....The Celebration of your Marriage: ..La célébration de votre mariage :....
....Letter of Introduction ..Lettre d’introduction ....

Welcome to SouthWest United! We love weddings!

As you prepare for your wedding you will have many choices to make: the people you involve in your service, the music, and the particular words of your vows that best express your promises to your future spouse.

You can have a most memorable wedding ceremony if you are willing to make the effort to invest energy, discussion and creativity into this process of preparation.  The document, “The Celebration of Marriage: Liturgy Possibilities” (download below) can act as a guide and resource as you plan your celebration.

Talk together with those closest to you about your service to make the wedding celebration joyous, and a reflection of the uniqueness of your relationship. You are a living example of the risk love takes when it makes promises in front of God, family and friends.

Enjoy talking through your ideas. Bring them to my attention for feedback or comments. You can scroll down for several questions to help you define how you'd like your wedding celebration to be.

Let’s plan a wonderful service together!

- Pastor Beryl Barraclough, DLM

....church GALLERY
Photos of the Summerlea sanctuary to come.

..Galerie de photos de l’église....

Ask yourselves some of the following questions:

• Who are we involving in the service: ushers, readers, witnesses, children, family and friends?

• What are some of the things they can be asked to do?

• How are we making our entrance? Are there traditions to honour (not seeing each other before the service)? Who walks down the aisle (one with parent(s), alone, both together, half way towards meeting in the middle)?

• Are we lighting candles? Mothers could light two candles on the communion table and the unity candle could be lit by us following the vows. For those who are unable to be present or if there are family members who are deceased, a candle of memory can be lit at an appropriate time.

• Is there communion in the service?

• What music would be played? What style? The church’s organist/choir director could be available for the service and help co-ordinate the processional (bridalparty), special music within the service and during the signing of the register and the recessional. Do you have a friend who sings?

• Is our service traditional, contemporary or a mixture of both?

• Is there a need for a wedding rehearsal? (helpful if children are involved)

• Do we want to use traditional and/or contemporary language for God?

• How do we name God in conversation or prayer?

• Would a bulletin be helpful as a written order of service?

• How do we put people at ease in a church setting that is Protestant/United, which may be different from their experience?

• How do we honour a variety of religious experiences in the liturgy and prayers?

Honorariums for your wedding

To reserve the date we ask that a deposit of $300.00 be given by cheque in the name of SouthWest United Church. Your wedding date must be confirmed first by the minister. Before the publication of banns the balance for honorariums is requested in cash. We regret that the initial deposit is not refundable. Please speak with us if there are special circumstances concerning finances, and we will do our best to accommodate you. The deposit fee is requested for all weddings, even those celebrated outside the church.

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