your wedding. If you would like to pay electronically, use this secure link.
Notes on Fees
All weddings at Brecksville United Methodist Church are conducted by our pastor. Clergy in good standing in the United Methodist Church upon special invitation may perform weddings here. Clergy of other recognized denominations may participate in the ceremony at the invitation of the pastor.
The church music director is part of the package of having a wedding at Brecksville United Methodist Church. Our music director is a talented vocalist with a vast repertoire and a network of local musicians. If guest musicians are involved, the music director will still be involved and paid for planning time.
A wedding coordinator is assigned to each couple. The wedding coordinator’s role is to be helpful to the couple both in preparation for the service and during the service itself. The coordinator will be present at both the rehearsal and the wedding and is available to assist both the pastor and the couple. You will be given the contact information for your wedding coordinator shortly after you reserve you wedding date.
In addition to the initial meeting with the pastor, the couple will be required to meet 2 to 6 more times with the pastor for counselling. We use a program called Prepare and Enrich designed to give you the tools for a strong start to your marriage.
The bride and groom will need to make arrangements with the church musician for reviewing and picking music for their ceremony.
If you have any questions during the planning time for your wedding or as you make a decision about whether this is the church for you, please call or e-mail the pastor
You may also come in to walk through the church.
If, after considering this material, you would like to plan a wedding at Brecksville United Methodist Church, please take the following steps:
- Contact the church office to determine if the date you have in mind is available.
- Set up a time for an introductory meeting with the pastor. Both bride and groom should attend this meeting. The pastor will share with you some more information on wedding policies and philosophies at this church. She will want to find out a bit about you as a couple and your own style and ideas about marriage. After this meeting, the pastor or couple may decide that because of differences in philosophy and style the church will not be a good match for your needs and discontinue planning at that point. If we agree that Brecksville United Methodist Church is the right fit for your ceremony, your pre-marital counselling time will be scheduled with the pastor.
- Ready to move forward? Pay the “Sanctuary Use” fee and reserve your wedding date.
Interested in a Church Reception?
Our church Fellowship Hall offers a good old fashioned, no frills option for your wedding reception. We’re Methodists, so no alcohol is allowed on the property. Tables and chairs are included in your rental fee, and our commercial sized kitchen is also available for rent. Interested in learning more? Ask us about it!
How United Methodists understand Christian marriage.
What do Methodists believe about communion?