About Weddings at the Church of the Advent

WEDDING POLICIES

1. Holy Matrimony is a sacrament of the Church, and for that reason a marriage can only grow spiritually with a couple's deliberate life together as Christians. Accordingly, regular Sunday attendance is an expectation of all who wish their marriage solemnized here. A minimum of six months regular attendance is expected before a wedding at the Advent will be considered.
2. If the proposed marriage is a remarriage after divorce, according to the Canons of the Church a judgment and permission must be obtained from the Bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts. This entails a lengthy and more complicated procedure which can be explained by the priest consulted.
3. The Canon Law of the Episcopal Church reserves the right of each priest to decline to solemnize any marriage. This is a matter of individual conscience and discretion. It is, therefore, unwise for a couple to make external arrangements for the wedding ceremony and reception until the priest consulted is satisfied that the proposed marriage is without impediment, is appropriate, and conforms to the teaching of the Church.
4. A date and time for the wedding ceremony cannot be set until there have been at least three meetings with one of the clergy.
5. Planning for the wedding ceremony is done by the clergy and the couple to be married. Wedding consultants are not permitted to be part of the planning process at the Church. They are not permitted to be present at rehearsals.
6. Weddings are held at the Church of the Advent on Saturdays between 2:00pm and 4:00pm. Weddings are not solemnized on Sundays, nor do they occur during Lent. Wedding rehearsals are scheduled on Fridays at 6:00pm.
7. All flowers for the Church are bought and arranged by the Church of the Advent Flower Arranging Guild. Contact Tom Sopko (617-492-2347), Ginnie Pierce (617-232-3798), or Betsy Madsen (617-232-3311) for an appointment as soon as possible after the wedding date is set. Please see the chart below for a detailed list of the fees for flowers.
8. Music: All music is arranged by the Organist/Choirmaster of the Church or the Assistant Organist/Choirmaster. A detailed schedule of fees is given below.
9. Service Bulletins: Normally the Advent parish office prepares worship bulletins for a wedding. In order to have accurate information printed in the bulletins, all information (names of attendants, choice of music, etc.) must be in to the parish office no later than three weeks before the date of the wedding. A sample of a typical wedding bulletin will be provided; if a more elaborate worship leaflet is desired, the contents must be reviewed and approved by the clergy before it is printed.
10. A Sexton must be on duty for all weddings. The Sexton's fee is $125.
11. The Advent Altar Guild will provide vestments, chairs, and other equipment needed for the ceremony. A donation of $50 to the Advent Altar Guild is required.
12. There is no fee for a wedding at the Church of the Advent. A contribution to the Church is expected. A suggested guideline is a tithe (10%) of the wedding expenses. It is appropriate to give an honorarium to the priest performing the ceremony.
13. Bells. To arrange for bells to be rung at the wedding, contact Dianne Cermak, head of the Advent Guild of Bellringers, at 781-455-6334 at least 6 weeks before the wedding. The charge for six bellringers is $250; for eight, $300.
14. Fees. All fees for flowers, music, Altar Guild, bells, and Sexton must be received by the Parish Office two weeks before the wedding rehearsal.
15. Photographs. No photography with flash bulbs is permitted during the service. Video cameras may be used only after prior consultation with the officiant and sexton. Provision can be made for photography after the service.
16. The strewing of rice or flowers is not permitted in or outside of the Church.

FLOWERS

The parish Flower Arranging Guild provides all flowers in the church for weddings, as they do for all other liturgies. We will work with you to accommodate your choice of colors and flowers, your personal taste, and your budget in a manner suitable for the architecture and liturgy of the Advent. The flowers at the High Altar and crossing are typically left in place for Sunday services.

High Altar

Pedestal arrangements: $150/pair and up*
Garland or hedgerow of flowers across the back of the altar, center section only: $200
Garland or hedgerow across the back of the altar, full width: $275

At the Crossing

Pedestal arrangements: $125/pair
Choir screen – 8 medallions of flowers and foliage: $250
Choir screen – horizontal garland of flowers and foliage: $300
Candles in choir screen – no charge, but contact the sacristan at least 2 weeks in advance.

Nave

Pews: Six or seven pairs of pew decorations will trim every 3rd or 4th pew, five pairs is the minimum, and ten pairs will do every other pew.

Silk tassels with silver bouquet holder, foliage and a few flowers: $15/pair
Swags of mixed foliage: (can include thin ribbon streamers): $30/pair
Swags of flowers and foliage: $40/pair
Pew candle lanterns, setup and cleaning charge: $50 for 10 or $100 for 20
Foliage and flowers on pew lanterns: add $5 each
Swags of flowers and foliage on 6 pillars: $200
Setup and cleaning charge for 75 ft. white cotton aisle runner: $90

Lady Chapel

Arrangements on gradine: $75/pair
Pedestal arrangements: $90/pair

Other

Pedestal arrangements at shrines of Christ the King and/or Our Lady: $60 ea.
Arrangement in parish house lobby: $75

* All prices shown are minimum guidelines for widely available seasonal flowers, and are subject to change. The cost of flowers varies widely depending on the time of year, the specific flowers chosen, and the size of the arrangements and can be substantially higher than what is listed above. After your planning meeting, you will receive an itemized price list for the flowers you have discussed so that you can make your final selections.

MUSIC

Music for weddings at The Church of the Advent is arranged through either the Organist and Choirmaster, or the Associate Organist and Choirmaster. All outside organists, soloists, or instrumentalists must be approved by them. Any additional instrumentalists or singers will be contracted for you by the music staff of the Church. While every effort will be made to accommodate your requests, both in terms of music and musicians selected, the standards of the Advent will be upheld. Texts of hymns and anthems are to be taken from the Book of Common Prayer or the Hymnal of this Church, from Holy Scripture, or shall be texts congruent with them.

Please set an appointment for a half-hour consultation with the staff organist by calling the Church (617-523-2377) as soon as the priest has informed you of the organist assigned. You will hear recommended selections, and you are encouraged to discuss these and other selections at this time. In addition to the basic fee, the organist's fee may be adjusted, with discretion and in proportion to the work involved.

Should a guest organist be granted permission to play instead of one of the resident organists, the basic fee will still go to one of the resident organists.

Music Fees:

1. A simple "Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage" with organist only: $225
2. A Nuptial Mass with organist only: $250
3. Organist with choir requiring a warm-up only before the service: $400 for the organist-choirmaster plus choir fees listed below at #5.
4. Organist with choir requiring rehearsal(s): an additional $150 for the organist-choirmaster per rehearsal plus choir fees listed below at #5.
5. Choir of 10 to 18 singers: $90 per singer for warm-up and wedding. An additional $50 per singer for each rehearsal in addition to warm-up.

        Additional charges are made for:

Organist Fees:

Other Musicians:

FEES CHECKLIST

Checks should be made out to The Church of the Advent. Use the memo field of the check to note the fee or donation intended (for example, "Altar Guild," "Sexton," "Music," etc.).