Begin Planning for Your Day
Selection of your date
Confirmation of facilities
Your wedding date should be established well in advance of the event (a minimum of 8 weeks prior to the date). Weddings will be scheduled so that they do not conflict with other church events and there are certain times of the year (such as Christmas and Holy Week), that weddings will not be scheduled. Since scheduling your wedding date is the first important step and our building is in much demand, printing invitations or finalizing other plans such as with the reception hall, should only be done after confirming the availability of the facilities and a pastor. Your initial request about dates can be fielded by one of our office staff.

An Initial Conversation with the Pastor
Determine Pastor Availabilty
Review Pre-marital Preparation Process
The next step in arranging for a wedding is to have a telephone conversation with one of the pastors regarding their availability. One of our pastors will normally officiate at all weddings held in our church. If one of our pastors is not available, we will help you to find a local UCC pastor who is available. Our pastors will briefly review the expectations for your Pre-Marital Preparation Process and answer any questions you might have about being married at First Congregational Church of Reading. Should you live out of the area, Pre-Marital Preparation can be completed, in part, remotely, by a recommended pastor in your area. At this point, you will be invited to make a decision about scheduling your wedding with us and forwarding a deposit for the facilites.

Meet with the Wedding Coordinator
Tour the church
Review wedding guidelines
Your next step is to make an appointment with the Wedding Coordinator to tour the church and facilities and discuss other procedures for weddings at First Congregational Church of Reading. This person will discuss the Church’s guidelines and suggestions for the wedding with you, and will be present at both the rehearsal and the wedding itself. All weddings in our church will be coordinated by the Wedding Coordinator. This person will serve as a resource for wedding related questions during the planning stages and will support the pastor and couple at the rehearsal and the wedding itself.

Pre-Marital Consultation with the Pastor
Prepare for the wedding
Make choices about the service
The couple’s next appointments will be with the pastor they have selected to officiate at their wedding. It is the couple’s responsibilities to contact the pastor to schedule their pre-marital consultations (preferable 4-3 months prior to the wedding). As described in the pastoral Pastor Greetings, all couples shall participate in pre-marital consultation. The consultation typically requires one session at which the couple will complete the Prepare/Enrich Premarital Inventory ($30.00 processing fee), and three additional 1.5 hour sessions for the purposes of discussing the spiritual context of marriage, reviewing the results of the Prepare/Enrich Inventory, establishing a connection with a third-party for discussing marital issues if required, making specific arrangements for the ceremony, and for reviewing other issues which are of concern to either member of the couple. The initial session, which is introductory to the ceremony and to the nature of pre-marital counseling, may be conducted with other couples who, like you, are planning their weddings in the next several months.

You will participate in the planning of the ceremony and will have the chance to choose the opening statement, your marriage vows and words to be said at the exchange of the rings, music and hymns and Bible and/or other readings. The pastor and the church hope to accommodate your wishes with respect to the elements of the ceremony such as music, recitations, procedure and the roles of the participants. We encourage participation by family members and friends and would be happy to delegate pastoral duties for parts of the service to another ordained pastor, including previous pastors of this church, provided that all is consistent with Christian practice, good taste, and the policies of this church. Invitations requesting participation by other clergy shall be made by our pastor(s).

Meet with Organist and Other Musicians
The couple will arrange to meet with the organist to choose music and hymns and arrange for any other musicians and music rehearsals.

After the Wedding
Meet with Pastor
Reflect on significant events and experiences
You are encouraged to meet with the pastor again, perhaps six months to one year after the wedding ceremony. This would be an ideal time to recall significant events and experiences of the months just past, and to reflect on helpful steps for the future. We also encourage participation in marriage enrichment opportunities that are available in the area, and will help put you in touch with such opportunities to enhance and deepen your relationship. As with all things, pastors are available at any time to support your personal and spiritual needs and refer you to outside support resources. We do hope you will continue your involvement with the congregation through worship, study, prayer and the many fellowship opportunities at our church—and should your marriage be blessed with children, our wonderful Church School.