The Christian marriage ceremony is a service of worship before God, normally conducted within the house of God. Reverence shall be expected on the part of all present, and the service shall be under the sole direction of the minister.
A minister from the staff of University Presbyterian Church (UPC) will preside at all weddings held at UPC. Guest ministers, priests, other religious leaders may be invited by the UPC minister to participate; however, all rehearsals and arrangements for the service are to be under the direction of the UPC staff minister.
All music arrangements for the service are made under the direction of UPC’s Director of Music or Church Organist.
WEDDING MUSIC
The Christian marriage ceremony is a service of worship before God, normally conducted within the house of God. Music that accompanies the ceremony should be chosen to assure that it is suitable and reverent. If desired, the congregation may be invited to join in the singing of hymns.
Music is an important part of the marriage service. It accompanies the arrival and departure of the wedding party, sets the mood for worship as the guests arrive, and enables the congregation to participate in the marriage service.
The music for worship services at UPC is the responsibility of the Director of Music; therefore the music of the marriage service must be planned in conference with her or the Organist. This includes the use of soloists or instrumentalists and the selection of their music, as well as the music to be used for the processional, recessional and prelude. The Organist at UPC will play for all weddings held in the church unless other arrangements have been made by the Organist or Director of Music.
The couple may select from a wide repertoire of sacred music. Music for the weddings should promote worship, ask for God's blessing upon the bride and groom, and be in accordance with the Christian faith.
In arranging for music for the wedding the bride and groom should:
•As soon as the wedding date has been confirmed and following the initial conversation with the minister about the wedding service, contact the Organist and make an appointment to discuss the wedding
•This must be done before making any arrangements with other musicians, such as soloists or instrumentalists.
