Shepherd of the Hills - Lutheran Church

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THE CHAPEL | OUR POLICIES | COSTS | FAQs

The following pages are intended to share information about weddings at Shepherd of the Hills that may help Brides and Grooms decide if they wish to consider the Chapel of Shepherd of the Hills for their wedding.

Inside the Shepherd's Chapel Garden and Statue of Christ our Good Shepherd	The Chapel If you have not seen the chapel, that would be the first thing you want to do. It is a beautiful facility and most brides and grooms love it at first sight, but it does have a few limitations and naturally, our church has a few restrictions as well. We hope this will assist you with your wedding plans. Our Policies The Chapel -- is a chapel - that means, a little church. It can comfortably seat 180 for weddings. In addition, the fact that it is small says something about the size of the wedding party. Although there is no specific rule about it we would suggest you plan your wedding with no more than five bridesmaids and groomsmen. Photography -- Since we consider all weddings to be Christian Worship Services rather than wedding "ceremonies," we allow photographers to take pictures only from the back of the chapel with no flash. Having photographers and other individuals walking around or "popping up" during the service detracts from what is happening in the Chancel. Most professional photographers are aware of the regulations of churches and are able to get beautiful photographs and still follow the policies of the church. We are perfectly willing to re-create any portion of the wedding service a couple feels is particularly beautiful or meaningful. Please pass this information along to family and friends. Most of our weddings are "VCR'd" Again, the same policies apply. Most VCR operators are perfectly willing to keep their equipment stationary and at the back of the chapel and get good results there. Music -- Because the wedding is in a house of worship and because the wedding is a Christian Worship Service, we request you use no secular music. We have a variety of recessional and processional music. We do not permit love songs and other secular music to be sung or played during the wedding ceremony. We do permit the Wedding Song. It is our suggestion that favored love songs and secular music be reserved for the reception where it will be received with appreciation and enjoyment. An easy way to decide if a song is appropriate is to ask, is it a song of praise or thanksgiving to God, or a prayer that God would bless the couple? The Wedding Coordinator must have all music approved before your planning meeting with Pastor. Our Facilities -- We do not rent our facilities. That is to say, we do not make our facilities available to those who have their own pastor, organist, etc., but simply want to RENT THE BUILDING. Using our staff, we make a service available that includes the use of the building.

Costs If the listed conditions have met with your approval and/or needs, you are of course interested in learning the costs involved, which have been developed after consultation with a variety of churches offering comparable services. Chapel --As indicated, we do not "rent out" our facilities. The cost for our chapel takes care of air conditioning/heating, electricity, normal wear and tear, and a modest use fee. This fee presupposes that the wedding will conform to the traditional worship usages of our congregation and Denomination. Pastor --You will discover that the pastors at Shepherd of the Hills take a personal interest in each wedding, spending a minimum of four hours in scheduling, counseling and marrying the couples who come to Shepherd of the Hills. Wedding Coordinator --The Wedding Coordinator will not only clarify policies, but is also available to suggest florists, photographers, etc., and will be of personal service before the rehearsal and during the rehearsal and wedding. It is expected that you will utilize our Wedding Coordinator. You would not want to be without her! Keyboardist -- Our Keyboardist must clear other musicians and such musicians are expected to speak to him well in advance of the wedding to discuss music to be used. If there are other musicians, please let the Wedding Coordinator know well in advance. Preparation & Cleanup -- Because a special cleaning of the facilities is required before and after a wedding. Wedding Bulletins --We will print your wedding bulletins free of charge. Two weeks prior to your wedding, make an appointment with Linda in the church office. You will need to purchase your bulletins and bring them to the church office for printing. Unity Candle --We have a beautiful brass unity candle to be used as a part of the ceremony or you may purchase your own keepsake candle and two white tapers to be used on the altar. Total Fees: $795.00 Optional Costs, if you choose.... Soloist --Those provided through our Wedding Coordinator are paid $100.00. This is optional-you may not want a soloist. Most of our weddings are without a soloist. If you have your own, please make sure they are experienced. As indicated previously, vocal selections must be Christian in nature and approved well in advance of the wedding. If your soloist will be using our keyboardist, they must practice one month before your wedding. Pew Candles & Decorations --If you wish we will decorate the chapel with 10 beautiful pew candles and pew decorations. The charge is $50.00. Sound System --If you will need our elaborate sound system, the charge is $50.00 for our sound tech to operate the equipment. We only use live music, no CD's please. If you would like to have us serve you, please follow the guidelines below: 1. Call the church office (909/989-6500) to obtain the Wedding Coordinator's phone number, or contact the Wedding Coordinator directly by e-mail (scarroll@soth.org). She will be able to tell you if your wedding date is available. 2. If your date is available, the Wedding Coordinator will explain our fees, policies, and make an appointment to meet you at the church. 3. If you are in agreement with our policies and want to be married in our chapel by one of our pastors, we ask that you make a non-refundable deposit of $200.00 to reserve the chapel. This deposit will be applied to the coordinator fee ($100) and the church fee ($100). Payment All Fees -- are due and payable to the Wedding Coordinator one week before the wedding. The license is to be given to the coordinator at the rehearsal. No refunds of services to be performed without 5 days notice. 4. Schedule planning and counseling sessions with the Pastor. It is important both bride and groom participate in these meetings. Premartial classes are available but not mandatory. 5. The rehearsal is ordinarily scheduled the day before the wedding. It is MOST IMPORTANT that all who participate be present and on time!