|
Wedding Information
We are delighted you would like to have your wedding at the Longboat Island Chapel. We are an Interfaith Community Church and offer our services to all people without regard to religious affiliation. Our ministry embraces those who are marrying with different faith backgrounds, as well as those who are remarrying and want a Church ceremony.
We are a full-service Church with several lovely settings for any wedding:
- Sanctuary: seating up to 320 guests
- Little Chapel: seating for 24 guests
- Friendship Garden: standing - unlimited; seating on folding chairs for up to 125 guests
We hope we can be of service to you. Our Senior Minister, or one of our affiliated ministers, offer their services to officiate at weddings in one of these settings — or away from the Chapel as well. One of our Chapel ministers must officiate at all wedding ceremonies held at the Chapel.
Setting Your Date
When you contact the Chapel office, our Church Secretary will check the calendar for the availability of your wedding date, and request that you complete and send a Wedding Reservation Form. Please print and complete the Reservation Form that can be found on this page, and return it to the Chapel office as soon as possible with your non-refundable deposit. We cannot hold your date permanently until we receive your full deposit. Upon the receipt of your completed reservation form and deposit, you will receive a letter of contract specifying the officiating minister, wedding coordinator, and other assigned staff.
Our Wedding Coordinator is required to assist with all weddings held at the Chapel. The coordinator will be available to assist you with the details of your wedding, and will have direct oversight of the wedding rehearsal at the Chapel to make your “special day” go more smoothly. The coordinator can also provide you with a list of florists, soloists, instrumentalists, photographers, etc. Our Wedding Coordinator may also be able to help with weddings held at another site. Please notify the Chapel office when you submit your off-site reservation form.
The Officiating Minister will want to arrange to meet with you before the wedding to get to know you and discuss the specifics of your wedding. The Minister will assist you in personalizing your ceremony and help make your celebration special. This is your wedding, and your words and beliefs are important, so we welcome your suggestions. Please call our office at least a month prior to your wedding date to schedule an appointment to meet with the minister.
If you choose organ music as part of your ceremony, we will provide an organist for you. Be sure the organist is booked well in advance.
A Florida marriage license is available at any Florida county courthouse, Bradenton and Sarasota's being closest to Longboat Key. The license needs to be obtained in advance of the wedding and is good for 60 days from the date of issue. Courthouse hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday. There are no special requirements for residents of other states or citizens of other countries.
Wedding Packages
The Longboat Island Chapel wishes to make impressive and dignified weddings available at a reasonable cost. Our fees are designed to defray the cost of maintaining and operating the Chapel.:
Includes Minister, Wedding Coordinator, Custodian and Sound System.
(The Chapel's fellowship hall and kitchen can be rented for a reception.
More information is available on the reservation form.)
Small wedding party, consisting of Minister, bride, groom, and two witnesses.
Non-Refundable Deposit
A non-refundable deposit is required in advance in order to reserve your wedding date. The remaining balance is to be paid one week prior to the day of your rehearsal.
The Rehearsal
For larger weddings, a rehearsal helps your ceremony run smoothly; please invite the entire wedding party to attend. Bring your marriage license and any dripless candles, runners, recorded music, etc., needed for the ceremony. As the Wedding Coordinator has oversight of the rehearsal, neither the officiating minister nor the custodian will be present. It is very important that you schedule your rehearsal at the time you schedule your wedding.
The Day of The Wedding
Since we often have more than one wedding on the same day, it is important that the wedding is on time. You will be able to set up for your wedding one hour before the ceremony. Please keep this in mind when planning your decorations or flower delivery. Please do not use tape or staples on the gazebo pillars or sanctuary pews. Clothing and personal items must be brought to the Chapel when the wedding party comes to prepare for the wedding and not before. Please bring all clothing “ready to wear”. No irons or other electrical appliances are allowed. Please try to have your photos completed — and any items you may have brought with you (including all plants and flowers) — removed as soon as possible after the wedding. You are permitted use of the Chapel for one hour before and one hour after your scheduled wedding time. (Example: If your wedding is scheduled for 4:00 p.m., you will be able to use the Chapel from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m.) We sincerely appreciate your promptness and cooperation. In case of impending rain, please contact us by 10:00 a.m. the morning of your wedding to make a decision as to whether you would like your garden wedding moved inside. We request that you do not bring food or drinks on the premises, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited. This is a NON-SMOKING facility.
Candlelight Ceremony
A white wrought iron candelabra is available for your use. It requires sixteen 12" dripless tapers. There is no charge for the candelabra, but please supply the necessary candles. Check with the Wedding Coordinator for specific details.
We will be happy to include a Unity Candle Ceremony in your service if you purchase the Unity Candle (9"x3" pillar) and two side tapers. We will provide the candle holders for your use, unless you choose to purchase your own.
Photographer & Post-Wedding
In keeping with the sacred nature of a wedding at Longboat Island Chapel, flash photography is not allowed during the wedding ceremony. There will be sufficient time for taking pictures before or after your ceremony. We ask that your photographer take available light photographs from behind the last row of guests or the balcony during the actual ceremony. You may take pictures of the processional and recessional. Please plan to have all your pictures taken in the Chapel before you go out to greet your friends. If you wish to record your wedding on videotape, we have a designated location near the altar for that purpose. Please place the camera on a tripod and allow it to remain in that location. Your photographer must complete pictures within 50 minutes of the ending of the ceremony. You are welcome to have a receiving line either inside or outside the Chapel after the wedding. If you are planning to “shower” the couple after they exit the Chapel, please contact the office regarding specific restrictions. For safety reasons, flower petals are not permitted, and for the safety of our wildlife, neither rice nor a balloon release is permitted.
Marriage License
Obtaining a marriage license is your responsibility. You can apply to the Clerk of Courts in Sarasota or Manatee County. A waiting period is not required if you live out of state. Be sure to bring the license to the rehearsal. We will mail the completed license to the Clerk of Courts, or upon request, return the completed license to you for filing.
Special Notes
-
We cannot hold your date permanently until we receive your non-refundable deposit.
-
A Chapel minister must officiate all wedding ceremonies.
-
Our Wedding Coordinator is required to assist with all weddings held at the Chapel.
-
No food or drinks allowed on the premises. We are a non-smoking facility.
-
Flowers and shrubbery in the Garden are seasonal and therefore the Garden may not have the same appearance from month to month.
-
In case of rain, your garden wedding will be moved indoors to the sanctuary. (There will never be another wedding scheduled at the same time as yours.)
Sample Wedding Ceremonies
|
