Time and Date of Wedding: The time and date of your wedding should be arranged with the minister and the church office before you make any other arrangements. The secretary may be reached at the church office (634-5562) between the hours of 9:00 and noon each week day, and will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Licence: You must secure a licence to marry from an Issuer of Marriage Licences in Ontario. In Burlington, the Issuer of Marriage Licences is in the City Clerk's office located at City Hall (Brant Street). You should get your licence at least three weeks before your wedding. You need to have with you the birth certificates of both the bride and groom. Also, you need to know the birthplace of the parents of the bride and groom. Do not sign the licence or fill in the answers to the questions on the form, but bring the licence with you to the church at least two weeks before the wedding date. Assistance will be given in completing the licence.

Publication of Banns - Another way to secure permission to marry in Ontario is the Publication of Banns.

If you are a regular worshipper in this church, you may request the minister to publish banns. To publish banns, you must allow three Sundays before the wedding, and sufficient time for the ordering of the banns from Toronto, which has to be done by mail. If either the bride or groom is from out of town, time must be allowed for his/her church to be notified. Other legal obligations must be met and thoroughly discussed with the minister.

Having noted the above as an accepted method of securing license to marry, this congregation has found this method to be cumbersome and encourage the purchase of the marriage licence as the most preferable means to gain permission to marry.

Certainly if you are an active member of East Plains United Church, we would be happy to publish the news of your upcoming marriage if you so desire.

Rehearsal: The rehearsal is usually the night before the wedding, the date and time to be arranged with the minister. It is important that all members of the wedding party be present at the rehearsal if you want your wedding to run smoothly. The organist is not normally in attendance at the rehearsal.

Honoraria and Fees: Honoraria and fees are usually the responsibility of the groom. The cheques and the wedding licence should be brought to the church office at least two weeks prior to the wedding date. (The cheques may be post dated.) The church secretary will take care of the distribution.

Church Sanctuary or Chapel: There is no charge for the use of the church sanctuary or chapel for a wedding to those who are associated with the East Plains congregation by way of regular attendance and contributions. For those not contributing, a donation of $150 is expected.

Minister: There is no set honorarium for the minister from those who are members of the congregation. However, the Ministry and Personnel Committee of our church recommends a minimum honorarium of $200.

Organist: Playing for weddings and practicing with soloists is not included in the organist's present salary. The Royal Canadian College of Organists recommends a minimum fee of $125.00 for the wedding, and an additional fee of $25.00 if the organist is requested to attend the rehearsal; or to schedule a practice with a soloist; or if there is a request for special music that is not part of his or her repertoire. Please note that it is our organist's prerogative to preside at all weddings in the sanctuary of East Plains United Church.

Custodian: It is the responsibility of the Custodian to open the church for the wedding rehearsal. There is one hour scheduled for the rehearsal. The custodian also prepares the church for the wedding, operates the sound system for the wedding and cleans the church following the wedding. For the guests, the custodian opens the church doors one hour in advance of the wedding time and one hour is allotted for the wedding service. A fee of $225.00 is expected for the Custodian. Any additional time will require an extra payment for the custodian. These extra hours of service can be quoted on an individual basis.

Candelabra: If you wish, you may book the use of the church candelabra for your ceremony. There are two candelabra, which are fashioned of brass. Each has 7 candles, in an ascending and descending pattern. Only pure beeswax candles are used (provided by the church), and each candle is topped with a brass follower to help them burn more evenly and ward against wax spills. The church custodian will make sure the candelabra are available for your service. A fee of $35 is charged for their use.

Wedding Bulletin: If you choose, the Church Administrator can prepare bulletins for your ceremony. Please consult the minister regarding details to be included in bulletin. Covers for the bulletin can be purchased at the Family Christian Bookstore (Guelph Line). The covers and all necessary information should be submitted to the office two weeks prior to the wedding day. A fee of $25.00 charged for the secretarial services of typing, printing, running and folding the bulletins.

Wedding Ceremony:

Order of Service: There are several orders of service available. The minister will discuss any changes you may wish to make. The service usually used is The United Church of Canada's regular Order of Service for weddings. A copy of this service is available for your perusal.

Guest Clergy: Arrangements may be made for other clergy (priest, friend, relative) to be invited to assist in the wedding if so desired. Etiquette requires that the Minister of East Plains extend this invitation. Travel costs and an additional honorarium will be expected for the guest clergy.

Holy Communion: On very special occasions (with prior arrangement with the minister), the Sacrament of Holy Communion may be celebrated at a wedding but will be open to all in attendance

Music: The wedding music is usually arranged in consultation with the minister and organist. Our organist is Nancy Handrigan. You may leave a message for Nancy by calling the church (634-5562). If you plan to have a soloist at your wedding, please discuss this with the organist. Your plans for the music should be finalized and the organist should have all the music at least one month before the wedding. If you are using a soloist, it is recommended that a practice be arranged. It is the policy of East Plains that wedding music have some sacred aspect.

Photographs and Video: Photographs may be taken in the sanctuary before and after the service, that is, during the bridal party's procession and recession. However, once the minister begins the service, no photographs may be taken without the specific permission of the minister, which must be secured before the service. Please be sure your photographer is aware of this and ask him/her to contact the minister prior to the service for permission to take special pictures such as - the exchanging of rings, etc. Only the Official Photographer will be given permission to take special pictures, and he/she will be invited to be present at the signing of the Register. The service may be videotaped if the video camera is placed on a tripod prior to the service and then left unattended for the ceremony. For best results it is advisable for the video camera person to attend the rehearsal.

Inclement Weather: In the event of inclement weather, you may request to have the formal photographs of the wedding party taken inside the church. Please note that this courtesy is extended only to the bridal party, immediate family, and official photographer. Other guests are expected to leave the church shortly after the ceremony. It is hoped that the church will be cleared in a reasonable time after the service in order to accommodate the custodian and/or other weddings. If additional time is requested for photography, an extra honorarium of $25.00 will be expected by the custodian.

Decorations: These are of your own choosing. Please leave the communion table untouched. Upon request, two candelabra and beeswax candles are available. An extra fee of $35.00 will apply. Arrangements for the use of the candelabra and candles should be made a month ahead of time. Please check with the church office before moving seasonal decorations.

Flowers: If you are planning to have flowers, try to ascertain exactly when they will be delivered to the church and inform the Custodian at the rehearsal so that he will be on hand to receive and place them. If you wish to leave your flowers for the Sunday Service, please inform the church secretary two weeks before the wedding day in order that a note may be included in the Sunday bulletin. Flowers not intended for the Sunday Service should be removed from the sanctuary following the wedding service.

Confetti: Confetti is not allowed in the church building or on the church grounds. Your co-operation is appreciated.

Parking: There are two church parking lots, one west of the church off Plains Road and the other to the east opposite Dovercourt. Please instruct your guests to park in either of these church lots.

Elevator: For those who find stairs difficult, use of the elevator my be arranged with the custodian.

Reception: If you wish the presence of the minister at the reception, a written invitation should be mailed to the minister and his wife at either his home or office address, (375 Plains Rd. E., Burlington, ON L7T 2C7) prior to the wedding. Arrangements should be made well ahead of time if you wish the minister to perform the toast to the bride, offer grace, or take any other part in the wedding reception.

Pre-marriage Counselling It is strongly recommended that each couple arrange for some pre-marriage counselling. This can be done through local courses offered in the area, or an agreement can be made with the minister for such instruction.