Weddings

General Information

Members and non-members are welcome to marry in our church. Northeast UMC’s pastor will, typically, be happy and available to work with you to create a holy and unique ceremony celebrating your love. 

If you want to have another pastor officiate, you do need to inform the pastor and work with a church staff person to coordinate the service. 

Costs

In planning your wedding, please keep costs in mind. The church does not view weddings as a way to raise funds. In reality, the church portions of a wedding’s expenses are minimal. However, we do expect our costs will be covered, the charges are as follows:

*$200 needs to be paid when the reservation is made to secure the date desired*

Facility Use:

Member: Sanctuary and Social Hall rental are free of cost. Use of the Kitchen is $100.

Non-member: Sanctuary rental is $600. Use of the Social Hall & Kitchen is $300. Use of the Social Hall only is $200.

Any use of the church building requires a $200.00 deposit.

Pastor Honorarium:

Pastor Leah requires pre-marital counseling when she officiates a wedding. She charges $50/session for five sessions. 

If Pastor Leah will be performing the ceremony,  there will be a separate sliding of fee to be worked out with her.

All building use is at the discretion of the Board of  Trustees and changes must be approved by them. Payment to NEUMC for facility use should include custodian fee; no fee is to be paid directly to the custodian.

Early Planning

Make your decisions early.  Once you know the date you would like for your wedding, contact the church. You must meet with a pastor before a date can be confirmed. The earlier you decide the better. Sometimes it is possible to schedule more than one wedding on a given day, but the time available may not meet your expectation or needs.

You will want to meet with the pastor of Northeast UMC for preliminary discussions about the wedding. Both people getting married should attend that meeting. Topics will include scheduling issues, the service, and your questions.

In addition, future meeting dates will be scheduled.

The Wedding Service

  • Marriage is a sacred and holy event. The Service of Marriage is actually a worship service, offered by NEUMC, as part of its ministry.
  • Weddings are very personal. They are also matters of deep importance to the Christian community, the Church.
  • You are encouraged to discuss your ideas concerning the service with the pastor. Together you will decide on any changes or additions to the order of service.
  • The involvement of other persons in the service, lay  or clergy, will only be with the consent of the pastor. In the case of clergy, the pastor of NE UMC will invite others to participate.
  • Recording -audio, video or photos – is permitted only when it does not detract from the religious emphasis of the service. Video cameras must be stationary during the service and located at the pastor’s discretion.
  • The wedding service is an “open” service, however, most people will be there at your invitation. Sanctuary seating is limited to about 275 persons. Overflow seating can accommodate an additional 50 – 75 persons.

Wedding License

The State of Minnesota requires that you have a Minnesota wedding license in order to be married. This is done at the Office of the County Clerk in the county in which one of the parties resides. The license should be brought to the rehearsal. 

Apply for the marriage license at the office of the Clerk of District Court in the County Courthouseof the county where the couple currently reside. If you are residents of Hennepin County, the license can be obtained at the Hennepin County Service Center at one of these locations: Government Center: 300 S. 6th St., Downtown Minneapolis; Brookdale and Ridgedale Shopping Centers; Hennepin County Library, 7701 S. York Ave. 

There is a five-day waiting period. The license is to be delivered to the minister by the bride or groom no later than the time of the rehearsal.

Other Information

  • The church building is not air-conditioned.
  • Flowers: You may plan to have fresh flowers for your  wedding. The church does not have facilities to keep flowers overnight. Please arrange for the florist to deliver them during hours when the church building is open. On Saturdays, this is approximately an hour and a half prior to the service. Church office hours during the week are Monday – Thursday 10:00am – 2:00pm.
  • Social Hall: If you plan to use the Social Hall, please indicate that when you plan your wedding. There are additional costs for use of the Hall and a member of the church must be present if it is used. If the United Methodist Women’s group is asked to serve the reception, separate arrangements must be made with them. Contact church office: 612-789-7462
  • Do not throw rice or confetti indoors or outdoors. No glitter anywhere. Please use birdseed or bubbles outdoors only after the wedding service.
  • Aisle runner. The church does not have an aisle runner. If you wish to use one, they can be obtained through your florist. The runner should be 50 feet long.
  • No food or beverage is allowed in the sanctuary.
  • No alcoholic beverages will be allowed in the church prior to or during the rehearsal; prior to or during the wedding, or on church property. Please insist that no one in the wedding party is intoxicated at the rehearsal or wedding. If they are, they will be removed from the property and not permitted to participate in the service.
  • Pianist & vocalist available upon request.  
  • Premarital counseling is required and can be done by the pastor or another licensed professional. Also, there is a significant discount on marriage licenses for couples that go through premarital counseling.
  • Please designate a person to walk through the church after the service, checking all areas you have used to pick up personal belongings left by the bridal party and guests. Articles left in the church for more than 30 days become the property of Northeast United Methodist Church.
  • Please keep in mind while making wedding plans that NEUMC does not have a parking lot.
  • Questions? If you have questions or would like further information, please contact the church office at  (612) 789-7462 between 10:00am – and 2:00pm Monday – Thursday.

Building Use Application

Want to get Started?

Contact Church Secretary Kris Gater at admin@northeastumc.com or 612.789.7462.