Scheduling Your Wedding
How to Schedule
To schedule your wedding at First Lutheran or to request one of our pastors to officiate off-site, please contact us. We will then be in touch with you to check availability and schedule a date.
- Please note: No weddings will be scheduled during Holy Week (the week prior to Easter). Weddings may be scheduled on national holidays depending on facility and pastor availability; however, additional fees will apply.
- Reservations for wedding dates and times are on a first-come, first-served basis. Be aware that yours may not be the only wedding scheduled on the day you select. We attempt to have a minimum of two to three hours between the starting times of weddings which are on the same day. When there are multiple weddings on a given day, it is expected that couples and photographers will cooperate with the pastor and wedding coordinator so that times and logistics unfold as smoothly as possible.
Additional Information & Deposit
When you contact us to schedule, we will also collect some additional information from you, and schedule your wedding rehearsal (typically the evening prior to your wedding day). We also require a $100 non-refundable deposit (for a First Lutheran pastor to officiate off-site) or a $200 deposit (for a wedding at First Lutheran’s facility) to be mailed or delivered to the church office in order to secure your reservation. Checks should be made payable to “First Lutheran Church”. Your scheduled wedding date will not be considered “reserved” until the deposit is received by the church office. $100 of the $200 deposit for on-site weddings is non-refundable and secures your wedding date. The other $100 is refundable after the wedding, provided the facility is left in good repair. If any of the refundable balance is used for excessive clean up or damage to the facility, a detailed invoice will be sent along with the remaining funds. The balance for your wedding fees will be due one week prior to your wedding day.
Staffing Your Wedding
When you schedule, we will also assign appropriate staff for your wedding. If you have specific staff requests, please let the office know when you schedule. We will try to meet your requests, however, please be aware some personnel may not be available. We will ensure all staffing needs are met even if your specific requests are unavailable.
- Please note: Staff assigned to your wedding will not assume an invitation to your rehearsal dinner, reception, or any other events associated with your wedding. If you would like to invite them to any of these events, please contact them directly. However, you are not obligated or expected to invite any of our staff to your wedding events.
What Happens Next?
Wedding Coordinator
After we schedule your wedding date and receive your deposit, you will be assigned to one of our wedding coordinators who will work with you to prepare all the details for your wedding, conduct your rehearsal, and be present on your wedding day to ensure everything runs smoothly. Wedding coordinators are typically assigned for all on-site weddings requiring a rehearsal, although you may request a coordinator for your off-site wedding with one of our pastors if you wish. (Please note: the pastor will not conduct an off-site wedding rehearsal, so if you need a rehearsal and do not have another coordinator, you will need to request one of ours.) The wedding coordinator will contact you two months prior to your wedding date to schedule a meeting with you to go over the details for your wedding. They will also provide you with the order of worship to help you prepare your wedding bulletin if you wish to print one.
Click here to meet our wedding coordinators.
Musicians
Music is an important part of your wedding ceremony, and should reflect worship and praise to God. First Lutheran provides several staff musicians who may be utilized for your wedding, or you may also bring your own. However, if you wish to use our organ, only First Lutheran organists may be used. If you wish to use prerecorded music, or if you have multiple musicians or instruments requiring use of a sound mixer, please let your wedding coodinator know, and we will provide you with a sound techician for an additional fee. If you use prerecorded music, you will need to verify your selections with the pastor and tun in a CD to the church office one week prioer to your wedding date. When you schedule your wedding, we will provide you with contact information for our organists and other musicians. If you wish to use a First Lutheran musician, it will be your responsibility to contact them directly and as soon as possible to check their availability. The musician(s) will then set up a time to meet with you to determine music selections for your wedding.
Marriage License
It is your responsibility to deliver a valid marriage license to the church office one week prior to your wedding date.
Click here for more information about obtaining a Wisconsin marriage license.
Officiating Pastor
Approximately one to two months prior to your wedding date, the officiating pastor will contact you to arrange a time to meet with you. At this meeting, the pastor will get to know you, plan your wedding ceremony with you, and discuss your faith life and the marriage covenant into which you are entering. At this time, you will also schedule another appointment to meet with the pastor about three months after your wedding date, to follow up and offer support as you begin your married life. If you will not be living in the local area after your wedding, the pastor will discuss with you some ways in which you can be connected with and supported by another faith community.
Our pastors are also willing to offer additional premarital or postmarital counseling and support to you, and are trained to provide relationship assessments and counseling through Prepare & Enrich and Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator. They will discuss these options with you when you meet and arrange for any additional marriage counseling and support you would like to receive, whether before or after your wedding date. Please see the Marriage Preparation and Support page for more information about these resources and other ways First Lutheran offers support to you in your marriage.
If you have any questions or concerns as we prepare together for your wedding, please feel free to contact the church office, pastor, or wedding coordinator at any time. We look foward to working with you to make your wedding special!
Marriage Preparation & Support