Weddings

What do you think about when you picture your wedding? A beautiful gothic church with amazing acoustics? Traditional wooden pews filled with your guests? Walking down a long aisle carpeted in red? Maybe a church bell to announce the nuptials? 

 

First Presbyterian Church of New Orleans, the second oldest Protestant church in New Orleans, has all this and more! We are a dream location for a church wedding.

 

Some churches limit weddings to members only. We get that, but it just doesn’t fit with our personality. We are well known for being open and inviting, and we extend that openness to our weddings. It’s a core value at First Presbyterian that Christian spirit should extend to all. 

• Are you planning a destination wedding in New Orleans? We welcome that.
• Do you belong to a Christian faith other than Presbyterian? We welcome all Christians regardless of denomination.
• Are you and your intended from mixed faiths? We welcome that.
• Are you a member of the LGBTQ+ community? As the first Morelight church in Louisiana, we definitely welcome that.  

How do you plan a church wedding at First Presbyterian?

We’ve done hundreds of weddings here over the years, so we have the experience necessary to make the process smooth and comfortable for you and your guests. 

The first step is to reach out to see if we are available for the date you have in mind. Email weddings@fpcno.org and our wedding coordinator, Dee Boling, will be happy to get back to you. You can also call the church office at (504) 866-7409 and ask to have Dee call you back. 

Once we’ve established the date you’re interested in, the next step is usually to see the church in person, if you haven’t already. We would be delighted to meet with you and show off our beautiful sanctuary. If you can’t make it, however, we will gladly send you photos from past weddings. 

When you’re ready to commit, we’ll ask you to secure your booking by filling out a wedding agreement and submitting a $500 deposit to hold your date. Your full fee of $2,000 will be due two months prior to your wedding date. (Note: Fees for existing church members are negotiable.)

We know that sometimes things happen. If for some reason, you need to cancel, we will return half the deposit to you up to three months prior to the wedding date. The final balance is due two months prior to the wedding date.

What does a church wedding at First Presbyterian include?

We’re glad you asked! The wedding fee of $2,000 includes the following:

• Access to the sanctuary for a 1-hour rehearsal, usually the day before the wedding.
• Use of the sanctuary for your wedding, for a total of three hours including:
  - One hour for set-up
  - One hour for the wedding ceremony
  - One hour following the ceremony for photos and any breakdown
• Use of existing furnishings
• A wedding coordinator on site for the rehearsal and wedding (four hours total over both events). 
• Basic, existing sound equipment (primarily for pastor and speakers).
• Use of our baby grand piano
• When available, use of our 1916 Austin pipe organ with trumpette en chamade (currently not available due to repairs)
• A waiting room for groomsmen.

What doesn’t the wedding fee cover?

• A pastor. Our pastor only conducts member weddings, but we can recommend a number of area pastors or you may invite your own pastor. 
• A bridal parlor. Most brides remain in their chauffeured vehicle until it is time for the bride’s entrance. It is also possible for the bride to wait in the church balcony until it is time for the wedding march. We can review during your visit or your rehearsal. Everyone in the bridal party should arrive dressed.
• Reception space
• Early delivery fees (typically $150/hour beyond the inclusions above)

Ready to start planning your church wedding?

• Email weddings@fpcno.org, and include your preferred date or dates. We’ll be back in touch within 24 hours, usually much sooner. 
• Review our fee schedule.
• Check out our wedding guidelines.
• Also check out our black out dates.