Weddings
To inquire about dates, please call the church office. Weddings take place in the church or in the garden (110 people can comfortably be accommodated). Weddings may be scheduled between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. Sunday weddings may be scheduled only with permission from the Rector. Weddings are not scheduled the week before and after Easter, the week before Christmas, or on national holidays.
Fees
The minimum suggested honorarium for the organist is $150.00.
The minimum suggested honorarium for the priest is $200.00
You can easily pay your wedding fees online via Tithley.
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Officiating Priest and Ceremony
All weddings at St. Mark’s will conform to the rules of The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage in the Book of Common Prayer. The vows exchanged will come from those texts as well. A priest officiates at the ceremony. Other Episcopal clergies are welcome to officiate, with the permission of the Rector.
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If you have a wedding consultant, please inform them that they will not play an active role in the ceremony or the rehearsal.
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Pre-marital & Pastoral Counseling
The rules and regulations of The Episcopal Church require that each couple preparing for marriage must participate in pre-marital counseling of at least 6 weeks. Clergy cannot marry couples who have not completed this counseling.
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If a member of the couple has been previously married, they need the permission of the bishop to proceed with the wedding, ensuring that the previous marriage has achieved appropriate closure and that all concerns and duties regarding former spouses, the care of children, and personal property have been justly and charitably engaged.
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After a couple has made a reservation for a wedding at St. Mark’s, the counseling process can begin. There will be a small fee for the counseling done by the priest.
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Music
Music is arranged in consultation with the director of music, who will guide you in suitable choices. Additional singers or instrumentalists are engaged in consultation with St. Mark’s.
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Marriage License
A marriage license must be obtained from the Waupaca County Clerk’s office and be given to the priest at the rehearsal. The license is valid the day after application and will expire sixty days later. Your wedding or rehearsal will not take place without a marriage license.
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Rehearsal
Rehearsals are led by the priest and will last 45 minutes. The rehearsal time must be scheduled with the parish administrator.
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Dressing Room
A bridal dressing room is available in the lower level of the church and is accessible to the church.
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Decorations
Art installations in the church will not be removed for weddings. Floral arrangements may be made with the florist of your choice. Flowers are limited to two large arrangements on either side of the altar, not to exceed the height of the altar, and two arrangements behind the altar. Pew flowers (flowers attached to the outside of the pew) are also permitted. Your florist will have access to the church 90 minutes before the wedding and must be finished 60 minutes before the service.
Only altar candles may be used. The popular custom of lighting a Unity Candle is not part of the Episcopal service. For safety and aesthetic reasons, aisle runners are not permitted. Throwing rice, birdseed, rose petals, blowing bubbles, or releasing balloons is not permitted, either inside or outside the church. Immediately after the wedding, all decorations must be removed from the church. Altar flowers will remain in the church for the following Sunday's services.
Photography & Videotaping
You may engage a professional photographer to take posed portraits inside the church. Photographs taken before the service must finish 45 minutes before the service. Photos taken afterward are to last no longer than 30 minutes after the ceremony. Because Christian marriage is a sacred ceremony, the use of flash photography inside the church is strictly forbidden. (Non-flash photography is fine as long as the photographer is stationed at the rear of the church. The photographer is not permitted to move from place to place.)
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The ceremony may be videotaped from the rear of the church only. The videographer is not permitted to move from place to place during the ceremony. Photographers and videographers are required to meet with the priest 30 minutes before the service.
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There is the option of using the St. Mark’s live-streaming system to either live-stream or record the ceremony if a member of the live-stream crew is available and for an additional charge of $25.
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Please note that all scheduling of photography before and after the liturgy must be cleared with the priest.