Weddings at First Methodist are flexible.  Please discuss with our wedding coordinator to see what is best for your service and celebration.

On the day of the ceremony, you get a total of 3 ½ hours. The time can be adjusted depending on how much time before or after you need for pictures.

If you go over the time, an additional charge will be incurred for costs to the church. Typically, for a ceremony scheduled for 5pm, the church is available from 2:30 to 6pm.  This allows for floral deliveries and pictures beforehand, a 30 minute service, and 30 minutes for pictures afterwards.

• The Downtown Sanctuarywill seat 1350 people. However, most weddings have between 100-250 guests.  We seat the guests in the front two sections and photos are beautiful, and guests can see the ceremony easily.
• The Chapelwill seat 75- 95 people.
• The Westchase Sanctuarywill seat 2400 people.
• The Westchase Chapelseats 200 people.

Yes, the wedding coordinator will ask you to make a first and second choice from our list of male and female clergy on staff at First Methodist Houston. The Wedding Coordinator will need to verify the availability of the requested pastor for your wedding date and your minister will be assigned. Once availability is determined a pre-marriage conference with your officiating pastor will need to be made. During the conference, the minister will discuss with you the details of the service and the meaning of marriage in the context of the Christian faith. Several meetings may be held with your Minister prior to the ceremony.

A pastor from another church or church denomination may assist with the ceremony only. Requests for the addition of a guest pastor should be made well in advance of the wedding date to the Wedding Coordinator, who will get approval from the officiating clergy.

You are required to meet with a First Methodist minister to prepare for the wedding and marriage. Full counseling or workshops are not mandatory, but we do recommend it. We do not provide wedding workshops but recommend together in Texas online course as an option. By taking a course you can get a discount on the cost of your marriage license.

Responsibility for all music at First Methodist Houston is delegated to our staff appointed music personnel. First Methodist Houston welcomes outside musicians, soloists and choirs to perform at weddings but all approval and coordination must be through our appointed staff contact. All music must be performed live. Recorded music is not allowed. The wedding coordinator will put you in contact with the Organist to help select music.

FUMC recommends children be at least five years old to participate in a wedding but this decision is left up to the bride and groom.

Your pastor will follow The Service of Christian Marriage to ensure the service is kept in accordance with the United Methodist Church. However, your officiating pastor will gladly work with you to bring your ideas and personality into the ceremony.

Pets are not allowed to be in the service or in any of our buildings. Only “service dogs” are allowed entry.

To schedule your wedding, email the Wedding Coordinator Laura Aldis.  Please fill out the Wedding Worksheet and email this with your request.

Weddings will be confirmed by First Methodist Houston upon receipt of the wedding worksheet, approval of the wedding coordinator and pastor, and a $500 deposit.

The wedding coordinator will be happy to send you a customized proposal. The proposal will outline the fee schedule.

A $500 deposit/booking fee of which $250 is non-refundable is required to secure the availability of First Methodist Houston for your wedding. This deposit/booking fee is partial payment of the total fees paid to First Methodist Houston for the wedding. The balance of the fees is due and payable no later than 60 days prior to the wedding date.

Currently, the cost of a wedding in the downtown sanctuary is $3000.  A wedding in the downtown chapel on a Saturday is $2500.

Checks are preferred.  Please add the wedding date and couples’ names in the memo section of the check. Payments for the church facility must be submitted on time per the payment schedule and sent to the following address:

• • First Methodist Houston
  • Attention: Rebecca Holland
  • 1320 Main Street
  • Houston, TX 77002

You may also submit credit card payments online at www.fmhouston.com but 3.5% will need to be added to the amount to cover the credit card fees.  Click on the “GIVE” tab on the home page. Fill in the form using the “other” box for the payment.  Give a detailed explanation of the payment in the box next to the “other” box (Bride’s name, Groom’s name, wedding date, and downtown campus).  This information in the comment box is imperative in order for the amount to be applied as a payment for the wedding and not a donation. 

Honorariums to the pastor need to be paid directly to the pastor and should be taken care of during the premarital meeting with that pastor.  You may also mail the honorarium to the church address to the attention of the pastor.

All facility charges, fees, and honorariums must be paid as agreed to avoid the wedding date being dropped from the church calendar.    Weddings will be removed from the calendar if the fees are not received according to the payment schedule.

Yes, this is a separate service.  Please ask your wedding coordinator about what is available.

If you must cancel your wedding for any reason, please notify the Wedding Coordinator as soon as possible so your time can be made available to others. The deposit fee of $250 is retained by First Methodist Houston and the remaining balance of paid fees will be sent back to the bride in check form.

The rehearsal time must be set with the Wedding Coordinator when the wedding is scheduled. These are to be at 6 or 7 p.m. on the evening preceding the wedding.

All members of the wedding party, including parents, grandparents, and ushers, should be present at and prompt to the rehearsal. Please stress promptness to them. There may be as many as three rehearsals on the same evening. If members of your party are more than 15 minutes late, your rehearsal may be cancelled.