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Congratulations on your engagement! We are delighted that you would like to celebrate your wedding at Moody Methodist Church.
When you are ready to schedule your ceremony and/or reception, please fill out the form below. The coordinator will send you a Wedding Date Request Form to be completed and returned with the refundable security deposit.
Once the form and deposit are received, the Wedding Coordinator will send the Church Policies and request a signed Statement of Agreement from the bride and groom. The church staff will confirm that your requested dates and times for your wedding and rehearsal are available on our church calendar.
*Please note that weddings and rehearsals will not be scheduled on the following days: • Sundays • New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day • Ash Wednesday • The Friday preceding Holy Week through Easter Monday • July 4 • Moody Market (usually the weekend prior to Thanksgiving) • Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of Thanksgiving week • December 23-26 and the week preceding
Rehearsals may begin any time before 6:30 pm on the day preceding the wedding.
Wedding ceremonies may begin any time before 6:30 pm; everyone must be out of the church by 8:00 pm If the reception is held on campus, you will want to schedule your wedding no later than 4:00 PM as the facilities must still be vacated by 8:00 PM.
Our main sanctuary (seating capacity 650) is available for wedding services, subject to prior schedules and limitations. Air conditioning or heating will be provided for both the rehearsal and the wedding. The building, including a dressing room for the bride/attendants and a dressing room for the groom/attendants, will be open 2 hours prior to the wedding ceremony.
Receptions may be held in the Fellowship Hall, the Parlor, or the Christian Life Center gymnasium.
Photo by EventSmith Photography
The Ceremony Coordinator will provide a Schedule of Fees. A refundable security deposit* is collected with the Wedding Date Request Form. The wedding fees cover the use of the main sanctuary, dressing rooms for the bride and groom, candelabra, organist, AV engineer, custodian, and ceremony coordinator. It also includes a 1-hour rehearsal the day before the wedding and 3.5 total hours on the wedding day (2 hours before the wedding and 1.5 for the ceremony, photographs, and clean-up). Any extension of time is subject to an extra fee. Optional add-ons include harp and audio-visual services.Reception fees include tables, chairs, custodial services, and audio-visual services. Please Note: All fees are payable in 2 installments: ½ within 30 days of booking, and ½ no later than 30 days prior to the wedding date.
*Security deposits are refunded within 4 weeks following the wedding, less any amount required for an extended time of staff, breach of wedding policy contract, repair of damage to church property, or any extraordinary clean-up.
In the case of a cancellation, the wedding deposit and any paid fees will be refunded if a wedding is canceled at least 3 months before the scheduled wedding date.
A minister appointed to or connected with Moody Methodist Church will officiate at all weddings. The Senior Pastor will make wedding assignments. Guest ministers of the couple’s choice may assist in the ceremony only with the prior approval and invitation of the officiating minister.
The officiating minister will perform the wedding ceremony only after a minimum of two counseling sessions with the bride and groom. Please have these sessions completed no later than 30 days prior to the wedding date. All couples are urged to make an appointment with their minister far in advance.
The Service of Christian Marriage contained in The United Methodist Book of Worship will be the standard service. Any deviations from this service must be approved by the Senior Pastor.
The bridal couple shall schedule a consultation with the Wedding Ceremony Coordinator at least 3 months prior to the wedding date. The Wedding Ceremony Coordinator or her designee assures that the policies are followed and coordinates the details of the rehearsal and wedding between all parties involved. If the couple secures an outside consultant, that person will serve under the guidance of Moody’s Wedding Ceremony Coordinator.
To qualify for a discounted fee, the bride or groom or either of their parents, grandparents, or guardians must be a member of Moody Methodist Church and must have been a member for at least 6 months prior to the time the Wedding Date Request Form is submitted. Non-members are responsible for the full wedding fee and may not be scheduled during the month of December.
Moody Methodist Church views the wedding ceremony as a sacred service, invoking the blessing of God on this holy covenant. It is important that the music chosen be appropriate to the sanctity and reverence of the celebration. Moody Methodist Church is very fortunate to have a magnificent instrument: a Schantz Organ. Our Schantz organist, Dr. Joanna Whitsett will provide beautiful music for the wedding ceremony. Our church organist is in charge of all music at the wedding. She serves as the organist for all weddings. If she is not available, she will assign another capable organist. Our church organist also plays the harp. Please consult the fee schedule from the Wedding Ceremony Coordinator for pricing.
Music samples can be found here. Hymns from The United Methodist Hymnal or supplement are encouraged. The Wedding Ceremony Coordinator can help with music selections at the time of the consultation.
If a vocal soloist is desired, our church organist can recommend and secure a qualified singer. One rehearsal period will be allotted with the organist 45 minutes prior to the ceremony. All vocal solos should have a sacred text that is clearly centered on God or on the Holy Scriptures. Instrumentalists must be approved by the church organist. If a guest musician requires audio engineering other than the standard public address system, an additional fee will be assessed. Recorded music (including soundtracks for accompaniment) is not allowed.
All music and musicians must be submitted to the church organist for approval at least 2 months prior to the wedding date.
The church organist assigned to the wedding does not typically attend the rehearsal. If the couple would like the organist to attend the rehearsal, an additional fee will be assessed. On the wedding day, the organist arrives 45 minutes prior to the ceremony.
Please note: The organ console and piano may not be moved without prior approval from the church organist. Any approved move will be carried out by assigned church facilities staff.
The rehearsal is typically scheduled for 6:00 pm on the evening preceding the wedding ceremony. The wedding rehearsal will begin promptly at the scheduled time and should proceed in a quiet, dignified, and reverent manner. The rehearsal is an integral part of wedding preparation and is held in a place dedicated to the worship of God. All members of the wedding party should be present and appropriately dressed. The following suggestions will serve as a guide to prepare for the rehearsal:
• The Moody Methodist Church minister will be in charge of the rehearsal and will be assisted by the Wedding Ceremony Coordinator.
• The rehearsal will require and should not exceed approximately 1 hour.
• All attendants as well as both sets of parents and any guests who will be formally seated (i.e. grandparents) should be present.
• The ushers, readers, and acolytes (if applicable) should all be present at the rehearsal and prepared to practice their roles.
• The marriage license should be delivered to the minister at the rehearsal.
• The unity candle set (if applicable) should be brought to the rehearsal.
NO TOBACCO or ALCOHOL are allowed on the church campus at any time or place. This includes indoor and outdoor areas and applies to smoking, vaping, dip, drinking, and the like. The Wedding Ceremony Coordinator will be present at the rehearsal and at the wedding to uphold the policies of the church and to assist the presiding minister. An outside wedding coordinator may also be present but will function under the guidance of Moody’s Wedding Ceremony Coordinator.
The wedding reception is an important part of your happy day! If you book your ceremony at our church, the Christian Life Center gym, the Fellowship Hall, or the Parlor are available for your wedding reception. Please see the fee schedule from the Wedding Ceremony Coordinator for pricing. Receptions are scheduled on the same Wedding Date Request Form that you use to schedule the ceremony. A signed agreement is required of the caterer. The bridal couple is responsible for acquiring that form from the Wedding Ceremony Coordinator and submitting the signed agreement to weddings@moody.org no later than 30 days prior to the wedding. The caterer is also requested to contact the Church Kitchen Manager for information about use of the kitchen.
During your reception, a church representative will be present. The caterer is required to leave the facilities clean and orderly, and the facilities must be vacated by 8:00 pm Please note: NO TOBACCO or ALCOHOL are allowed on the church campus at any time or place. This includes indoor and outdoor areas and applies to smoking, vaping, dip, drinking, and the like. NO RICE, BIRDSEED, GRASS SEED, CONFETTI, POTPOURRI, or similar materials are allowed on church property.
Informal Worship draws on the experience of the American church as it spread during the 1800s. Sometimes called "camp meeting" style, there is little ritual and no high church liturgy. Every Sunday at 8:30 am in the Sanctuary, we gather for worship that is natural and laid back. We lift our voices in praise as we sing the old-time favorite hymns of the church. There is a time for the congregation to select hymns during an old-fashioned hymn-sing. Holy Communion is celebrated every Sunday in an informal style. We all join hands at the end of the service as we go out to serve God and our community.
Traditional Worship draws on rituals and traditions that date back to the very beginning of the Christian Church 2,000 years ago. Every Sunday at 11:00 am we gather in the Sanctuary for worship that is steeped in the liturgy and rites of the ancient church. We lift our voices in praise as we sing the traditional hymns of the church. Music is offered in a classical sacred style by the Chancel Choir, handbell groups, vocal and instrumental ensembles, and the Children's Choir and is accompanied by piano and organ. Holy Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month.
The Bridge Modern Worship gathers every Sunday morning at 11:00 am for worship. Our worship space is inside of Moody Methodist Church, in the Christian Life Center (look for the Gym). Our service is an hour long and includes a blend of modern music, a thoughtful sermon, and Holy Communion each week.
The Hispanic Ministry of Moody Methodist Church, with the purpose to proclaim the God of our life for the Hispanic community of Galveston, meets every Sunday at 11:00 am to share the Word of God in Spanish with celebration of the sacraments, biblical readings, songs of praise, intercessory prayer, and thanksgiving.
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