1-1 Pre-Marriage Consultation: If our minister performs your wedding, one pre-marriage consultation with the minister performing your wedding is offered. This is a time to get acquainted and go over the wedding service and any special arrangements you may have. Spiritual counseling is also available at your request.

1-2 The Wedding Ceremony: Our minister will provide you with a copy of the wedding ceremony and invites you to write any additions or deletions that will make the service more meaningful or personal to you. You will also be given some other wedding information that will help you in planning your wedding smoothly. The marriage ceremony is a service of worship and celebration in which prayers are shared, vows exchanged and blessings given. Everything planned should add to a service that is worshipful, joyous, reverent and beautiful.

1-3 Music: Since your wedding is a service of celebration, joy and worship, its music should be meaningful to the bride and groom. Our Wedding Representative will be happy to give you names and telephone numbers of musicians who will help you choose music if you so desire. Arrangements including compensation for musicians must be made directly by you.

1-4 Photographs: Because of the sacredness and beauty of the wedding service, photographs are usually taken following the wedding service. Photographs and videos of your wedding are permitted if they do not distract from the dignity and beauty of your wedding ceremony.

1-6 Changing Rooms - The three downstairs classrooms and bathroom are available to the wedding party. Three restrooms are available. Please be sure to remove all personal and wedding related items upon departure.

1-7 The use of rice and confetti is prohibited. Birdseed is more appropriate and may be used outside only.

1-8 Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on church property and no smoking is permitted in any of the church buildings.

1-9 Scheduled Wedding Time: All weddings will be scheduled for a two-hour time period. The church custodian will open the church one hour before the scheduled time for dressing and preparation and you must leave the church grounds one hour after the scheduled time. The wedding ceremony usually takes about 20-25 minutes and will be started on time. Please share this information in advance with your florist, photographers and other members of your wedding party. If you need more than the allotted time for your wedding, there may be an additional fees. Please arrange for additional time with our minister in advance, so other weddings or church activities may be scheduled accordingly.

2. Church Inside Facilities

2-1 Sanctuary: Unity Christ Church of Bon Air, with a seating capacity of 95-100 is often chosen for its simplicity and beauty. Additional decorations may not be necessary and you may wish to consider only a minimum amount of flowers. You may wish to arrange a visit to our church to decide what decorations you will desire. The church will be opened one hour before the wedding service for your florist. Arrangements may be made to open earlier for an additional fee.

You may not move church furniture. Do not deface walls or furniture with tape, nails, glue, or in any other manner. Please remove all belongings immediately following the wedding. The church will not be responsible for any flowers, decorations or personal belongings left after the wedding. Check with the minister if you wish to leave your flowers as a donation to the church.

2-2 Candles: Candles are appropriate, but because of the time and effort required to clean up spilled wax, freestanding candelabrums or hand-held candles are not permitted. If desired, table-model Unity candles may be requested.

Any candles not at the altar, for example on window sills or the fireplace mantle, must be protected by a hurricane globe. If you plan to have an aisle runner, we recommend that you purchase a disposable one of either pressed fiber or fabric. These are usually available through paper products shops or rental stores.

3. Church Outside Facilities

3-1 Weddings in our Meditation Gardens and Gazebo: Our beautiful Meditation Gardens and large gazebo offer a lovely natural setting for your wedding ceremony. With its numerous gardens, meandering pathways, tranquil lily pond, and many park benches, the Meditation Gardens are a favorite place for couples to exchange wedding vows.

Spread throughout two acres of heavily wooded property, our Meditation Gardens are a truly special place…a place to find peace and serenity, a place to meditate, a place to appreciate what God has created, a place for everyone to enjoy.

3-2 Seating: Please contact an outside rental agency to obtain any chairs that are needed, chairs are not supplied by the Church. Setting up and removing chairs is your responsibility and must be done by end of wedding day. All liability for chairs is between you and the rental agency.

3-3 Decorating: Decoration of the gazebo and gardens is allowed the night before or on the wedding day. No nails or staples are allowed to attach decorations. All decorations must be removed by the end of the wedding day (including all tape, string, etc.)

4. Fees

5. Your Next Step; scheduling your wedding

Reverend Joyce Fisher Pierce was ordained by the Unity School of Christianity and the Association of Unity churches at Unity Village, MO. Unity Christ Church of Bon Air is an interfaith Christian church chartered in Richmond, VA, in 1985, and has more than 100 members and many associate members. It is affiliated with Unity School of Christianity, publishers of the Daily Word magazine. It is also a member of the Association of Unity Churches in Lee’s Summit, MO, and affiliated with more than 1100 churches and study groups worldwide. Unity was founded by an American couple, Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, in 1889. It is home to Silent Unity, a 24-hour-worldwide prayer ministry, which reaches millions of people each year. For more information about Reverend Joyce Fisher Pierce, click the minister's page.