Weddings at Bel Air Presbyterian

 Christian Marriage | Your Wedding Ceremony at Bel Air Church | General Policy | The Organist and Music | Rehearsals | Our Ministers | Our Wedding Staff | Photography | Video | Flowers and Decorations | Candles, Kneeling Bench, Lectern | Invitations
Other Policies | Wedding Fees | Photos of Our Campus

Christian Marriage

When our hearts have been melted by the love of the cross, and our minds have been gripped by the Good News of the Gospel, and our nature has been filled by the Holy Spirit, then alone can we be vessels of creative love in marriage. Love is a gift. The Holy Spirit's gift and the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is desperately needed in every marriage. Marriage is a Christ-healed, Spirit-filled relationship.

It is highly recommended by the Pastors and Session of Bel Air Church that couples who are considering marriage or have been married within the past year take our four-week "Preparation for Christian Marriage" course, free of charge.

Your Wedding Ceremony at Bel Air Presbyterian Church

Marriage is a gift God has given to all humankind for the well-being of the entire human family. Marriage is a civil contract between a woman and a man. For Christians, marriage is a civil covenant through which a man and a woman are called to live out together before God their lives of discipleship. In a service of Christian marriage, a lifelong commitment is made by a woman and a man to each other, publicly witnessed and acknowledged by the community of faith.

Your wedding is one of the most joyous occasions of your life and we are delighted to be a part of it. We want to provide a ceremony which will be meaningful and memorable. Your wedding ceremony should be one of reverence, sacred joy, and beauty.

It is our endeavor to help you plan so you will approach the ceremony with confidence. Based on our experience, we have put together this informative brochure to help make your wedding as smooth and carefree as possible. This page contains important guidelines approved by the Session of the Bel Air Presbyterian Church, so please read it carefully.

Bel Air Presbyterian Church is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We consider the marriage ceremony to be a service of worship before God and we carefully follow the guidelines of the Directory of Worship which is part of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). A copy is available upon request from the church office.

General Policy

Because of demand, we limit weddings at Bel Air Presbyterian Church to members, children of members, and/or active non-members. The pastors must ascertain that either the bride or groom is a professing Christian. PLEASE NOTE: Due to our construction program, Bel Air will only be able to accommodate members until the completion of construction in approximately the fall of 2006.

Church activities need to have priority, thus weddings may be officially scheduled only six months before the desired date. However, if you wish to plan further ahead, the Wedding Director maintains a wedding calendar up to a year in advance.

The wedding must be confirmed six months prior to the desired date. After you have read and accepted the church's wedding policies and wish to reserve space for your wedding, you may fill out an application form and return it, along with a deposit, to:

Bel Air Presbyterian Church
16221 Mulholland Drive,
Los Angeles, CA 90049,
Attn: Wedding Director

If the date cannot be confirmed, the deposit will be refunded. Once the date is confirmed, your deposit is non-refundable. All remaining fees are due two weeks prior to the wedding.

Important Reminder - Once the date and time is confirmed by the church, no change may be made without approval from the church. An additional fee of $50 is charged if a confimed date is changed. Please send notice of change in writing to the Wedding Director for request consideration. Thank you.

The Organist and Music

"Music suitable for the marriage service directs attention to God and expresses faith of the church (W-2.1004). The congregation may join in hymns and other musical forms of praise and prayer."

Policy stipulates that the services of our church organist or regular substitute be used at all weddings held at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. The organist does not attend the wedding rehearsal. Rehearsals between the organist and other musicians are usually held up to two hours before the wedding.

It is hoped that the wedding music will be in keeping with the spirit of worship of the marriage ceremony. Our organist will be pleased to help you with musical selections, soloists, and other musicians. All solos must be approved by the organist and/or wedding staff one month before the wedding.

Fee for soloists and/or other musicians are not included in the quoted fees, but are handled separately between the couple and the musician/soloist.

Microphones and/or other sound equipment may be requested from the Wedding Director.

Rehearsals

The Wedding Director or Assistant Director will coordinate and direct the wedding rehearsal. We encourage you to schedule the rehearsal no later than 5:00 p.m. the Friday evening before the wedding.

Most rehearsals last about one hour. It is not unusual for the church to schedule more than one rehearsal in one evening, so it is important for everyone to arrive on time. Please take into account heavy traffic hours and plan accordingly. All of the wedding party is to attend, including parents and relatives escorted as part of the ceremony, candle lighter, ushers, scripture readers and family who are included in the ceremony. This will enable each one to practice his or her part and allow all to be more comfortable with the actual wedding day.

Our Ministers

Marriage ceremonies are conducted by one of our pastors. Four months prior to the wedding you may request, or be assigned, a minister for the ceremony. At that time, you will need to contact the minister's personal assistant for premarital counseling.

A visiting pastor may share in the ceremony upon agreement with our pastoral staff. Upon written request, you may invite another Presbyterian minister to be the sole officiant at your wedding. Please contact the Wedding Director for questions or clarification.

Our Wedding Staff

Our wedding staff consists of the Wedding Director, the Assistant Director, the organist and a pastor.

To arrange a wedding at Bel Air Presbyterian Church, first call our Wedding Director, Trudy McCulley, at (818)788-4200, ext. 123. Questions concerning the availability of dates, ministerial staff, church procedures, policies and fees can all be answered by the Wedding Director.

If you wish, the Wedding Director can also suggest florists, photographers, and video operators who have been cooperative in understanding and observing the guidelines we have adopted for the Sanctuary.

Photography

We at Bel Air Presbyterian Church approach weddings with reverence and in a very sacred manner. In an attempt to direct the wedding with this in mind, please have the photographer review these guidelines and discuss prior to the wedding day. This will enable cooperation and understanding so that the wedding will run smoothly. The majority of our brides and grooms choose photographers who are professional in their appearance, manner, conduct and product. It would be wise also to review all the grouping of pictures with both sides of the family and the photographer to insure sensitivity and input by all.

1. A coat and tie or dress or suit are to be worn at the ceremony. Formal attire please.

2. Please have the photographer arrive at least 1/2 hour before the formal photos are taken to have ample time to review all the guidelines with the wedding director. Depending on the time needed for photographs, allow ample time for photographs to enable all pictures to be completed 1/2 hour prior to the wedding.

3. The bride and the bridesmaids arrive approximately 1 hour prior to the photography session. We have an excellent bride's room available for the wedding party to use, as well as a dressing room for the groom and groomsmen.

4. The photographer remains in the balcony only, taking pictures without flash during the ceremony. No photographer or photograph equipment may be in sight of the wedding guests at any time during the ceremony. Also, no photographs may be taken from the chancel or main level of the sanctuary.

5. After the ceremony, flash pictures may be taken as the bride and groom exit the church from half-way down the aisle.

6. After the wedding, the time allowed for photography should be arranged with the wedding director prior to the wedding day. On some occasions the wedding party may choose to have all of their pictures taken before the ceremony. If this is your choice, please consult with the Wedding Director regarding the scheduling.

7. Ushers will begin seating guests approximately 30 minutes before the ceremony. Please have all ushers at the rehearsal.

Video

Video operators should introduce themselves to the Wedding Director and accept the limitations on lighting and the placing of equipment. Video camera equipment or operator is not allowed in sight of the guests prior to or during the ceremony. No artificial lighting may be used. Placement and location of video equipment must be arranged prior to the ceremony with the Wedding Director.

Flowers and Decorations

"Flowers, decorations, and other appointments would be appropriate to the place of worship, enhance the worshipers' consciousness of the reality of God, and reflect the integrity and simplicity of Christian life (W-1.3034; W-1.4004-4005; W-5.5006).

Please select a florist who will abide by the following guidelines:

1. Please have the arrival time of the florist arranged with the Wedding Director.

2. Choir chairs are to remain on the chancel.

3. No damage may be done to the front greenery or pews. Plants must remain in the location arranged by the church only.

4. No nails, screws, tape, or wire in decorating (candelabras included) may be used. We recommend pipe cleaners for decoration of the candelabras. Also, plastic must be placed under flower arrangements on all tables in the sanctuary. Pew clips may be used to secure bows on the pews only.

5. No decorations may be placed on the pulpit, organ console, piano, or choir chairs.

6. Please have the wedding party flowers left outside the bride's room, with names indicated on all corsages and boutonnieres.

7. No runners are permitted.

8. No heavy duty tape on chancel floor.

9. Decorating and cleanup must be completed prior to the wedding to enable the sanctuary to be used for pre-wedding photography. Please see the Wedding Director to schedule a time for the photographs.

10. Food and beverages are not allowed in the Sanctuary. However, the bride's room and vestry used for changing are available for food and beverages for the snacks for the wedding party.

11. If you wish to leave the flowers for Sunday morning services to be enjoyed by the congregation, a notice in our church bulletin may be requested in advance.

12. The florist should pick up the stands, baskets, etc., the day of the wedding since our storage space is limited. Our custodian will be happy to put these items in the bride's room, unless another wedding follows immediately. Please make arrangements with the Wedding Director if you desire this service.

13. As Sunday services are usually the following day, we ask that the Sanctuary be left in order for Sunday worship service.

14. All rental items are to be taken by wedding party the same day.

Candles, Kneeling Bench, Lectern

Two candelabra stands, one unity candelabra, a kneeling bench and a lectern are available for your ceremony. The candelabra stands require seven candles each, 23.5 inches in length, and the unity candelabra requires three candles. The church provides candles.

Invitations

Please include a map and directions to the church, indicating the parking time to be approximately 15 minutes. This will enable the guests to arrive on time. The invitation date and time must coincide with the date and time on the wedding application. There will be no changes without written confirmation of the church.

Other Policies

Weddings are held on Saturdays.

No weddings or rehearsals will be scheduled for the Saturdays preceding Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, or Thanksgiving weekend. No weddings are scheduled in December due to the full calendar of church activities.

No smoking is permitted in any church building and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on all church property. No person under the influence of alcohol or drugs may be present at a rehearsal, wedding or reception held at the church. It is the responsibility of the bride and groom to communicate these policies to the members of the wedding party.

Please...no rice, birdseed, confetti, or the like may be thrown on the church grounds.

We ask that you fully understand and communicate all of the guidelines which apply to your selected florist, photographer, video technician, soloist and/or musicians before submitting the wedding application.

If you have any questions, please contact the Wedding Director, who will be happy to help you. We are all dedicated to creating a joyous occasion with God's guidance and direction. He is in charge and we have the privilege of assisting with your planning. Thank you and God bless!

Wedding Fees

EVANS CHAPEL: Members–$600; Non-members–$1,300
SANCTUARY: Members–$1,000; Non-members–$2,100

Fees include the use of the Sanctuary, services of the Wedding Director and organist, candelabra, unity candelabra, kneeling bench, microphones, audio recordings and audio technician. The deposit applies to this fee. Checks should be made payable to Bel Air Presbyterian Church. Deposit required upon completion of application form. Remaining fee is due two weeks before ceremony.

Minister's Fee: An honorarium should be given directly to the minister at the last counseling session. You may consult with the Wedding Director for a suggested figure.

Music Fees: The services of the organist are included in the Sanctuary fee. Fees for all soloists and musicians should be paid directly to them before the wedding, or given to the Wedding Director the night of the rehearsal.