WEDDING POLICY

Augsburg Lutheran Church

1342 Sylvania Avenue
Toledo, Ohio
419-478-2374

A Christ Centered Wedding

Hear us now, our God and Father, send your Spirit from above on this Christian man and woman who here
make their vows of love. Bind their hearts in true devotion endless as the seashore’s sands, boundless as the
deepest ocean, blest and sealed by your own hands. (“Hear Us Now, Our God and Father,” ELW 585)

Every marriage conducted at Augsburg will have Christ at the heart of the service. There is joy and blessing to
be found in Christian marriage for those who will commit themselves to it.

Marriage is not a social custom invented by human beings. It is an institution created by God to bring a man
and a woman together into a life-long partnership.

The biblical faith affirms that we humans can truly and fully understand ourselves only in relation to God.
Christian marriages occur between two people who actively live their faith in the midst of a worshiping
congregation. Couples should find a congregation and become involved in the work of the Lord.

Scheduling Your Wedding

All weddings are to be scheduled through the church administrative secretary in consultation with the pastor.

Weddings should be planned sufficiently in advance (six months or more) as to reserve dates on the facilities
calendar and schedule counseling with the pastor. (Exceptions may be made in extraordinary circumstances,
such as imminent hospitalization or overseas military deployment.)

Although Saturday is the day most preferred by couples, a wedding may take place on any day of the week or
time of day that is mutually agreed upon by the couple and pastor.

Weddings may take place at any time during the year. However, due to the solemnity of the season, no
weddings will be permitted during Holy Week (Palm Sunday-Easter).

Wedding Preparation
All couples who desire to be married by the pastor of Augsburg Lutheran Church will be required to meet with
the pastor for pre-marital counseling. There is a cost for taking an online assessment for counseling sessions.
(See fees for more information.)

There will be a minimum of three meetings with the pastor, which will take place before the marriage rite. At
least one of the meetings will include planning worship. In addition, the pastor may request a meeting several
months after the marriage rite to check-in with the couple.

If the pastor determines there are significant issues that the couple needs to address, the pastor may refer the
couple to a licensed counselor. If this is necessary, the pastor will need documentation from the counselor that
the couple has met with the counselor before the pastor will preside at the wedding.
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The marriage rite is a solemn vow between the couple and God, as well as a legal, binding civil contract;
therefore, the pastor reserves the right to decline officiating at the rite if the pastor (with the help of a
licensed counselor) determines that there are significant issues that cannot be resolved.

The Wedding Ceremony

The ceremony will be based upon the Marriage service in Evangelical Lutheran Worship or its successors.
There are many options for music, readings and participants within the service which enable a couple to design
a service which is meaningful to them.

The celebration of Holy Communion is encouraged at all weddings. If the bride and/or groom is not Lutheran,
the decision to have Communion should be discussed with the pastor. The church will provide the bread and
wine. The bride and/or groom may choose to assist with communion, or they may ask a member of the bridal
party, family member or friend to assist.

Music
Suggestions for music are available from the pastor. Music may be secular or sacred, but must not contain
words or phrases that are not socially acceptable.

Participants
Ordained clergy from any Christian tradition may preside at weddings. The pastor of Augsburg Lutheran
Church may be available to conduct the wedding service if the couple does not have clergy available.

You may select your own musician to play the piano for the wedding, but only the Augsburg musician is
allowed to play the organ. The working relationship between the musician and the pastor is important to a
smoothly conducted wedding, and as such, if the musician is not Augsburg’s regular musician, the musician
should be in contact with Augsburg’s pastor, and should plan on attending the wedding rehearsal.

Wedding Space
The primary setting for weddings is the sanctuary, which holds 300 + people. The chapel (which seats 25-30
people) is also available for weddings. No music is available in the chapel.

Paraments (the cloth hangings on the pulpit and altar) will follow the season of the Church, and will not be
changed or removed for weddings.

All furniture in the sanctuary (altar, pulpit, piano, etc.) will remain in place, and must not be moved. The
exceptions are the baptismal font and paschal candle, which may be moved to the side.

Photographs and Video

Most couples wish to commemorate their special day with photographs and/or videos. We are happy to
accommodate photography in the church sanctuary, but only at appropriate times, so as not to disrupt the
worshipful nature of the occasion. It is the couple’s responsibility to notify the photographer and
videographer of these requirements.
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The photographer is permitted to take pictures at the entrances of the church or at the head of the aisle during
the processional and the recessional. Please Note: No flash photography will be permitted during the time
frame after the processional and before the recessional. We request that the photographer consult with the
pastor before the ceremony starts. Photographers are asked to avoid disruptive movement during the service.

Following the ceremony, the wedding party may re-enter the sanctuary so that photographs may be taken.

Video cameras, on fixed tripods or at stationary locations, without artificial lighting, may be used. The operator
may stand near the camera to aim and focus it as necessary.

Photographers and videographers should be dressed appropriately for a worship service.

Please ask family and guests to honor the wedding as a worship service. Worshipers are welcome to take
pictures during the processional and recessional only and, at the discretion of the official photographer, during
the photography following the ceremony.

All guests are requested to refrain from the use of cellular phones, pagers, and/or flash photography
during the ceremony. This should be printed in the wedding bulletin.

Flowers
Flowers are the responsibility of the couple. No floral arrangements or other decorations should be used or
placed in any way as to detract from the worship setting. Have your florist call the church office to arrange a
time for delivery. Flowers can be delivered Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm and Saturday as
prearranged.

Alcoholic beverages and Smoking

No alcoholic beverages are permitted anywhere on the church grounds, and no smoking is permitted anywhere
in the church.

In maintaining the dignity of the service, the pastor and/or custodian retains the right to exclude any guest or
member of the bridal party who exhibits inappropriate behavior at the rehearsal, or before or during the service.
Intoxication will not be tolerated. If a sense of reverence is not maintained during the service, the service will be
ended. Since the couple is entering into a legal contract, the pastor will not preside at a wedding in which
the bride and/or the groom appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The Wedding Rehearsal
The wedding rehearsal generally occurs the day before the wedding, and is intended to familiarize the wedding
party with the process of the wedding service. The rehearsal generally lasts 30-60 minutes, depending on the
size of the wedding party.

It is the couple’s responsibility to ensure all participants in the service (including, but not limited to, the
bride, groom, best man, maid and/or matron of honor, bridesmaids, ushers, parents of the bride and
groom, grandparents, readers, flower girl, ring-bearer, and outside wedding planner) are present and on
time. It is suggested to arrive at least 15 minutes early.
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 The Marriage License
A valid Ohio marriage license is required for any marriage that will be celebrated at Augsburg Lutheran
Church. It is the responsibility of the couple to obtain the license. The valid license must be in the possession of
the pastor prior to the wedding—no exceptions. It is recommended that you bring it to the wedding rehearsal to
ensure that it is present for the wedding.

An Ohio marriage license is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance. Please be certain that the license will be
valid on the date of the wedding.

Ohio law states that residents of Ohio must apply for a marriage license in the county where one of the
applicants resides. Out of state residents must apply for a license in Lucas County.

For more information about marriage licenses, including cost and requirements, please contact the Lucas
County Marriage License Office at 700 Adams Street, Toledo, Ohio, or by phone at 419-213-4361.

Fees
Augsburg’s Pastor $150.00
Augsburg’s Organist $150.00 (if available; additional rehearsals will be extra)
Augsburg’s Custodian $100.00
Augsburg’s Sound Technician $100.00

These fees are to be paid directly to the pastor, organist and custodian.

The sanctuary fee is $500.00 for non-members, $250.00 for members (A member is defined as someone who
has communed for at least six months and supported the church financially on a regular basis.)

Augsburg will not be bound to any wedding date until half of the fee is paid. The remainder is due in the
church office no later than two weeks before the wedding.

Online assessment fee for premarital counseling is $35. This is paid directly to the online company.

Receptions
Receptions may be held in Luther Hall, which seats 175 comfortably. The fee is $80.00 for members, $175.00
for non-members. Tables and chairs are furnished for receptions and our kitchen is available (though cooking is
not permitted). The wedding party is responsible for seeing that the kitchen and reception area is cleaned up
after the party. Dancing is permitted at wedding receptions, but alcohol is not permitted.
DRAFT 8/23/2013 PJL
REVISED 4/17/2017 KMK and Church Council Executive Committee