Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Port Neches, Texas
Holy Trinity
Wedding Booklet
Getting Married at Holy Trinity

    Christian marriage is a solemn and public covenant between a man and a woman in the presence of God.  Careful planning enables
    everyone present to sense more fully the meaning and promise of this service of worship.  This informational booklet is offered to
    couples inquiring about Holy Matrimony in the Episcopal Church and specifically at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Port Neches, Texas.
    Its purpose is to outline the Church’s view of the Rite of Holy Matrimony, Constitutions and Canons of the Church pertaining to Holy
    Matrimony, and items specific to marriage at Holy Trinity.

General Considerations

    Christian marriage presupposes two individuals who are professed Christians, who fully and happily intend to fashion their marriage
    around the Christian faith. By Canon Law at least one of the couple must be a baptized Christian and a member or relative of a
    member in good standing of Holy Trinity Church.

    The wedding must be attended by at least two witnesses and the marriage must conform to the laws of the State of Texas as well as
    the Canons of the Episcopal Church.
    Remarriage Petitions

    If either person has been married before and is now divorced, the couple, with the assistance of the priest, must first seek the Bishop’
    s permission to have the new marriage blessed in the Church.

    AT LEAST 30 DAYS PRIOR TO THE PROPOSED WEDDING DATE, THE PRIEST SHOULD DIRECT ALL PETITIONS TO:

    The Bishop
    The Diocesan Center
    1225 Texas Avenue
    Houston, Texas 77002
    Petitions must contain the following information:

    The full names of the parties to be married.
    The names of the Episcopal congregations in which these persons are active members.
    The names of former spouses.
    The dates of final divorce decrees involved.  (If you are satisfied that the previous marriage(s) has (have) been dissolved or
    annulled by a final judgment or decree, it is not necessary to submit copies of the divorce decree.)
    If child support is to be paid, whether the person involved is current in payment.
    A statement concerning the reason for the failure of prior marriage(s).
    A statement telling how and why this new relationship will be different.
    A statement concerning the manner in which the couple intends to place God at the center of their marriage and home.

    Assurance from the priest petitioner that he or she, after careful inquiry, is firmly convinced that the petition should be granted, including
    a statement of his or her reasons for this opinion (if they have not been covered in 7 and 8 above).

    For a second marriage, a waiting period of one year from the date of final divorce decree is normally required.  If a lengthy separation
    (in excess of two years) has occurred, a six-month waiting period may be granted.

    In case of a third marriage, the parties must consult with a licensed marriage therapist and agree to have the opinion of the therapist
    conveyed to the petitioning priest in writing.

    No fourth marriage will be considered except in very unusual circumstances (such as grounds for an ecclesiastical annulment of one
    or more of the previous marriages).  Grounds for annulment must be such that no true marriage took place, for instance: bigamy,
    mistaken identity of one of the partners (the spouse is living under an alias), undisclosed homosexuality, fraud as to legal age at the
    time of the marriage, forbidden degrees of consanguinity, certification by a psychiatrist that the former spouse was mentally impaired
    and unable to contract marriage responsibly at the time of the marriage.

    Regarding the blessing of marriages performed outside the Church, the Diocesan Guidelines are as follows:  “Marriages may be
    blessed for those who marry outside the Church once sufficient time has elapsed that would have made it possible for them to apply
    for remarriage in the Church according to Diocesan Guidelines.”

    Only a priest can serve as petitioner in the request for a marital judgment.  Letters written by others cannot be considered.  If the priest
    requesting the judgment is not the rector or Priest in Charge of the church in which the proposed ceremony is to take place, there must
    also be a letter from the latter assuring the of his or her concurrence with the petition.


    Setting the Date

    Canon (Church) Law requires that a minimum of thirty days’ notice for a marriage must be given; however, it is wise to schedule as far
    in advance as possible in order to avoid scheduling conflicts.  A wedding will not be scheduled without prior consent and authorization
    of the Rector or priest-in-charge.  Once such consent is obtained, the date and time for the service and rehearsal will be listed on the
    church calendar by Administrative Assistant at the request of clergy.  Also the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the bride
    and groom should be left with the Administrative Assistant.  If the bride or groom is a non-resident of the golden Triangle area, the
    name and telephone number of a local contact person should be listed.

    Preparation

    As with all sacraments, there is a period of preparation.  The Canons of the Episcopal Church require that couples preparing for the
    Sacrament of Marriage be instructed by the clergy.  Couples must attend, preferably together, a meeting with the Rector to discuss
    plans regarding their wedding. The bride must also meet with the designated Altar Guild wedding coordinator(s) to discuss the
    logistical needs and requirements for a wedding in the church..


    Extra-Liturgical Traditions

    Over the years, a variety of cultural traditions have come to be associated with weddings.  Many of these traditions (for example, the use
    of a unity candle) have ambiguous origins, purposes, and theologies.  Their use obscures the intent of the marriage service in the
    Book of Common Prayer.  Marriage celebrations at Holy Trinity Church, therefore, do not include those customs or traditions not
    provided for in the Book of Common Prayer.


    Wedding Consultants

    There are members of the Holy Trinity Altar Guild who have volunteered and are experienced as wedding coordinators for weddings at
    this parish.  They want to work with you to make your wedding a special occasion.  If you choose to hire a professional wedding
    consultant, the clergy and the staff are always willing to work with the consultants to assure that your wedding day goes smoothly and
    is a memorable experience.  Please remember, however, that all weddings at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church are celebrations of the
    Sacrament of Marriage and are liturgical worship services conducted within the tradition of the Episcopal Church.  In the Episcopal
    Church, the Rector has final authority over all aspects of  music, liturgy and worship.  To avoid any conflict or disappointments on the
    day of your wedding, we would encourage your consultant to meet with the clergy and the Altar Guild Director prior to the day of your
    rehearsal.


    Rehearsals

    A rehearsal prior to the wedding is required, unless otherwise determined by the officiating priest, in consultation with the couple.

    All members of the wedding party:  bride, groom, attendants, groomsmen, parents, grandparents, etc. are expected to attend the
    rehearsal.  The bride should arrive at the church thirty minutes prior to the beginning of the rehearsal. Consideration should be given
    well in advance of the rehearsal as to which ushers are to seat which family members.

    The parish’s wedding coordinator must be informed as to the number of parents and grandparents expected to be seated as well as
    the number of ushers to be used.

    The rehearsal normally lasts one hour.  It is imperative that all members of the wedding party be on time for the rehearsal.  Rehearsal
    dinners should be scheduled appropriately.

    Children

    A wedding can be complicated and stressful for adults: many of the attendants and participants are unfamiliar with the worship space
    and the liturgy of the Episcopal Church.  If this is true for adults, it is even more true for children.  Children under five years of age
    should not be asked to be formal participants in the wedding ceremony.  When children of an appropriate age are participating,
    parents or guardians are responsible for their behavior, recognizing the church is a place of worship at all times both during rehearsal
    and the wedding itself.


    Music

    Music for the wedding is an optional choice.  If music is to be used during the ceremony, all music—instrumental and vocal—must be
    religious in nature and consistent with the theology of Christian marriage. All music used during the ceremony must be approved, in
    advance, by the Rector or priest-in-charge.  In choosing an organist, the organist at Holy Trinity must be given the first right-of-refusal.


    Acolytes and Lay Eucharistic Ministers

    Depending on the size of the wedding, It may be desirable to use one or more acolytes and/or Lay Eucharistic Ministers (LEM) for a
    wedding.  Arrangements to engage an acolyte and/or Lem can be made with the Administrative Assistant.  A friend or relative may
    serve as an acolyte or a LEM if he/she is familiar with the church services and licensed by the bishop.  All acolytes and LEMs serve
    under the direction of the priest in charge of the ceremony and must attend the rehearsal.


    Lay Readers (Scripture)

    Scripture is at the heart of Christian worship.  In the Episcopal Church, a marriage ceremony will have a reading from the Old
    Testament, a reading from the New Testament and a reading from the Gospels.  The Gospel is always read by a deacon or priest.  
    The Old Testament and the New Testament readings, however, are usually read by lay (non-ordained) persons.  The wedding couple
    may want to ask  family members or friends to participate in the wedding as one of the lay readers of scripture.  The reading will be
    given to them in advance for practice and they would be expected to attend the rehearsal.  If there is no one chosen to read, the Rector
    or Administrative Assistant will get someone from the parish to read.


    Sexton

    It is not uncommon for there to be church services scheduled the day following a wedding.  It is, therefore,  the responsibility of the
    wedding party to assign responsible people to make sure all decorations, personal effects and other items associated with the
    wedding and reception -- including personal items in dressing rooms -- are removed. The  parish sexton will open the church, turn on
    lights, have the church heated or cooled, and clean before and after the service.  The sexton can be contacted through the church office.

    Altar Guild Assistance

    The Altar Guild Director or Parish Wedding Coordinator will meet with the bride to go over the wedding plans with her.  The plans will
    include the selection of the altar hangings, discussion of flowers and candles and other information:

    Altar Hangings.  The appropriate liturgical color for a wedding in an Episcopal Church is white.  Holy Trinity has two sets of white altar
    hangings available for the bride’s selection.

    Flowers.  Flowers for the altar are an optional choice.  Only flowers used to fill the two vases on the shelf behind the altar will be
    allowed for a wedding. The two bouquets will be left in place as a thank-offering by the bride and groom for the next church service.  
    The vases have plastic liners that are taken to the florist for your arrangements.  You should arrange for your florist to pick these liners
    up from the church. The Altar guild director should be notified of the time of delivery of the flowers on the wedding day.  The liners
    should be in place (put on the altar by an Altar Guild Member) at least one hour before the wedding.  The bride or her family is
    responsible for the flowers.  No artificial or dried flowers or materials may be used.

    Flower petals.  If a flower girl is included in the wedding party, no flower petals or other objects may be dropped on the carpet in the
    church.

    Aisle runners.  No aisle runners are permitted for weddings.

    Candles.  Only candles used in the regular church services are allowed.  These are furnished by the Altar Guild.  The Paschal (Easter)
    Candle will be lit and a symbol of our unity with Christ.  No Unity Candle is permitted in the Episcopal Church.

    Altar Guild Assistance.  There will be at least one Altar guild member present when the church is open for the wedding to be of
    assistance to the bride.  She will remain on duty during the wedding and remain afterwards to prepare the altar for the next service.  An
    Altar Guild member may be present for the rehearsal at the discretion of the Priest in charge.

    Seating.  The church has seating for 240 people snug..  

    Rice.  Rice may not be used.  If bird seed packets or flower petals are to be given to guests for use after the wedding ceremony, the
    items must be distributed outside the building.


    Photography

    The Rite of Holy Matrimony is a sacramental liturgy and a worship service of the Church.  Therefore, once the bride and her escort
    begin walking down the center aisle,  the photographer needs to be seated during the length of the ceremony and no photographs may
    not be taken until the recessional begins. Photographs may be taken prior to and following the ceremony. It is important to inform your
    photographer of these restrictions.   The Rector or the priest-in-charge would like to meet or talk by phone with your photographer in
    advance of the wedding so that there will be a better understanding of when pictures may be taken during a service.  The rules for
    photographs apply to family members and guests as well.

    The clergy and staff of Holy Trinity are happy to work with the couple and photographer in arranging time before and after the service for
    posed photographs.  Careful planning and early consultation with the photographer to discuss and plan poses will allow time for all
    photos to be taken.  However, all photography must be completed within thirty minutes of the conclusion of the service.  The
    photographer should be reminded that the marriage is being solemnized in a house of God.  Appropriate dress, manners and respect
    for sacred space are expected.  The officiating priest has the right to intervene, and if needs be to direct the photographer to leave the
    Church property if this expectation is not met. The couple is responsible for insuring that the photographer they have chosen is aware
    of and willing to comply with these guidelines.

    Video photography from the back of the church is permitted if lights are not used during the filming and if the video camera is stationary
    on a tripod.


    Marriage License

    The marriage license is obtained at least 72 hours prior to the wedding from any county clerk in the state of Texas.  The marriage
    license must be given to the priest prior to the rehearsal. The priest presiding at the service will complete the license after the wedding
    and return it to the county clerk.


    Wedding Day

    The wedding party should plan to arrive at the church no less that 1 1/2 (one and one half) hours nor more than three hours prior to the
    service. The wedding party may use the Sunday School classrooms to dress. All belongings of the bride and groom and their
    attendants must be removed from the church following the wedding.


    The Reception

    The parish hall may be reserved for a reception following the wedding.  If the kitchen is used, arrangements must be made with the
    Episcopal Church Women (ECW) of the parish.  The kitchen and hall must be left in proper order so that both may be used for the next
    service.  Glass plates and cups are available for use.  All food, beverage and decoration items must be removed from the Church at
    the conclusion of the reception.

    No alcoholic beverages are permitted in the church facilities.  It must be made absolutely clear to the members of your wedding party
    that presence of alcoholic beverages or any degree of intoxication whatsoever will not be tolerated at the rehearsal or the wedding.  We
    have only one way to enforce this rule:  the entire wedding will be canceled without apology or warning and without rescheduling.  It is
    the responsibility of the bride and groom to communicate this to the wedding party.

    No smoking is permitted in the church building.  Please smoke only outdoors.

    Scripture Readings:  Old Testament Readings – Choose One (1)

    1.  A Reading from Genesis 1:26-28

    God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
    over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon
    the earth.” So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God
    blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the
    sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

    2.  A Reading from Genesis 2:4-9, 15-25

    These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the
    heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it
    to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the
    ground—then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man
    became a living being. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. Out
    of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of
    the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and
    keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of
    good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man
    should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and
    every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature,
    that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there
    was not found a helper as his partner. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of
    his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought
    her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of
    Man this one was taken.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the
    man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

    3.  Reading from Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7

    My beloved speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
    The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts
    forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Set me as a seal upon
    your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging
    flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly
    scorned.”

    4.  A Reading from Tobit 8:5b-8

    Tobias said to Sarah, “Sister, get up, and let us pray and implore our Lord that he grant us mercy and safety.” So she got up, and they
    began to pray and implore that they might be kept safe. Tobias began by saying, “Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors, and
    blessed is your name in all generations forever. Let the heavens and the whole creation bless you forever. You made Adam, and for
    him you made his wife Eve as a helper and support. From the two of them the human race has sprung. You said, ‘It is not good that the
    man should be alone; let us make a helper for him like himself.’ I now am taking this kinswoman of mine, not because of lust, but with
    sincerity. Grant that she and I may find mercy and that we may grow old together.” And they both said, “Amen, Amen.”

    Scripture Readings:  New Testament Readings – Choose One (1)

    1.  A Reading from Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians 13:1-13

    If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic
    powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am
    nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is
    patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it
    does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
    Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an
    end. For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was
    a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end to childish ways. For now
    we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully
    known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.

    2.  A Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 3:14-19

    I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of
    his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your
    hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the
    saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may
    be filled with all the fullness of God.

    3.  A Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians 5:1-2, 21-33

    Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice
    to God. Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the
    husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the church is subject
    to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and
    gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to
    himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind—yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. In the same
    way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his
    own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body. “For this
    reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a great mystery,
    and I am applying it to Christ and the church. Each of you, however, should love his wife as himself, and a wife should respect her
    husband.

    4.  A Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Colossians 3:12-17

    As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with
    one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must
    forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in
    your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and
    admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. And whatever
    you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

    5.  A Reading from the first letter of John 4:7-16

    Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love
    does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we
    might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our
    sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God
    lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
    And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that
    Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those
    who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

    Scripture Readings:  Gospel Reading – Choose One (1)

    1.  The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 5:1-10

    When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak,
    and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will
    be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
    will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the
    peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the
    kingdom of heaven.”

    2.  The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 5:13-16

    Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for
    anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after
    lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your
    light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

    3.  The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew 7:21, 24-29

    Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my
    Father in heaven. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
    The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And
    everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain
    fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” Now when Jesus had
    finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their
    scribes.

    The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark 10:6-9, 13-16

    Jesus said to the Pharisees, “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall
    leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
    Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch
    them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children
    come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the
    kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

    The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John 15:9-12

    Jesus said to his disciples, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will
    abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy
    may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

    Fee Schedule

    Fees must be paid ten days prior to the actual wedding day, and may be sent directly to the church office.  Checks should be payable to
    Holy Trinity Episcopal Church; our treasurer is responsible for disbursements to personnel.  The fee schedule consists of Part I and
    Part II.  Part I is for Episcopalians in good standing who are themselves, or whose parents or grandparents are an active part of the
    personal and financial life of Holy Trinity.  Part II is for non-members whose wedding has been approved by the Rector or priest-in-
    charge.

    The Church                                         Part I                     Part II
    Church                                             $ 00.00                 $225.00
    Acolyte (each)                                 $ 10.00                 $  10.00
    Sexton                                              $ 50.00                 $  50.00        

    Parish Hall Reception
    Parish Hall                                     $ 00.00                 $250.00
    Sexton                                             $ 50.00                 $  50.00        

    Organist:                                       $150.00                 $150.00

    Church policy requires that the Holy Trinity organist be given first right of refusal to play for all weddings in our church.  The organist is
    trained to help select the appropriate religious music to complement the Sacrament of Marriage.  Normally, the organist is available for
    a meeting to discuss and choose music, attendance at the Wedding Rehearsal and, of course,  the Wedding itself.  If more meetings
    are required, additional fees may be charged.


    Separate Fee Considerations

    Vocalists and instrumentalist - Guest vocalists and/or instrumentalists are invited ONLY with the priest’s permission.  If allowed, their
    fees will need to be negotiated and paid separately.

    Clergy - The clergy of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church do not charge any fees for the celebration of any of the Sacraments of the Christian
    faith, including marriage.  Any voluntary  contributions you may wish to make for clergy time and effort will be placed in the Holy Trinity
    Discretionary Fund to be used by the clergy for special needs in the parish and community.  Please make checks out to:  Rector’s
    Special Discretionary Fund.

    Altar Guild -               There is no fee for the services of the Altar Guild, but voluntary contributions will be used for the care and
    maintenance of the altar.

    Summary

    The staff of Holy Trinity hopes that your wedding is a joyous occasion filled with happy memories.  This booklet, along with The Book of
    Common Prayer, provides basic guidelines to assist in planning and celebrating your wedding.  Please do not hesitate to ask any
    questions that arise in the course of planning this extraordinary event in your life of faith.

    Staff members who can be of assistance in planning your wedding:

    The Reverend Cliff Rucker, Rector                                409.722.6238
    Ida Primeaux, Parish Secretary                                      409.722.6238
    Pat Berard, Altar Guild Director                                      409.983.5488
Wedding Booklet for  
Holy Trinity Episcopal Church
Port Neches, Texas
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    Holy Trinity Episcopal Church     2425 Nall St., Port Neches, TX 77651
        voice 409.722.6238                                   fax 409.722.2441
                                                                                                       worship@holytrinityportneches.org
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Declaration of Intent to Marry
Holy Matrimony Information Sheet
Petition to Remarry in the Church
Holy Trinity Wedding Booklet

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