Marriage
One of our greatest joys as Christians is the ability to gather together as one body, to pray to God, and to share the gifts of the sacraments and rites together. We as a community wish to celebrate the milestones in one another’s lives and faith journeys together. If you wish to be married at Emmanuel, please read this page and than contact Father Nathan at rector@emmanuelbelair.org
Marriage
Marriage is a covenant between two people, whereby they are joined together by God and commit to loving, caring, and supporting one another. The Book of Common Prayer describes this union as one of “heart, body, and mind” which is meant for their mutual joy and support. Emmanuel is committing to marrying all qualified couples regardless of sexual orientation. All people are welcome to be who they are in this community.
In order to be married within the Episcopal Church, at least one member of the couple must be a Baptized Christian when the marriage takes place. To be married at Emmanuel, at least one member of the couple must either be an active member of the parish, part of a member’s immediate family, or the grandchild of a member of the Parish. Couples who are not members of the parish are invited to come explore if Emmanuel would be a good spiritual home for them and to talk to the Priest about being married in this Church. The Episcopal Church requires that if one member of the couple is being remarried and their ex-spouse is currently living, the bishop must give permission for the wedding to take place.
Marriage is a long-term commitment, and therefore is not to be entered into without both a deep level of commitment and a time of preparation. Couples are required to go through a time of pre-martial counseling, which can be conducted either by the Priest or by a licensed couples counselor. To that end, normally a wedding is scheduled at least six months in advance, apart from any pressing pastoral concern which would require the ceremony to be conducted earlier.
If couples are not getting married during the regular Sunday services and would like music, they are expected to pay the organist for his time and talent. He charges $450 for a wedding. We also suggest a $500 donation to the church for most weddings; however, this is not mandatory, and no one will be denied access to the sacraments and rites of this church due to an inability to pay.
Because weddings are conducted in the church’s main worship space, we do ask that couples treat the sanctuary with reverence and respect. The conduct of the ceremony and the decision whether to marry a couple are within the authority of the Priest.
