WEDDINGS

Wedding services at Holy Comforter are performed from the Book of Common Prayer. Holy Comforter clergy are honored to officiate at your wedding and will be assigned by the Rector. The participation of other clergy is welcome, in consultation with the Rector.

How do I schedule a wedding at Holy Comforter?

Arrangements to be married at Holy Comforter must be initiated with the Rector. To set up a meeting with the Rector, please contact our Parish Administrator, at 336-227-4251 or email her at [email protected] . Following that meeting, one of the clergy from Holy Comforter will be assigned to you. All liturgical arrangements, including dates and times of the ceremony and rehearsal, are to be made with the assigned priest.

What is needed?

The following requirements must be met before you can be married at Holy Comforter:
• At least one of the parties is a member of record at Holy Comforter.
• At least one of the parties has received the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.
• The couple shall receive pre-marital counseling by a licensed marriage therapist.
• If either party has been married previously and the former spouse is still living, the priest must receive the permission of the Bishop. The approval process generally takes 4-6 weeks.

How do we prepare for the wedding?

Your marriage license must be brought to the parish office at least seven days prior to the wedding. Bring the license, the mailing envelope, full given names and complete mailing addresses for your witnesses (normally, the Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor). There is a part of the license which must be filled out by the Church; this is to be done in the office during normal working hours. Rehearsals are scheduled with your priest. Wedding services at Holy Comforter are performed from the Book of Common Prayer. The parish has facilities for the bride to dress at the church, as well as space for the groom and groomsmen to gather. There is no charge for this. The groom and all groomsmen should be ready at least 45 minutes before the start of the wedding. The ushers should be on duty in the Narthex at least 25 minutes before the start of the service and begin seating people as they arrive. The bridal party should be at the church at least 45 minutes before the wedding. Please notify clergy of your planned arrival time.

Flowers and Decorations

Due to the natural beauty of our parish garden, artificial extras and bows on the pews are generally unnecessary. To help coordinate effectively, please be in touch with our Flower Guild coordinator about use of flowers in our Nave.

Wedding Receptions at the Church

If you wish, you may speak to the Rector regarding use our space for a wedding reception.

Music

The following standards apply to weddings at Holy Comforter: · The music for all services in the Church must conform to the standard set by the parish music director, who must be consulted before any music is selected. · The music used should be related to the occasion: a sacramental rite of the church, and should be free from secular and sentimental associations. · The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer of the people and should be said or sung by the people, not as a solo during the service. · Should you wish a soloist or instrumentalist to participate in the wedding service, please discuss this with the parish music director at the time of your meeting. Generally, an additional rehearsal is necessary when a soloist and/or instrumentalist is scheduled. · The organist fee includes the initial consultation, as well as both the rehearsal and wedding. Additional fees for soloists or instrumentalists should be paid directly to the individual musician. These fees will be explained by the music director at the consultation. Please be aware that additional fees will apply if additional rehearsal time is required for the organist to coordinate with additional musicians. · If you wish to employ an organist other than Holy Comforter’s music director, that person must be authorized by our music director in advance. The organist fee must still be paid to our musician, as it is his/her responsibility to coordinate music and liturgical issues. Any additional fees must be worked out directly with the alternate person selected.

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter

320 East Davis Street | PO Box 1336 (27216)
Burlington 27215, US

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