Weddings at First Congregational Church

Congratulations & Welcome

We would be honored to share the beautiful and historic First Congregational Church of Essex Junction with you for your wedding day. Our classic New England architecture, newly renovated sanctuary, grand facade, restored pipe organ and landscaped open space make First Congregational Church a special place to celebrate a wedding. Our location in the heart of Essex Junction offers ease of access to a number of nearby reception venues and hotels.

We are an inclusive church, and we welcome all who wish to be married in a Christian context. In keeping with our commitment to social justice and inclusivity, First Congregational Church of Essex Junction proclaims the equal rights of all people, including the legal right for individuals to marry the person of their choice. We look forward to working with you to make your wedding day a beautiful, sacred and joyous occasion.

Planning the Ceremony

A wedding at First Congregational is first and foremost a service of worship, celebrating the presence of God and asking for God’s blessing on the sacred union. Our pastors are happy to extend hospitality to interfaith, inter-religious, and ecumenical couples and will work with you to accommodate your needs, including having a guest officiant helping to conduct the ceremony. Our standard clergy fee would still apply.

We anticipate that all couples will meet with a pastor for premarital counseling. One of our pastors will meet with you to discuss your expectations, hopes, fears, and values. This will also give the pastor a chance to get to know you and help plan a ceremony that is personal and meaningful to you. Virtual meetings are available for people who live out-of-town.

We will provide a Wedding Advisor to help coordinate logistics at the church before and on your rehearsal/wedding day.  

Fees

Pastoral Services – $500*

Sanctuary Use (seats up to 225) – $400

Reception Fee (Fellowship Hall/Kitchen) – $350

Organist/Pianist – $200

Non-refundable Deposit to Reserve Date – $100

*Off-site weddings will require an additional fee to cover travel time and expenses.

Reserving a Date

For further information about planning a wedding and to inquire about a date, please contact the Church Office at 802-878-5745  or welcome@fccej.org. A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required to reserve your date.

Additional Information

Music

Receptions

Wedding Advisor

Photography

Decorations & Flowers

Dressing Rooms

Accessibility & Parking

Guest Officiants

Marriage License

Building Use Policies

Music

We have a beautiful pipe organ and a grand piano in our sanctuary. Our Music Director has the right of first refusal to play at on-site weddings. If our Music Director is unable to play, we will work with you to find another organist/pianist. Recommendations for other instrumentalists and/or vocalists are available upon request.

Receptions

Our Fellowship Hall and fully-equipped Kitchen are available for your reception and/or rehearsal dinner. Rectangular tables and chairs are included in rental fee. Using rectangular tables, Fellowship Hall can comfortably fit up to 75 guests seated at tables. Rectangular tables included in rental fee. Couples are welcome to rent round tables at their own expense.

Wedding Advisor

First Congregational Church provides a Wedding Advisor to couples getting married in our church. The Wedding Advisor serves as the primary church liaison for your wedding. After meeting with one of our pastors at the church, one of your first responsibilities is to meet with the Wedding Advisor assigned to you.

The Wedding Advisor’s job is to:

  • Answer questions about church wedding policies
  • Discuss decoration details and help coordinate delivery of flowers
  • Be on-site for your rehearsal and ceremony to direct members of the wedding party and those involved in the ceremony (florist, photographer, etc.)
  • Assist the pastor to make sure everything goes smoothly

Photography

Weddings are sacred events. As such, special lighting and flashes may be used during processional and recessional only. Video is welcome at any time.

Decorations & Flowers

Please discuss all plans for decorations and flowers with your Wedding Advisor. Keep in mind that anything that would mar the walls or pews is not permitted (e.g. tacks, tape, nails).

Dressing Rooms

Dressing rooms are available upon request as part of your Sanctuary rental.

Accessibility & Parking

Our Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall are fully accessible with accessible bathrooms nearby. We have plenty of parking available in our parking lot and on nearby side streets.

Guest Officiants

A guest officiant or inter-faith service is possible with prior approval from First Church’s clergy.  Our standard clergy fee still applies, in addition to the couple being responsible for paying the guest officiant.

Marriage License

You must bring your marriage license to your rehearsal. For information about obtaining a license, please visit https://www.essex.org/marriage.

Building Use Policies

You agree to leave the building as you found it, and will be held responsible for any damage to the building, furnishings or grounds. Rice/confetti/birdseed may not be thrown inside or outside the building. Food and drink are not permitted in the sanctuary. Smoking is prohibited anywhere on church property. 

For a complete copy of our Building Use Policies, please contact the Church Office.