Whether you choose Emmanuel’s historic church building as your venue, have our ministers perform your ceremony, or both – we’d love to be part of your wedding day.
Brenda Torrie is an ordained minister of the United Methodist Church. She gained some air under her preaching wings as a lay member at Emmanuel in the 1990’s. After the Torrie family emigrated to sunny Southern California in 2000, she felt called to ministry in 2005.
Brenda studied Philosophy, and Religious Studies at Chapman University in Orange, California and studied for her Master of Divinity at Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California. Brenda has been serving churches in ministry leadership for seven and a half years. Brenda is delighted to come alongside the people of Emmanuel, serving the wider Waterloo community.
A minister’s fee of $250 will be added to the packages below at the time of booking.
Consultation: We’ll talk about how to make your wedding ceremony perfect for you. We can offer suggestions and take direction, depending on your needs.
Rehearsal: We are happy to facilitate a rehearsal prior to the service.
Ceremony: Typical ceremonies range from 20 to 45 minutes depending on the couple. We will work with you to make it your special day.
Documents: We will prepare your documents, issue your temporary marriage license and
mail your papers to the Registrar to have your marriage registered in the
province of Ontario.
Pre-Marriage Course: Optional and for an additional fee ($110 per hour)
Sanctuary: 3 hours
1 hour rehearsal day before
2 hours on day of wedding
Sanctuary: 3 hours
1 hour rehearsal day before
2 hours on day of wedding
Hearth Room: 3 hours for small coffee/apps reception following ceremony
Hearth Kitchen: 3 hours for use during reception
Pricing:
- Sanctuary 3 hours @ $100/hour: $300
- Hearth Room 3 hours @ $60/hour: $180
- Hearth Kitchen 3 hours @ $30/hour: $90
- Total: $570
Sanctuary: 3 hours
- 1 hour rehearsal day before
- 2 hours on day of wedding
Hearth Room: 5 hours
- bridal suite during ceremony and reception
Fellowship Hall: 5 hours
- cocktail reception following ceremony plus decorating and clean up
Commercial Kitchen: 5 hours
- one hour on either end of reception for preparation and clean up
Pricing:
- Sanctuary 3 hours @ $100/hour: $300
- Hearth Room @ evening rate: $240
- Fellowship Hall @ evening rate: $350
- Hearth Kitchen @ evening rate: $150
- Total: $1040
Available Afternoon and Evenings Only
Sanctuary: 3 hours
- 1 hour rehearsal day before
- 2 hours on day of wedding
Hearth Room: 2pm to 1am
- Bridal and Bridal Party Suite for duration of event
Fellowship Hall: 2pm to 1am
- decorating, set up, and full dinner and after party reception
Commercial Kitchen: 2pm to 1am
- hours can be amended per caterer requests
Pricing:
- Sanctuary 3 hours @ $100/hour: $300
- Hearth Room @ full day rate: $400
- Fellowship Hall @ full day rate: $600
- Commercial Kitchen @ full day rate: $300
- Total: $1600
Sanctuary: 3 hours
- 1 hour rehearsal day before
- 2 hours on day of wedding
Hearth Room: 8am to 1am
- Bridal and Bridal Party Suite for duration of event
Fellowship Hall: 8am to 1am
- decorating, set up, and full dinner and after party reception
Commercial Kitchen: 8am to 1am
- hours amended per caterer requests
Pricing:
- Sanctuary 3 hours @ $100/hour: $300
- Hearth Room @ full day + evening rate: $600
- Fellowship Hall @ full day + evening rate: $750
- Commercial Kitchen @ full day + evening rate: $400
- Total: $2050
Minister
A minister’s fee of $250 includes pre-wedding consultation and the wedding ceremony.
Audio
This includes audio in the Sanctuary as well as the option to livestream the service. This does not include audio in the Fellowship Hall or DJ services for a reception. Cost is $100.
Organist
The organist can play piano or organ accompaniment during your ceremony. Base cost is $250. If you would like to invite a soloist (or request that we suggest one for you), additional fees may apply.
Special Occasion Permit (Mandatory)
For alcohol to be served at the event a special occasion permit must be obtained from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. The application can be made here. Alcohol may not be consumed in the Sanctuary.
Insurance (Mandatory)
We require the couple to acquire special event insurance especially if alcohol is to served. The insurance must name “Emmanuel United Church” as an additional insured. We suggest that you check with your own insurance companies first. Some insurance companies allow you to add events to your home insurance even if the event is not hosted at the home.
Do you perform same-gender marriages?
Absolutely. Emmanuel United is an Affirming Ministry. We welcome all LGBTQ2IA+ relationships. However you identify, you are welcome and celebrated here.
Do I or my partner need to be a member with Emmanuel?
No, membership with Emmanuel is not required.
How much does a wedding cost at Emmanuel United Church?
We offer a variety of packages as seen above. A 50% deposit is due upon booking. The fees listed above do not include the minister, accompanist, or sound technician. A detailed fee schedule is available upon request. Send an email to office@emmanueluc.ca for more details.
Do you offer marriage preparation classes?
Our minister offers individual preparation sessions. Contact the church office at 519-886-1471, or email office@emmanueluc.ca.
Are you open to creative ceremonies?
Yes, definitely. We’d love to help you create a one-of-a-kind of ceremony.
Can we have an outdoor ceremony?
We’re flexible and our minister can perform your ceremony off-site. We’ll meet you where you’re at. For travel beyond a 30km radius from Emmanuel, an additional travel fee is charged depending on the location of your service.
How many people can fit in your church?
We can accommodate groups as small as 5 to as high as 400 in our Sanctuary. To be legal, your ceremony must include the minister, the couple to be married, and two witnesses. We cannot provide witnesses.
Can I have my reception at Emmanuel United Church?
Yes, our Fellowship Hall is available for an additional fee. It can seat between 120 and 200 people depending on your preferred configuration.
Can I serve alcohol at my reception?
As long as you purchase a liquor license and additional insurance.
Can I stream my wedding live on Facebook/YouTube?
For an additional fee, we’ll stream your wedding to your Facebook page so your loved ones across the world can be part of your day
How far in advance should we book?
Weekend ceremony times are more popular, so recommend booking 2-3 months in advance. If you wish to use the Fellowship Hall, we recommend booking 4-6 months in advance. If you’re flexible, we can likely find a time that suits you.
How do we book? What is required?
Reach out to us and let us know you want to book a time. Our Office Manager will take it from there to put everything in place. A signed contract and a 50% deposit are required to secure your date and time. The remainder is due 30 days before your ceremony.
What payments do you accept?
We can process and accept Cash, Cheque, e-transfers, Debit, Visa or Mastercard.
What’s included?
Please see the we offer a variety of spaces and ceremonies to suit your needs.
Do you provide a photographer?
We do not provide a photographer, but we can direct you to photographers who are familiar with our space as well as others in the community.
Are pets welcome?
Yes? We expect pets to be well-behaved and trained. Any accidents will be subject to a $200 cleaning charge.
Where can we and our guests park?
Parking is available in our church parking lot and in the surrounding street parking. The closest paid public parking is at the Waterloo Public Library 1 block south of the church.
What if we need to postpone?
We get it. Things happen (we’re looking at you, pandemic). If you need to postpone, please let us know as soon as you can. A date can be changed up to 7 days before your scheduled event with no rebooking fee. Please note, the date must be within 1 year (365 days) of your original date.
Postponements or cancelations within 7 days are subject to a $125 rebooking or cancelation fee.
How do I get a Marriage Licence?
To get your Marriage Licence in Waterloo, head on over to this link here. It only takes a few minutes to fill out. Once you have submitted your application, the clerk’s office will reach out to you with a time to pick up your licence.
Marriage Certificate?
After your ceremony, your Marriage Licence will be mailed to the Office of the Registrar General, where they request 10-12 weeks to register it. After that time has passed, you can apply for your Marriage Certificate here. There are two options, a short form ($15) and a long form ($22) – our recommendation is to get the certified long form version.
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