Saint Boniface Church rejoices with you as you prepare for the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. It is our desire that your wedding be both meaningful and beautiful. 

Marriage is a physical and spiritual union of a man and a woman, entered into within the community of faith, by mutual consent, and with intent that it be lifelong.

Boniface Wedding Contacts

Contact our Membership Secretary, Carolyn Walker, and she will begin the process with registration and information. The clergy expect to see you attending the Sunday Eucharists before your meeting with one of them.

Membership Office Carolyn Walker 941-349-5616 (ext. 316)

Rector The Rev. Canon Edward Copland

Associate Rector The Rev. Andrea Taylor

Ministers of Music:   Seth D. Wertz, Neil Page, Barbara Roth-Donaldson

Parish Counselors Cindy Auchter, Carol Marcus

Altar Flower Coordinator Karen Dakan

Altar Guild Coordinator Sharon Alden
 

The Application and Legal Requirements

The bride and groom should meet with the priest to complete the application form long before the planned ceremony. One of you must be a Baptized Christian at the time of the application, and the marital status of both must be ascertained. If one or both of you have been married before, the permission of the Bishop will be required. This permission assumes that you have been active members of the parish and known to the clergy for six months or more and necessitates an additional two months for the application process.

Counseling Before the Marriage

One or more sessions with the parish Counseling Center, or another professional counselor, are a normal part of preparation for marriage. The counselors use a fair fee schedule based on your income. This counseling will reduce the fee Florida residents pay for a marriage license. The parish clergy will also meet with you to discuss the nature and meaning of Christian marriage. If you are away from Sarasota this may be arranged with another Episcopal priest. 

The Liturgy and the Clergy

The most beautiful marriage liturgy in English is in The Book of Common Prayer. This is the only liturgy we may use. There are a number of choices to be made and you will be actively involved in making decisions with the priest who officiates at your wedding. If one of you is an active member of another church, we may invite another clergy person to participate in the liturgy. This decision will be made by you and the priest at Saint Boniface.

Music

After the wedding date is confirmed an appointment should be made with one of the Ministers of Music of Saint Boniface Church, who are in charge of all music at our services, even if you have guest soloists or instrumentalists. Our Ministers of Music will assist you in selecting the music which will reflect the religious nature of the sacrament of marriage. Some music may not be appropriate to the church setting. Please consult a Minister of Music first. 

Altar Guild Wedding Coordinator

The Altar Guild Wedding Coordinator will assist the wedding party at the rehearsal and on your wedding day. She will assist you with any needs you may have on that important day. The Altar Guild also prepares the altar and church.

Florist

Consult our flower coordinator for ideas for altar flowers, and information for your florist. Any flowers placed inside the altar rail remain in the church after the wedding. If you do not have a special design for flowers you may contribute to the regular Sunday flower fund, but the arrangement will depend upon the plans of the parish flower coordinator. Tell your florist to deliver flowers to the Flower Room at the north (sacristy) end of the church. The church will be reserved for up to two hours before your service for pictures, flowers, etc.

Rehearsal

Please present the license to the officiating priest at the rehearsal. Participants, including all ushers, bridesmaids and parents of both the bride and groom should attend the rehearsal. The rehearsal must begin promptly and will last about one hour. Plan to conclude before 6 p.m. 

Photography

No flash photographs are to be taken during the ceremony. Photographs may be taken either prior to or after the actual wedding ceremony. The photographer must consult with the priest and/or the Altar Guild wedding coordinator on the day of the ceremony for permission to take pictures in the available locations. After the ceremony your photographer may have twenty minutes for pictures in front of the altar. Explain these rules to your photographer. Video taping is discouraged due to the open architecture of our building. If a video camera is used, it must be stationary and left out of sight. Have your camera person make an appointment with the priest.

FAQs 

What does the fee include?   Cleaning of the church and preparation of the altar, candles, microphones, lights, AC, etc. Printing of a leaflet. Reservation of the church for three hours.

What does the fee not include?  Additional room or cleaning charges, example, room for bridal party, extra cleaning if guests throw rice, etc. Fee does not include donation to the church, which is part of your gift of worship at the time of the service.

Is there a bride’s dressing room?  The Altar Guild coordinator will show you the small dressing area which can be set aside for the bride. Because this area is limited, your bridal attendants should plan to arrive dressed and ready for the procession. If you need to use another space for preparation, that must be arranged in advance and there will be an additional room charge.

What about having our reception here?  The parish hall, courtyard, or community center may be reserved for receptions if available. Please call the building manager (349 5616 x 312) for details and fees. There is a small catering kitchen in the parish hall, while the community center kitchen is limited to our campus caterers, Walker Family Catering.

Are there other things we should think about?   Runners do not work on tile flooring and you should not plan to use one for safety reasons. Saint Boniface is a non-smoking facility. There is a policy on healthy serving of alcoholic beverages. If your reception will be here, please ask for a copy of the parish guidelines.

Offering and Fees at Saint Boniface

Your offering to the church  $ to be decided by you

This is an act of thanksgiving as part of Christian worship, and not included in the fees. Think of this as your legacy for the future when you will want to return with your children to show them the place you were married. This amount is tax deductible for the donor.

Parish Support Fee (Waived for active members) $500

Due at time of application, this charge is not required of active, pledging members as their annual contribution has been supporting the parish.

Fees for the day of your wedding (required of all) $400

Due two weeks before your wedding, the fees cover the costs of our building and staff work in preparation and on the day of your wedding. There are no fees for the clergy ministry.

Counseling Services (paid directly to the counselors)

The psychological profile and counseling sessions are fair fees based on your resources.