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Marriage Policy
Congratulations!
We are pleased to be considered as partners with you as you make your preparations for marriage. This brief outline provides you with the basics of a wedding ceremony at Nashwaaksis United Church.
Who May Be Married?
We understand marriage to be a spiritual covenant between a woman and a man. We require that all couples take part in a recognized 'marriage preparation course', or its equivalent. You do not have to be a member of the United Church or of this Congregation to be married here. There is no obligation to join or become a member of our church if you seek to be married here, although you would be most welcome to begin worshipping with us.
What are the Basic Steps?
Planning your wedding with us will begin when you make your request. Following this request we will send you an information package. This will include a letter of explanation, a personal particulars form, a 'marriage preperation' brochure, and a request that you contact a member of our ministry team. The Minister appointed to respond will become your primary contact throughout the process. The date of your marriage will be confirmed at your first meeting with the Minister. Please do not begin making plans for the service before this initial contact with the Minister.
Who Will Lead the Service?
Our Minister will be the primary consultant and officiant for your wedding. There may be other arrangements made but these will be in consultation with, and subject to approval of, our Minister. We are open to the participation of recognized leaders from other spiritual traditions.
What are the Legal Requirements?
We offer wedding ceremonies to any man and woman who meet the legal requirements set by the Province of New Brunswick. The primary requirement is a marriage license issued by Service New Brunswick. The license should be brought to the Church office at least two weeks before the day of marriage. This provides opportunity for the information to be transferred to the necessary documents and records kept by the Church or submitted to the Government.
What Other Persons are Involved?
Music plays a significant part in a marriage ceremony. We offer the services of our Church musicians for your wedding. Once a date has been confirmed we will provide you with contact information for one of our Church musicians. You will be expected to make contact with this person as soon as possible. This will ensure their availability for the date you have chosen. It will also begin the process of selecting your wedding music. You may choose other musicians to participate in the service. Music selection is subject to approval by the Minister and the Church musician. Only qualified persons may use the Church organ, in consultation with our choir director/organist.
We are also able to provide a basic sound system for the service. This makes it possible to employ recorded music as part of the ceremony, either in place of or together with live music. As with the Church musician, we will appreciate early notification specific to sound system needs.
What Else Needs to be Considered?
In most cases a photographer is designated to take pictures during the ceremony. We allow one still and one video photographer during the actual wedding ceremony. Guests may take pictures during the procession into and out of the Church. They may not take pictures during the marriage ceremony.
We welcome a reasonable amount of decoration in the church for your wedding. This includes the use of flowers, pew markers, candles and other symbolic articles. Decoration is the responsibility of the couple. This includes removal of the decorations following the ceremony. No decoration may be used that requires alterations to the Church space or its furnishings, including the use of nails or thumbtacks. Also, seasonal decorations by the Church is not to be disturbed if your wedding is held at such times.
Our policy does not permit the use of confetti or flower petals in the Church. We suggest the use of bird seed or bubbles for 'blessing' the bride and groom when they leave the Church building.
Where Can a Wedding be Held?
Your marriage does not have to take place in the Church. We are willing to perform a marriage ceremony in your home, at some other venue, or outdoors. There is no strict rule as to the details of the ceremony. While some aspects are considered necessary, many of the particulars are open to negotiation. We will do all that we are able to make your marriage meaningful and memorable.
Additional Information
These are the fees you will be expected to pay for your wedding service:
Sanctuary* $100.00
Minister $150.00
Musician $100.00
Custodian $100.00
* The sanctuary fee does not apply for supporting members and adherents of the Nashwaaksis United Church.
Fees may be paid in cash or by check. They must be paid in full before the marriage date.
(Revised December 2011)
Click here to download the Marriage Policy Brochure.
Contact Information
Nashwaaksis United Church
46 Main Street
Fredericton, NB E3A 1C1
Tel: 506-458-9452
Email: admin@nashwaaksisunited.ca
Church Office Hours
Tuesday & Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9 am - 12 pm
BAPTISM POLICY
NASHWAAKSIS UNITED CHURCH
The Sacrament of Baptism
It is the practice of the United Church to offer infant, child and/or adult baptism. We welcome all into our community at any age. In the case of infant baptism, the parents of the infant, before the congregation, agree to a series of statements about the beliefs of the United Church on behalf of their child. They also promise to encourage the child to seek full membership at an appropriate time. The members of the congregation also promise the parents that they will help to raise the child in a Christian community. The minister then places water on the candidate's head three times (expressing the trinity of God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit) and traces a cross on the person's forehead with water. Baptism by immersion is also an option for adults who request it. The individual receives symbols of their baptism in the form of a certificate and a candle.
The United Church believes that the sacrament of baptism is the first step in church membership, where the parents make a promise in faith on behalf of the infant and/or the adult makes a promise in faith, to follow Christ. A sacrament is something that helps us come close to God and helps God come close to us. It is our community hope that the child/adult will later confirm that promise of faith with the act of confirmation.
In the 1970s, the United Church reached an ecumenical agreement with the Presbyterian, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Anglican churches in Canada that baptisms within these churches are mutually recognized as valid. Further to that, the United Church recognizes the validity of any baptism by another denomination that was performed with water and in the name of the trinity; Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
(adapted from the United Church of Canada Website)
At Nashwaaksis United Church we require:
· A meeting(s) with the minister be arranged to discuss the meaning of baptism. If possible, dates for baptisms are grouped periodically throughout the liturgical year.
· Baptisms to take place during public worship. Small gatherings for baptisms, while not the norm, can be performed under various circumstances. Chair of Council and/or member(s) of the Worship Committee will be in attendance to represent the congregation.
· Adults, children and/or infants may be baptized at home or in hospital in special health circumstances.
· One or both parents must be member(s) of the United Church; otherwise the child would be sponsored by a member of the United Church.
· A service of blessing or dedication can be offered for families of adopted children.
(Revised October 2011)
