Thank you for condidering the First Congregational Church of Reading for the beginning of your marriage.

Below, you'll find an introduction to Wedding Services at our church. Links to the right provide resources including our Church Staff that can help you create the wedding you envision.

Be sure to read the greeting from our pastors and contact one of our Pastors for questions or for more information on having your wedding at the First Congregational Church.
An Act of Christian Faith
Marriage within the framework of the church is more than a legal contract between two people. It recognizes that God is a party to every successful relationship. Church weddings are not only a tradition in the Christian community, but are also an act of faith and worship during which the couple unite in their vows in the conscious awareness of the presence of God. The wedding is an intentionally and specifically religious ceremony which is recognized by the Commonwealth as the legal uniting of two people in marriage.

The content of the ceremony, its words, its music, its total atmosphere, should reflect the religious dimensions of the marriage. There will be an opportunity for you to contribute to the wedding worship service in accordance with your style, your needs and in keeping with Christian practice and good taste. Since the ceremony is an act of worship, you are encouraged to prepare for the service with careful attention. The facilities of the First Congregational Church of Reading, United Church of Christ, are available for all weddings which celebrate marriage as an act of Christian faith and worship; membership in the church is not a requirement.

Your Community of Love
Your exchange of wedding vows enlarges your community of love and affection. It draws into orbit around your relationship your separate histories and your distinctive circles of family and friends. Becoming mutually interdependent as marriage partners is a dramatic symbol of the fulfillment of humanity's best purposes. Biblically, we believe that whenever and wherever people come together to make a covenant of mutual love, we are able to sense the presence of God.

A Public Expression
Your wedding is the public expression of something that has already begun: the creation of a deep personal relationship and partnership. On your wedding day, the meaning of your love will be spoken of in a formal and public way, thereby becoming "official". And yet, that day is just the first day of what we hope will be a growing relationship renewed throughout your lives and supported by your faith and your faith community. For the special people in your lives, it is a privilege to take time from the normal schedules of everyday life to gather and to celebrate your mutual love. For those of us in the community of faith, it is a joyful responsibility to recognize and encourage your marriage, now and in the future. Congratulations on your willingness to choose to care and to invite those you cherish to join with you to express thanks for the gifts of life and the chance to share it with each other.