Congratulations on your engagement! We look forward to walking along side you as you prepare for this very special event. The information below will give you a brief overview of our pre-marital process.
Membership
In order to be married at St. Andrew's by one of our clergy, one of the parties should be an active member. Consideration is also given if parents or grandparents are current, active members. If a couple wants to consider marriage at St. Andrew's, and they are not currently members, they may go through the pre-marital and membership processes concurrently. The membership process is as follows:
- Complete the Alpha Course, a 10 week course covering the basics of Christianity, offered twice a year (Jan. and Sept.).
- Complete Church 101, a 3-night course (1 evening per week) on the vision and values of St. Andrew's.
- Participate in a New Member Service offered at various times throughout the year.
All other requests must be made to the Rector’s office. Special permission for non-members is subject to the Rector’s approval.
Reserving Dates, Place and Cost
Weddings are usually held in the Historic Church which seats approximately 250 people. The Ministry Center seats approximately 800 people but is restricted in the hours that it is available.
Currently, there is no charge for the use of the facilities for members of St. Andrew's. For non-members, a $1500 fee is required. As a point of information, none of the monies collected for the use of the facilities by non-members is used for the general budget of St. Andrew's. Instead, all monies collected are used to support local missions.
To reserve your wedding date, the bridge and groom should each complete a Wedding Application form and return them to the Rector’s Personal Assistant, Nancy Sapakoff (email Nancy or call 843.284.4324). She will then contact you to discuss details, schedule your wedding and first pre-marital meeting.
Premarital Preparation
St Andrew’s has two basic requirements concerning premarital preparation for engaged couples:
- Complete the FOCCUS inventory, an online premarital tool, used to guide the discussions for the premarital counseling. Once it is completed, the Rector’s Personal Assistant will set your first appointment with Rev. Brian Morgan, who coordinates all premarital counseling.
- Meet with Brian Morgan for 4 to 5 one-hour discussions. Couples are required to read the book, Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts, to discuss in their meetings with Brian. The book may be purchased for $15 in Common Grounds, St. Andrew’s bookstore. We suggest that each person purchase a copy.
We also encourage couples to take the Marriage Course which is offered several times a year.
Remarriage after Divorce
Provision for marriage of divorced persons is given after discussion with the clergy. A divorce should be final for 1 year prior to application and a copy of the final divorce decree must also be submitted. The provision for remarriage after divorce is based on God's promise of grace and forgiveness.
For more information
Please download and review Your Wedding at St. Andrew’s, a booklet detailing our wedding policies and guidelines.
To schedule a wedding, please complete and return the Wedding Applications (one each for the bride and groom).
For any additional questions, contact the Rector’s Personal Assistant, Nancy Sapakoff (email Nancy or call 843.284.4324).