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Weddings for Non-Members

Dear Friends,

We are happy you are considering Tulip Street United Methodist church for your wedding. We look forward to helping you plan a special day the two of you will always remember.

This information should help answer many of your questions. Our Wedding Coordinator will meet with you to answer additional questions and help you plan your wedding. We have put much thought and prayer into our wedding policies and procedures so that your wedding will be both meaningful and spiritual.

As pastor, I look forward to meeting you in the near future. At that time, we will discuss the concepts of marriage in our Christian setting.

May God bless you as you make plans for your very important day, and congratulations!

God’s Peace To You,
Rev. Matthew Baldwin
Pastor

Our Philosophy

At Tulip Street United Methodist Church, we believe that marriage is a covenant between God and two people, and therefore we prepare for and conduct weddings at our church as services of worship.

To this end, we undertake weddings as a ministry of this church and have developed guidelines and policies to lead you toward a joyful wedding, and a meaningful and lasting life together.

All of these details and many other items are found in our wedding packet for Non-Members of Tulip Street United Methodist Church. If you choose to wed at Tulip Street and upon receipt of the booking fee, the complete packet will be provided.

Scheduling

When scheduling your wedding, please keep the following in mind. The prospective bride and groom are responsible for requesting the services of the pastor to officiate the ceremony. Requests for guest pastors to officiate must be referred to the Tulip Street pastor.

Weddings are not scheduled during the following times: Sundays, Holy Week (week before Easter), Easter Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Fourth of July Weekend, Labor Day Weekend, Thanksgiving Weekend, Advent Season (December), Christmas Season (Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day) or other dates conflicting with Tulip Street’s calendar.

Weddings are scheduled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please notify the church of any changes or cancellations as soon as possible.

Your wedding is not set on the calendar until:

  1. You have met with the pastor
  2. You have met with the Wedding Coordinator
  3. You have paid your sanctuary fee and returned the appropriate signed wedding forms to the church office.

Fee Schedule

Non-Member Wedding Fees: *$1,000

This includes:

  1. Sanctuary/Facility Usage
  2. Wedding Coordinator
  3. Organist
  4. Custodial Services
  5. Administrative

**Honorarium  Pastor

Weddings scheduled on a Saturday must begin no later than 5:00pm and conclude no later than 7:00pm. Saturday weddings extending beyond 7:00pm are subject to an additional charge of $50 per hour.

* 10% booking fee must be made at time of scheduling. Balance due 30 days from booking payable in one check made out to Tulip Street UMC.

** Typical honorarium is $200-300

Music

You will be meeting with our Organist to select the music you want for the ceremony. Traditionally, music is incorporated in the following ways:

  1. As a prelude while guests are being seated
  2. As a processional
  3. As a hymn
  4. As a recessional
  5. As a postlude as guests are escorted from the sanctuary

Since a wedding is a service of worship, your musical selections should fall within at least one of the following guidelines:

  1. It should be based on Scripture
  2. It should be a paraphrase of Scripture
  3. It should contain spiritual or religious references

The Tulip Street organist must approve all musical selections and musicians.

Photography Guidelines

Photography at your wedding insures that you will capture the memories of your special day. Pictures may be taken anywhere in the church or on the grounds preceding and following the ceremony. Photographers may not stand on pews or other pieces of furniture.

No pictures, either with or without a flash, may be taken during the ceremony except under the following conditions:

  1. The photographer may take one picture of the bride and her escort(s) from the back of the sanctuary as they prepare to walk down the aisle.
  2. Pictures may be taken without the flash from the balcony while the wedding party is at the altar.
  3. Flash photographs may be taken at the back of the sanctuary as the wedding party is recessing up the aisle after the wedding service.
  4. Pictures should be completed 60 minutes prior to the ceremony.

Videotaping is allowed with a stationary unit.

Any furniture that is moved in the process of making photographs should be replaced to its original location. The photographer is responsible for insuring that all is put in order.

Contact John Calhoun, 615-889-5294 for further information.

522 Russell St. Nashville, TN 37206
(615)255-6248  •  tulipstchurch@bellsouth.net