MARRIAGE POLICY

At Duncan United Church;

We celebrate marriage in the context of a Christian community of faith that is broad, diverse, and affirming.

We celebrate marriage as both a civil and religious ceremony.

We celebrate marriages of those who regularly attend worship and those who do not.

We celebrate the marriages of all couples inter-faith, multi-faith, of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and races.

We believe that marriage is a lifelong commitment between two people and such relationships require preparation and nurturing.

We believe that God intends loving relationships to be faithful, responsible, just, healing and sustaining for all.

We believe that relationships grounded in inclusivity, openness, respect and equity will be caring and loving.

Your Marriage Ceremony

In ministry:  Rev. Nancy Colton             Ministry of Music:       Connie Masson

Thank you for your inquiry about marriage at Duncan United Church. We are pleased to assist you with the planning of this very special occasion in your lives. Early planning is advisable in order to book the church facilities and check on the availability of the Minister. Some things you should know:

  • A MARRIAGE CEREMONY IS A SERVICE OF WORSHIP

You have chosen to be married in a service of Christian marriage. We warmly encourage you to come and worship with us prior to your wedding. This will help familiarize you with our church and our parish community and make your wedding day a much more personal experience. Our Sunday morning worship is celebrated at 10:00 am throughout the year – you’re always welcome!

  • DO WE NEED PRE-MARRIAGE COURSE

It’s not a condition of marriage here, but it’s a great idea! It’s a fact that couples who participate in a pre-marriage program prior to their marriage have made available to themselves a rich resource. Most take place over a couple of evenings or a weekend. Our minister is sometimes available to assist with this locally. We’re happy to advise.

Our minister will meet with you to plan the service and offer other assistance as needed.

  • MARRIAGE LICENSE:

You will need to obtain a British Columbia Marriage License prior to your wedding day. Please bring this to the church office at least one week prior to the service so that the appropriate paper work can be completed. Following the service, we’ll forward the documents to the appropriate government office so that your marriage is registered with the Province.

  • WITNESSES:

Canadian law requires that you have two witnesses 18 years or older to witness your marriage.

  •     COST

As with most church communities, the work of Duncan United Church is supported by the members of the congregation. It is necessary, therefore, that there is a fee to ensure that the church will be here to minister in this community in the future. The Unified Board has set wedding fees at $600.00 which includes the use of the church building for the rehearsal and ceremony, custodial services, the minister and organist’s honorarium. This amount is consistent with most other churches. If a participant in the wedding is a regular supporter of Duncan United Church, the fee for the services of the minister may be waived. Normally, our own pianist / organist will play at wedding services. Couples are welcome to discuss additional participants, such as soloists, with her. We kindly ask that payment of fees be made one week prior to the wedding. Please consult the church office for the easiest method of payment.

  • PHOTOGRAPHS:

Photographs are permitted (they will provide many special memories!) but we ask that one person be designated as “photographer” and that they not take any photographs from the chancel (raised area). This is in order that there are no distractions to the flow of worship. The minister or custodian is available to brief the photographer prior to the ceremony.

  • SANCTUARY FURNISHING, COLOURS, & CANDLES:

Please remember that the church is a very special place of worship and the parish home to many people. We ask that sanctuary furnishings be left in place. Some special decorations are permitted but the minister should always be consulted first. The colours in the church represent the liturgical season. A “unity candle” and two tapers may be placed on the communion table. Candles are, of course, symbolic of the light and life of Christ and are very appropriate in the wedding service. The candles that are normally used during regular times of worship will be lit.

  • CONFETTI, RICE, AND FLOWER PETALS:

We have come to experience that confetti (and flower petals) can be very difficult to clean up afterwards and the rice, eaten by birds, can harm them. Therefore we request that couples not use confetti, rice, or flower petals. Bubbles outside the church are kinder to the environment and make for a fun tradition!

For more information, please call the church office. Our telephone number is (250) 746-6043 or you may contact us by e-mail at admin@duncanunited.org.