Kirk in the Hills

Premarital Consultation

PREPARE Marriage Series is a premarital course led by staff members of the Kirk. This course is highly recommended for couples being married at the Kirk. Topics include conflict resolution, dealing with differences, and assessing marriage goals. The cost of this group session is in addition to the wedding fee.

As soon as possible after setting the wedding date, the bride and groom are expected to make a reservation to attend the course, as the sessions are limited in size and frequency. (This is not a responsibility to be postponed until the last few months or weeks before the wedding.) To find out about available course dates and to make a reservation, contact Karen Leonard, Assistant to the Pastor at (248) 626-2515, ext. 104, or at kleonard@kirkinthehills.org.

Each pastor requires some form of premarital counseling. If a member couple are unable to attend the PREPARE Marriage Series, the officiating pastor will set counseling dates and expectations with the couple.  All non-member couples must be able to complete the PREPARE Marriage Series.

Officiating Minister

Kirk in the Hills is part of Presbyterian Church (USA) and affirms God’s call to ordained ministry without respect of age, gender, or ethnic origin. If a particular pastor is not available to conduct a wedding the Kirk will designate one of its pastors to officiate, depending on pastors’ availability and the Kirk’s overall ministry program. Prospective wedding couples need to understand that ministry at the Kirk may determine the pastor to officiate at their wedding.
 
The officiating minister from the Kirk has responsibility for the order and conduct of the wedding service. Couples must use one of the Kirk's pastors to officate at the ceremony.  Some couples will ask if another pastor (from another church) may assist in the ceremony, but this is only at the discretion of the Kirk's pastor.  Non-member couples must use the Kirk's pastor.
 
The Service

A wedding at Kirk in the Hills is an act of worship. Thus, the wedding service will be conducted according to the worship standard of the Kirk and of the Presbyterian Church USA. It is appropriate for the service to include special music, hymns, and scripture readings. The officiating clergy will review the order of service and explain appropriate options with the couple.

Music

Because the wedding service is an act of worship, all music will conform to the worship standards
at the Kirk. Additional music may be provided after consultation with the pastor and the Director of Music. The couple must contact the Kirk’s Director of Music, who will assist them in choosing appropriate music for their service. The director will make arrangements for soloists and other instrumentalists.  An additional fee will be charged for soloists and instrumentalists, including, if necessary, rehearsal time. The Kirk reserves the right to be satisfied as to the competence of any guest soloists or instrumentalists invited to participate in a wedding and the appropriateness of all music to be included in the service.

Photography/Videography

Once the wedding date and time is set, the Assistant to the Pastor will provide a timeline for the period of time you will be at the church on your wedding day. This timeline will include opportunities for photography before and after the ceremony.

In keeping with the atmosphere of worship, only the professional photographer hired for the wedding may take photographs during the service. During the service, the professional photographer may only photograph from the rear of the sanctuary or chapel with existing light. No photographs can be taken during the prayers. Only the professional photographer may take flash photographs, and these are limited to the special seating of family, the procession of the bridesmaids, the bridal procession, and the recession. The photographer must remain behind the body of the congregation at all times. At no time will "set ups" for formal photographs with screens for backdrops, etc., be permitted.

The people you choose to act as ushers are to inform your guests that photographs and videos may not be taken once the guests have entered the church.

The service may be videotaped with the following restrictions: cameras must be stationary at all times and any camera in full view of the congregation must be unmanned.

Decorating

The two chapels and the sanctuary are in themselves places of great beauty and do not need excessive decoration for wedding ceremonies. At certain times of the year the sanctuary is decorated for church purposes. These decorations may be utilized for church weddings but may
not be moved or removed.

The church will provide a kneeler and unity candle if requested.  In the sanctuary, pew candles will be provided upon request.

Florists delivering flowers to the church must have them delivered between 9:00 a.m. and noon on the day of the wedding. They should be clearly marked with the bride and groom's name and delivered to the Kirk House door (in the center of the facility).

The Assistant to the Pastor should be included in the planning of the decorations. Florists will have access to the worship space no earlier than 60 minutes before the wedding. They must be finished with preparing the church 40 minutes prior to the wedding. Please be sure that the florist is aware of the need to have personal flowers (bouquets, boutonnieres, corsages, etc.) available, if required, for pre-service photographs. If the flowers in the church are to be used at the reception, the florist may not remove them until all of the guests have departed and pictures have been taken.

Bulletin

It is not necessary to have a bulletin (an order of service) for your wedding. The Assistant to the Pastor will provide you with the church's guidelines for printed wedding bulletins. To assure accuracy and conformity with these guidelines, all bulletins must be reviewed and approved by the officiating minister.

Please plan to bring the printed bulletins to the church at the time of your rehearsal. The church is unable to accept early delivery of or to provide advance storage for printed wedding bulletins.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are scheduled for Friday evenings at 4:30 and 6:00 p.m., in the order requested. Rehearsals start promptly and are intended to ensure a smooth ceremony, so all who have a role in the wedding are expected to be present. Please be prompt. The rehearsal does not include music. Please tell all rehearsal participants to enter at the location indicated on the wedding invitation.

Time & Space Availability

A total of four weddings may be held on a Saturday. No ceremony is held simultaneously with another. In order to accommodate the demand for wedding time and space, one wedding party may be scheduled to arrive at the church at the time the preceding party is scheduled to depart. The time and space alloted to each party is determined with the Assistant to the Pastor according to existing schedules and church policies.

Cedarholm Chapel: Seating capacity 70
St. Andrew’s Chapel (Refectory): Seating capacity 200
Sanctuary: Seating capacity 530

Access to Church Space

Each wedding at Kirk in the Hills has a three-hour window of time for preparations, the ceremony, and post-ceremony greetings and photographs. Wedding parties and their service providers may arrive at the church one-and-a-half hours before the start of the wedding ceremony. Due to other events and activities—including other weddings—the church is unable to accommodate early arrivals.

Specific spaces, including dressing rooms and worship facilities, will be reserved for the wedding party and guests. These space reservations will be outlined in the timeline provided by the Secretary to the Pastor. Wedding parties and their guests will be expected to depart from church space no later than one-and-a-half hours following the scheduled start of the wedding service.

Dressing Facility for the Bride

A dressing room is available for the bride’s use on the day of the wedding. The groom and all other members of the wedding party are expected to arrive dressed.

Other Facility Information

The facilities of the Kirk are in constant use by a number of groups. Our commitment is to provide the best possible experience for all people using the church facilities. Please be considerate of those who are here for purposes other than for your wedding. We ask your courtesy in helping to keep the church complex clean and litter-free. Please refrain from throwing rice, birdseed, confetti, flower petals, potpourri, or any other substance either inside or outside the buildings. The release of balloons and/or butterflies is not permitted.

Sometimes the bride and groom choose to greet people at the church after the service. The Narthex (entry space between the front door and the sanctuary), the Tower of the Apostles, the East Garden, the Cloister, the Fireside Room and the St. Andrew’s Room, are appropriate places for greeting; the sanctuary and chapels are not.

There are no checkrooms or secure package storage areas in the sanctuary or chapels. Please discourage guests from bringing gift packages to the church.

No child care services or nursery facilities are available during weddings. Parents should make private, off-site babysitting arrangements for children whom they feel are too young to attend the wedding service.

Kirk in the Hills is a smoke-free environment, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted on the church premises at any time.

Marriage License

A marriage license from the County Clerk’s Office is required for marriage. Information regarding hours, fees, and proper means of identification needed may be obtained by calling (248) 858-0571. The officiating pastor must be in possession of the license before the wedding service can begin. Please bring the license with you to the rehearsal along with the full names of two witnesses who must be more than 18-years of age (normally the best man and maid/matron of honor). The bride and groom will be given their copy of the marriage license after the ceremony. The church is responsible for returning the signed license to the County Clerk’s Office.

Application

Couples wishing to apply to be married at Kirk in the Hills must complete an application and return it to Karen Leonard. An interview will be scheduled for non-member couples with a pastor (who may or may not be officiating the service) as an essential prerequisite to accepting a wedding booking.  A link to the application may be found at the end of this page.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Karen Leonard, Assistant to the Pastor, by email: kleonard@kirkinthehills.org or by calling (248) 626-2515, ext. 104. And remember that the Kirk is your continuing "church home" after your marriage–a place to seek God’s Spirit and truth through worship, education, friendship, and service to others. We wish you every joy and blessing.