Finding a church for a wedding?

Question

So nobody gets the wrong idea, here are all the details - I recently relocated (in January) and attending my old church is not at all feasible (it is more than 200 miles away). I have gone to a church nearly every weekend in my new hometown - i did miss a couple weekends due to the move.

Two churches I have attended more than once because I like the sermon and the beliefs and I feel comfortable there. I am not prepared to formally join a church yet. BUT I do want to have a wedding in a church.

One of the two churches I have gone to a couple times said flat out that if I am not an official member (and baptized in their faith) that they will not do the wedding. I am waiting to hear back from the other one.

Does anyone know of churches or denominations that are more lenient about marrying non-members?

I have no problem attending that church for a time, participating, attending classes or counseling. more ...

Answer 1

try a babtist church or church of christ. they tend to me more lenient. or what about the soon to be husband? what does he think

Answer 2

Go to Reverend Love's (real name) Wedding Chapel in South Lake Tahoe it will cost considerably less and you can drink and gamble all night long.

Answer 3

Well, my husband and I didn't get married in a church but may in the future for we are newly born-again christians and belong to a bible-based charismatic church. They are the most amazing accepting bunch of people in the world. At the time that my husband and I got married we were non-practicing Caltholics and there was no way in the world the Catholic Church would let us get married there. We didn't want to get married in a church anyway because we didn't have any type of faith at the time.

Anyway, I would say try an episcipol, evangelical,charismatic or any kind of non-denominational church for they seem to be the most open and willing to accept anyone into their place of worship.

I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Most churches in my area offer services for a fee....member or no.  We were married in a Pentacostal church and we don't attend church period.  The church rental was $300 and we gave $100 to the pastor who married us (it's not a requirement but from what I understand it's customary to tip...there may be another word for it).  Most pentacostal churches are not the gorgeous, vaulted ceiling stained glass cathedrals you may have in mind....but they're nice and with a runner and lots of flowers quite pretty.

OH...and April below is correct.  You will probably have to meet with a pastor several times.  It's actually sort of fun.

Answer 5

Pick the one you feel most comfortable in

Answer 6

They have every right to restrict weddings to church members only.  The church members are the ones who pay the bills.  

My suggestion is to find a non-denominational chapel.  There are plenty in my area, but you'd have to check it out in your area. Yellow pages is often a good place to start.  Also, consider trying a UU group (Unitarian Universalism church).  They are non-denominational and I know the local one allows weddings even if you aren't a member (but then they charge a fee for building use).

I also agree with the other poster to check with Lutheran Churchs.  They also will marry nonmembers but with some limitations (for instance, if you are divorced Catholics, they may not marry you).

Answer 7

I work for a Unitarian Universalist congregation, and currently handle all of the rentals, including weddings.  We do not require that couples be members to hold their weddings in our sanctuary (although we certainly encourage them to attend a service!).  We have clergy who can perform the ceremony, but if a couple would rather bring in their own minister to officiate, they are free to do so.  We do charge rental fees, but there is no additional charge for non-members.  Our ministers prefer to meet with the couple a few times before the big day.

UUism grew out of Christian philosophy, but today, it is considered separate from the Christian faith.  That said, many of our congregants do come from Christian backgrounds (and there are quite a few mixed-faith couples).

Every church has their own policies, of course, but I can tell you that UUs are very welcoming, and tend to be pretty laid back.  In the year I've been handling rentals, we've hosted weddings from a number of faith traditions.

Answer 8

Pentecoastal churches are very nice! I grew up pentecostal! They married several people that werent a member of the church!

Answer 9

Lutheran churches will perform interfaith marriages with very few limitations. They are also very close to the Catholic faith with the exception of the whole "protestant" thing lol. I was raised Lutheran and love being a Lutheran because a major part of our religion is acceptance of other religions. Check out your local church directory for Lutheran churches and see what you think.

Also, Church of Christ and other non-denominational churches will probably marry you without membership. And, check with your OLD church about churches in your area, sometimes they are aware of churches in your area that you may like.

Good luck!

Answer 10

Look up churches online in your hometown.  Usually, there are churches that have set fees for renting the sanctuary, reception service wares rental, janitor fee, etc.  I got married in a Baptist church in my hometown, even though we lived about 170 miles away.  It was cheap, like, about $100.

Answer 11

Not sure of your religion, but probably any Roman Catholic church would be out as they have the most stringent requirements.  Did you try a mainstream Protestant church (mainstream meaning more progressive, not fundamental, etc.).

Answer 12

Try a non-denominational church, they are generally open as long as you are Christian.

Answer 13

My husband and I got married in a Lutheran church. We had to pay a bit more because we were non-members - but they had no problems marrying us. The only thing we had to do was meet with the pastor 3 times before the wedding, which actually turned out to be really nice. We got a chance to know him and vice versa so it made the ceremony much more relaxing and heartfelt for me. I would check out any Lutheran churches in your local area. All of them are going to have different rules/regulations - but I am sure you can find some church in your area.

I think that you are approaching this in the right manner. You shouldn't just join a church to just to get married then completely abandon the faith (not to say that you would, but still...)

Start looking in your local yellow pages and make some phone calls. Once you find a church that will do it you can go down and listen to the sermon on Sunday and see if you like the feel of the church.

Don't worry - you will find one.

Good luck!

Answer 14

You should NOT join a church just to get married... didnt god once say ..."my doors are always open" if that is so then that church is wrong... you should get married at a church that you dont have to be a member of........ its a church of christ not a church of members..

Answer 15

I'm getting married back home even though I rarely go there anymore, because that's still my home church to me. If there is a church of your denomination (being...) in town try that one maybe.