"The Lord God in his goodness created us male and female, and by giving the gift of marriage founded human community in a joy that begins now and is brought to perfection in the life to come." (Marriage Rite: Lutheran Book of Worship)

Celebrating marriage in a church is recognition of God's gifts to us — our lives, our sexuality, our love for one another, and his eternal love for us. Both preparing for the celebration and the service itself challenge a couple to see their lives rooted in God's love. That kind of foundation will support vows of life-long faithfulness and commitment in whatever future course the marriage relationship takes. The Church is more than an imposing room in which to stage a ritual; it is people who take very seriously God's place in their lives. We invite you to consider your relationship to this body of people as you begin you life together in our midst.

Pre-Marital Counseling: Couples desiring to be wed should participate in pre-marital counseling sessions totaling approximately three hours. This includes the completion of the Prepare Counseling Inventory at a cost of $35.00. These sessions should be periodically scheduled with the Pastor so as to be completed prior to the marriage service. In addition to planning the service, the purpose of these sessions is to discuss issues pertinent to marriage. Topics to be discussed will include financial management, dealing with in-laws and children, problem solving, fighting fair in marriage, human sexuality, and family dynamics.

The Service: Marriage is celebrated in the Church according to the rites of worship in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Certain variables are decided by the couple in consultation with the Pastor — music, readings, vows, and the inclusion of Holy Communion. Above all, the marriage celebration is a service of worship. Though the service can be personalized in many ways, its sacred nature ought not to be obscured.

Rehearsal: Most wedding parties find it helpful to schedule a rehearsal sometime in the week preceding the marriage. All members of the wedding party (which include the couple, all attendants and the couple's parents) should be able to attend and participate at one pre-determined time.

License: A marriage license must be obtained from the office of the Clerk of the Orphan's Court within any county in Pennsylvania. For York County, this is located at the York County Court House, 28 E. Market Street, York, PA. The phone number is 717-771-9615. A marriage license is valid for sixty (60) days from the date of issuance. The Pastor will instruct you as to when he/she should be given the license, but no later than the rehearsal date.

Flowers and Decorations: Floral arrangements can be placed in the chancel. If desired, flowers may be left for other worship services of the congregation. Charles A. Schaefer Flowers in York (717-845-1571) is very familiar with Zion Lutheran Church. Decorations, such as bows, are allowed to be placed throughout the church as long as they do not cause damage when removed.

Time and Location: Wedding ceremonies in the church sanctuary can start anytime between 1:00 and 3:00 PM on Saturdays. Other times and/or locations can be arranged with discussion with the Pastor and the office staff.

Photography: Photographs may be taken during the processional and recessional, but NO flash photography will be permitted during the service itself. The wedding party should inform guests and any professional photographer of this restriction. The couple may desire the wedding party to return to the sanctuary for posed photographs following the service. Indeed, many photographs can actually be taken before the service if enough time is allotted. This will avoid a long wait at the reception. Video taping is permitted but must be discussed with the Pastor. Video taping by the Zion Audio-Visual team will incur an additional fee.

Use of Facility: The wedding party and guests are offered the use of the church facilities for your marriage celebration. We ask that the church facilities be treated with the care and respect they require. Reverence is appropriate in the sanctuary. Rice and bird seed throwing are not permitted, although alternatives such as bubbles and balloons are acceptable. All facilities should be left as they were found.

Fees: Certain fees are required to offer the services of people and the use of the church facilities for you marriage celebration:

Use of the sanctuary............ $50.00*

Use of the fellowship hall......$100.00*

Organist............................ $125.00

Sexton (custodian).............. $25.00

Audio/Visual....................... $35.00

Windswept (band)............... $250.00

* Waived for current members of the congregation.

If desired, an honorarium may also be given to the Pastor. This traditionally ranges between $75.00 and $125.00. Soloists for the wedding may be obtained with negotiable fees. Fees should be paid in full prior to the wedding, but no later than the rehearsal date.

Additional Items: Wedding items such as bulletins, guest books, and unity candles are purchased by the couple. These can be found at most Christian bookstores or wedding planning store. If necessary, the church office would be available to type and print the wedding bulletins. If so, all information is needed in the church office no later than two weeks prior to the wedding.

Music for the Wedding: Zion Lutheran Church can make available to you an organist or pianist, a vocal soloist, and, if scheduling permits, a handbell ensemble. Make your needs know to the pastor as early in the planning process as possible. It will then be your responsibility to contact the musician(s) whose name(s) and phone number(s) will be given to you. A mutually convenient time to get together to discuss music and to pick and choose pieces for your wedding will be arranged with the musician(s).

A list of appropriate pieces of music for weddings is nearly endless. Let the text of vocal solos be a guide. Organ/piano pieces are a bit more difficult to judge as to their appropriateness. Music from Broadway shows, operas, and obviously secular music is to be avoided.

We all want the music on your wedding day to reflect the joy of the occasion. Our goal is to provide a worship service that will be long-remembered by everyone.

For more information about holding a Wedding Celebration about Zion, contact the church office by phone at (717) 767- HOPE (4673) or by email at info@zionyork.org. Our office hours are 8:30am to 4:00pm EST.