Presider
The priests at Holy Trinity will be happy to assist you in your planning. If you wish a particular priest, please contact him at least six months prior to your wedding date. He will meet with you a number of times so that he can come to know you and your hopes for your marriage, as well as assist you with planning your ceremony. If you do not wish a particular priest, one will be assigned to you.
You are welcome to have a visiting ordained Roman Catholic
priest or deacon preside at your wedding. Note,
however, the clergy you wish to witness your marriage
must
be authorized by the local government to witness marriages. Contact
Father
Spahn,
202-337-2840, ext. 150, for further information.
Clergy of other religious communities and faiths are welcome to assist in the celebration of your wedding. Please speak directly with the priest or deacon working with you to work out the details.
Liturgy Planning
The priest that will be celebrating your wedding will review
the wedding liturgy with you.
Pastoral Music
Music is an integral part of your celebration.
A member of the Holy Trinity Music Department will coordinate
the music for your wedding. Please do not contact
musicians to play or sing at your wedding until you have
consulted with the Music Department. At a later
date you will meet with the coordinator assigned to your
wedding to discuss your plans in more detail. There
will be a separate fee for music at your ceremony. The
fees for musicians will be found in the music guidelines
that you will receive. While outside musicians
are occasionally permitted to participate in part of the
wedding, a Holy Trinity Coordinator/Keyboardist must be
present and take the leading role in any liturgy. In
any event, the coordinators fee is mandatory.
Wedding Promptness
Weddings begin at Holy Trinity at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 noon, and 3:00 p.m. A couple is assured the use of the Church for two hours only, beginning one-half hour before the wedding starts, i.e. 9:30 a.m., 11:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m., and ending two hours later. A couple beginning their ceremony at 10:00 a.m., for example, is assured of the use of the Church from 9:30–11:30 a.m. Because we have a very full schedule and as a courtesy to the other wedding parties, we ask that all weddings begin promptly since we are not able to extend the two-hour limit.
Wedding Rehearsals
Rehearsals in the Church are scheduled on the Friday evening preceding your
wedding for 45 minutes at 4:00, 6:15, 7:00 and 7:45 p.m. Contact
the Executive
Assistant to the Pastor, 202-337-2840, ext. 130, to schedule
a time for your rehearsal and be sure to coordinate the time with your
presider. All members of the wedding party, including readers
and other ministers of the celebration, should be present. We
ask that you be prompt as we can schedule only 45 minutes per rehearsal. Please
plan ahead for traffic difficulties in Georgetown on Friday evenings. Be
sure to bring your marriage license and give it to your presider.
Flowers
We encourage wedding parties of the same day to share the cost of flowers. Please
contact the Executive
Assistant to the Pastor, 202-337-2840, ext. 130, to ascertain
the names and numbers of the other couples who share your wedding date. Please
note that floral arrangements must be attached without the use of tape or
other adhesives. Ribbons or special hangers, which
do not mar the finish of the pews in the Church may be used.
During the liturgical seasons of Advent/Christmas and
Lent/Easter, the sanctuary has a particular seasonal atmosphere
which cannot be altered. Green
plants and floral arrangements must reflect the atmosphere
of the season (e.g., simple flowers such as forsythia
or
baskets with flowering bulbs during Lent). We
also ask that you remove flowers during these times. You
may direct further questions to the Pastoral
Associate for Liturgy,
202-337-2840, ext. 125.
Photography
Because the ceremony is a sacred time, we ask that you engage a photographer who will abide by the following rules:
- No flash pictures are permitted during the ceremony.
- The photographer must remain stationary throughout the ceremony in the balcony, with the exception of the processional and recessional, at which times the photographer may precede the party in the aisle and use artificial lighting, if needed.
If your photographer has any questions on the wedding day, it is suggested that he or she consult the presider. We also ask you to inform your guests that, in order to ensure a prayerful ceremony, flash photography is not permitted; you may wish to include a statement to that effect in your wedding program.
Provided your ceremony begins promptly, you may take photographs in the Sanctuary of the Church until 30 minutes after your ceremony.
Videography
If you engage someone to videotape your ceremony he or she must abide by these rules:
- No camera lights or arc lights are permitted.
- The videographer must remain stationary throughout the ceremony in the balcony, with the exception of the processional and recessional, at which times the videographer may precede the party in the aisle and use artificial lighting, if needed.
Parlor
A small parlor in the new Parish Center is available for your use. You
may use the parlor for two hours only, beginning one-half hour before the wedding
starts and ending two hours later. If you do wish to use the parlor,
simply contact the Executive
Assistant to the Pastor, 202-337-2840, ext.130. Should
the room not be available, there is other space in the Parish Center that can
be
reserved.
Parking
Holy Trinity has no parking available for weddings. You may wish to contact the Second District Substation for “Emergency No Parking” signs for 36th Street to provide some nearby parking. Their address is as follows:
