When I left church that Sunday, I felt that Grace Episcopal was the perfect place to start my new life with Eugene.Grace’s wedding coordinator, Pat Bevil, responded to my email inquiry almost immediately.  She sent me a copy of the customary so that I could review the requirements.  I was a little nervous—some churches require that the couple be confirmed and an established part of their congregation—but I was happy to learn that Grace just requires that one person be baptized.  

Going Over the Details

After we picked our date, Eugene and I met with Pat to discuss our ceremony details.  Pat is extremely organized and went through a checklist with us that covered every detail.  She walked us through every aspect of the ceremony, from the wording in our programs to the roles of our ushers.  Better yet, she wrote down the contact information for our photographer and florist, and coordinated with them to make sure our day went smoothly.  

We met with Pat several times over the course of planning our wedding—with the most important meeting being about a month before the date to go over all the final details.  Pat and I also corresponded through phone and email, and I always felt like she had everything 100% in control.

Grace Episcopal creates your ceremony programs for you so that your guests can follow along during the ceremony.  You can decorate them if you want—we added ribbons—but they are beautiful on their own.  We added a few custom messages, but at that point in the planning stage it was a huge relief to leave most of the program creation in Pat’s capable hands.  

Premarital Counseling

Eugene and I didn’t know what to expect before our first session, but we ended up really enjoying our premarital counseling with Rev. Meredith.  We talked about important issues—not just in our spiritual lives, but practicalities of marriage, like financial matters, our families, and dealing with stress and conflict.  Rev. Meredith is very approachable and I feel like our sessions with her not only brought me closer to Eugene, but made me look forward to having Rev. Meredith as our officiate.  

The Music

One lovely aspect of getting married at Grace is that they have a beautiful pipe organ—and a talented organist, Aaron Hervey, to go with it.  Pat sent us a website with sample wedding ceremony songs divided into categories such as “processional of bride,” “seating of parents,” etc.  One of my favorite parts of planning our wedding was going through all the music samples with my mom.

Of course, you aren’t limited to an organist at Grace—you can hire outside musicians as well.  We hired a trumpeter to accompany Aaron.  Actually, Aaron hired him for us—all we had to do was ask him to recommend a friend.  The trumpeter was a wonderful addition to our ceremony, and finding him couldn’t have been easier.

The Rehearsal

The evening before the wedding, our families and wedding party all joined us at Grace for the rehearsal.  Pat and Rev. Meredith thought of everything, and I felt as prepared as possible for the ceremony.  Pat suggested that my bridesmaids and I bring our dresses and leave them locked in the parlor—where we would get ready the next day.  I didn’t have to worry about forgetting anything on our wedding day.

The rehearsal itself was very thorough.  Rev. Meredith started by telling everyone a little about Grace’s history.  Then we went through the meaning of each part of the service and made sure that each family member and wedding party member knew what they were doing.  She even had me practice kneeling a couple times—knowing that it would be difficult in my dress the next day.  

The Wedding

Pat did a great job making sure that Eugene didn’t see me before the ceremony.  Eugene and his groomsman arrived behind the church at a different time than me, where they got ready in a separate building. As for me and bridal party, we got dressed in the spacious and comfortable parlor, where Pat had snacks for us.    

When I finally stepped through the church doors on my dad’s arm, the sanctuary looked stunning.  Grace doesn’t need much embellishment, but the pew candles they use for weddings add a lovely touch.  The music was as beautiful as the décor.

Our ceremony was so special—the Episcopal wedding service is beautiful and meaningful, and Rev. Meredith’s homily suited both of us very well.  It was the perfect way for Eugene and I to begin our new married lives to together.  I can recommend Grace Episcopal without a doubt—this is a great place to get married.