Photography by Louis, Inc.

Current Photo Gallery
Historic Photo Gallery

Photos of some of the happy couples married in our church can seen at: Happy Couples (all couples married pre-Katrina)

A copy of the usual Wedding service may be seen at: Wedding Service.

Parking Guide

Is your wedding date available? Check the calendar:
View Current Schedule of Weddings

Policies and Practices of First Presbyterian Church in New Orleans
Governing the Wedding Services Held at this Church

Revised August 2006- Current as of January 2008

The State has given ministers authority to function as its legal agent in solemnizing marriages. A wedding to be held at First Presbyterian Church is, however, a special service of worship during which a man and a woman undertake their solemn responsibilities and relationships of marriage in the belief that they are to be undertaken in God's presence. In such a spirit marriage vows, then, are not simply promises which a man and a woman make to each other, nor even ones in which society is vitally concerned. They are vows being taken before the Eternal God Who created us, and in Whose providence, we believe we can be led into marriage.

We are very experienced at doing weddings at First Presbyterian Church. We can assure you that you will enjoy working with us so that your wedding experience will be enjoyable and deeply meaningful. We do many weddings in which neither the bride or groom live in the New Orleans area. We do many mixed faith weddings. The sanctuary of the church is ideal for a wedding - long central aisle, and classic gothic church architecture.

The governing body of the congregation has established the following policies and practices to insure that the wedding will be a good experience for the church and for the couple.

1. Weddings at First Presbyterian Church are to be scheduled through the pastor or the church wedding coordinator at a time when the buildings to be used are free for such use. The wedding fee includes use of the sanctuary for 2 hours. The building will be open one hour prior to the start time of the wedding. If you need access to the sanctuary earlier, you will need to make special arrangements and an additional fee may be charged.

2. Normally the pastor on the staff of the church shall conduct the ceremony. When this is not possible or when the couple request another minister, another minister may be invited to conduct the service upon the invitation of the pastor, or in his/her absence, the Clerk of the Session or Chair of the Worship Committee. Whoever conducts the ceremony should be a duly ordained minister of a church in correspondence with the Presbyterian Church (USA). This person must be registered with the State of Louisiana, and the service must be consistent with the ones suggested in The Book of Common Worship.

3. Whenever persons to be married at First Presbyterian Church are not members of this congregation, it is expected that at least one of them must show satisfactory evidence of his/her membership in a Christian church or of his/her faith as a Christian. For unless the vows be spoken from the heart of a Christian, there seems to be no substantial reason for having the service in a Christian church.

4. Those who seek the services of the minister of First Presbyterian Church for a marriage service will be expected to participate in pre-marital counseling. Such counseling is for strengthening the relationship of the couple to be married. There will normally be two sessions, one to get to know the couple and discuss family background, marriage expectations, finances, religious background and other matters. The second session will be devoted to determining how the service will be conducted (methods of procession down the aisle, who is seated, who gives the bride away, etc.).

5. Cliff Nunn provides the couple with marriage ceremony that includes choices to be made by the couple such as prayers to be used, forms of marriage vows, various statements on the gift of marriage, and possible Scriptures to be read. The couple makes these choices in consultation with the minister and a customized marriage ceremony is produced that is satisfactory to the couple and the minister.

6. Those who present themselves for marriage must, without exception, provide a license granted by the State of Louisiana authorizing a minister to perform the marriage.

7. Those who are to have the wedding service at First Presbyterian Church will be expected to plan their floral decorations so that they will not be so lavish that they are not in keeping with the worship furnishings. These arrangements should be placed in a way that they do not interfere with the proper arrangements of the pulpit furniture for a worship service. Wire may not be used to affix bows or flowers to the pews. It is our desire also that all will comply with our wish for simplicity, enough to assure our intention that no couple coming to this church for their wedding would ever feel that they could not "compete" with lavish floral displays sometimes seen at weddings. Candles may be used so long as care is taken not to get wax on furniture or carpet, and so long as safety factors are taken into consideration. No candles can be placed in the center aisle or side aisles. The candles and candelabra in the sanctuary are available to be used in the service. No lighted candles may be carried by anyone in the wedding party.

8. All decorations, extra programs, unity candles, ring pillows, pew bows, and all other wedding accoutrements must be removed from the church when the wedding party leaves. We operate a busy building and cannot be responsible for items that are left. All decorations, aside from fresh floral arrangements that are intended to be a donation to the church for the enjoyment of the congregation at the next worship service must be removed from the sanctuary. You are welcome to throw flower petals, birdseed, rice, etc., as long as a person of your designation cleans up the remnants of such festivities. Silk flower petals may NOT be thrown outside of the church.

9. Pictures may be taken before and after the wedding service. It is our preference that time exposures may be taken from the back of the sanctuary or balcony during the service. Flash cameras may be used while the wedding party is making its entrance up the aisle but after the entrance of the bride, only minimal flash photography is to be used during the rest of the service. Photographers are not to move about taking pictures during the service. Video cameras may be used during the service so long as they operate from a fixed position either in the back or front of the sanctuary or balcony. No special video lights are to be used during the service. The officiant will be glad to pose after the service with the wedding party for any photographs that may be necessary. *Guest officiants may choose to waive these restrictions or impose others. Please check with the presiding officiant.

10. The fee structure for a wedding at First Presbyterian Church is attached. All fees are to be paid to the church by checks made out to the church except for the music fees. A deposit of $300 is necessary to hold the date for a wedding. The remainder of the wedding fee is due one month before the wedding. The wedding party will not be allowed in the building on the wedding day until all fees are paid. Payments must be in the form of a check. Cash can not be accepted.

11. If the bride wishes to use the church organ, a list of our organists is contained at the end of the document. The bride may have their own organist but must check with the minister and give him the name of the organist. If instrumentalists or soloists are used, the bride is expected to make her own arrangements with them. The church will be glad to provide a list of instrumentalists and soloists that may be contacted. Please remember that the marriage service in a Christian church is a worship service and music should be chosen that is consistent with that purpose. A CD player is available on the sound system, but someone of your designation must be responsible for coordinating such music.

12. It is to be understood that the officiating minister is in charge of the rehearsal and wedding service. He/she will seek to direct it in accordance with the wishes of the couple insofar as propriety and the Book of Order dictate. The service should be consistent with the worship of Almighty God. Any desires of the bride and groom should be made known to the officiating minister well in advance of the ceremony. The church wedding coordinator will also be present at the rehearsal and the ceremony to assist the pastor and the wedding party. Additional bridal consultants are unnecessary, but if present shall be limited to assisting the bride and her attendants before they enter the sanctuary.

13. Normally, the signatures for completion of the Marriage Certificate will be gotten at the end of the marriage ceremony. As required by law, the minister will mail the completed certificate to the Louisiana Vital Records Registry. A copy of the final certificate will be mailed to the bride and groom however, a certified copy is needed for legal purposes and the bride and groom are responsible for getting this copy from the Vital Records Registry.

14. These policies shall be given to all persons who seek information about getting married at First Presbyterian Church.

Updated 8/15/06

Photography by Louis, Inc.

Church Wedding Fees

The wedding date is not reserved until a check for $300 is given to the church office. Payment of fees is in advance and the church will pay the individuals involved (minister and coordinator). Music arrangements are outside this fee structure.

The fee for a wedding at First Presbyterian Church is :

Wedding with rehearsal which includes pastor fee..........................................................$700.

Wedding, same as above but with your own minister......................................................$700.

Fee for church members........................................................................................negotiable.

Use of brass candelabras ($30)

Other situations may dictate other fees that may be more or less than those indicated above.

Contact Persons:

For scheduling the wedding, email the Church Wedding Coordinator, Carrie Fisher, weddings@fpcno.org. Pastor Cliff Nunn may be contacted by email at fpcno@fpcno.org, or at the church office-866-7409.
Organist: May Ball may@cosselaw.com, 887-7745(h) 588-9500

WEDDING CONTRACT
Also available in an online form that you can fill out, print and mail to us. Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download, is required to view these forms.

Follow the link to the online forms, then print and mail with your deposit check:

• Wedding Application (Printable)
• Wedding Agreement

To hold your date and book your wedding, fill out our online form, and we will contact you asap:
WEB Wedding_application

Is your wedding date available? Check the calendar:
View Current Schedule of Weddings

Links and independent vendors:
Bob Walker's New Orleans Wedding Guide

Reception sites:
Generations Hall

Photographers:
Photography by Louis, Inc.
Chris Williams
Jeff Pounds
John Bell

Florists:
Glenda Ivy, 861-1335
Jill Mercer, 460-3047
Carrollton Flower Market, 866-9614
Perfect Presentations, 522-7442

Instrumentalists:
Karen Rose

Other
USABride.com
Wedding Service Bulletin Help