A Wedding Request Application is available for printing in the Adobe Acrobat file format. The application can be mailed or faxed to the church office.

At VCL, we want to help launch healthy homes so we welcome the opportunity to work with couples planning a Lincolnshire wedding. Our interest is not merely in performing weddings but in laying a foundation for homes where couples not only love much but also love well. Essential to our purpose is thorough pre-marital counseling which we require of any couple being married in our building or by pastoral staff from our church.

Couples seeking to be married at VCL need not be members or even attendees at Village Church. However, they must agree to attend all pre-marital counseling—a minimum of six sessions. Approval may be withdrawn it after one or two meetings it becomes apparent in counseling that there is not adequate health in the relationship for the church to agree to the wedding. (Generally, we do approve most weddings).  If you wish to use a minister from outside the church, approval is needed from our pastor. Any officiating minister must affirm our church’s statement of faith with minimal reservations.

At the heart of our church’s values is a commitment to Biblical truth and devotion to Jesus Christ. We do not require that couples getting married here accept our values, but we make no apology for them and believe that they will provide the strongest possible underpinnings for a strong marriage. We will marry a man and woman who are both disciples of Jesus Christ, or two who are not, but in keeping with the Scriptures we will not marry a person who is a disciple to one who is not.

Pre-marital counseling will include some personality testing (which couples find to be fun and very informative), some Bible study, and discussions on communication, conflict resolution, values, finances and extended families. Occasionally couples will meet in small groups and other times will meet with the counselor. Couples consistently tell us that they find these sessions to be fun and helpful, and the relationships formed with the pastor or counselor are personal and delightful.

The Pastor will help you plan your ceremony. Although there is considerable freedom for creativity, he retains ‘the last word’ on what is appropriate for our church, which also includes all choices of music. Our ministry is here to serve you and yet we must maintain final approval on matters relative to the marriage ceremony, including music. This will bring minimum tension and maximum comfort to you on your wedding day.

Once the wedding date is confirmed in writing and all fees have been paid, the wedding coordinator will meet with you to discuss the wedding plans. The coordinator and you will continue to communicate as need dictates via phone and personal meeting. The wedding ceremony is finalized by working with the Pastor in planning the specific order of events such as vows, unity candle, music, Scripture reading, etc. Questions regarding the florist, photographer, bridal attire purchases or rentals, aisle runner and seating capacity will be discussed with the coordinator.

Remember that the wedding is taking place in Lake County, when you apply for the marriage license.

Scheduling of the wedding ceremony must be done well in advance of the intended date. A minimum of 3 months is requested, though the more time the better. This time period allows sufficient time for counseling and permits advance facility and pastor scheduling for other ministries of the church. No weddings will be performed on a Sunday.

Your rehearsal date and time will be scheduled once your wedding date is confirmed. All dates are tentative until payment is received, so it is important to get your fees submitted in a timely manner so that the date can be held. A confirmation letter is sent once the wedding date is on the church calendar. The letter states the wedding date and time, the rehearsal date and time, and the name of the wedding coordinator who will work with you, along with her phone number.

At the rehearsal, which should start promptly at the scheduled time, the ceremony is finalized with an actual walk-through of the entire wedding program with the pastor and the coordinator. All participants MUST attend, and only the actual participants should be in the sanctuary during the rehearsal. The duration of the rehearsal is 45 to 60 minutes and requires prompt and complete attendance by everyone participating in the wedding including ushers and any family who will be seated as part of the processional. Although the musicians must attend, time may not allow for actual practice during the time of the rehearsal. If any tapes or CDs are to be used during the ceremony, please bring them to the rehearsal and give them to the sound technician.

The church is available to be decorated the day prior to the wedding. On the day of the wedding, plan on about 4 hours from when you arrive at the church until you depart after the ceremony. This should allow plenty of time for everything.

The mailing address of the church is 201 N. Riverwoods Road, Lake Forest, IL. However, the church is physically located in Lincolnshire.  Some maps locate the church incorrectly, and GPS devicies are sometimes incorrect. Click here for a correct map and for detailed directions to our church.

The Village Church of Lincolnshire seats 325 guests. There is a center aisle that is 50 feet long and it is 5 feet, 2 inches wide. There are 12 pews in the two center sections and 9 pews on the right side and 7 on the piano, or left, side. The platform is raised by 2 steps. There are two wooden pedestals that are 28½ inches high that can each hold a bouquet of flowers. Candelabras, kneeling bench, and aisle runner can be rented from florists, party supply stores, or rental companies. The platform is 30½ feet wide and 9 feet deep. The area in front, between the platform and the first pew is 8 feet.  At the front of the church there is a 13 foot, “\/” shaped opening to the baptistery and cross.

The Fellowship Hall is available for receptions, however, use is limited to the room itself – dishes, silverware, serving ware, tablecloths and appliances may not be used and must be provided by the bridal couple. Additionally, the couple is expected to be responsible for the table and chair set-up and take-down. ALL food must be removed from the church following the reception. A sound system and projector are available for an additional fee.

Most set-up can begin the day prior to the wedding and take-down must be completed by 8:00 pm. (Seasonal decorations, i.e. Christmas tree or wreath, cannot be removed.)

The cost of a wedding at VCL has been kept low to further our goal of helping establish strong homes.

• We charge $650 per wedding for use of the sanctuary, which includes custodial, technical help and wedding coordinator. Checks payable to Village Church of Lincolnshire need to be received in order to have the wedding placed on the calendar. Additionally, a security deposit must be remitted. ($500 if you are not a regular attender of Village Church of Lincolnshire, $250 if you are a regular attender of Village Church of Lincolnshire.) (See also additional policies.)
• The church does not provide musicians but will try to help you find qualified people upon request.
• In addition to payment for services, it is customary to thank the officiating minister and musicians through an honorarium or tip. These honoraria are given to the individuals directly by the couple. We provide the premarital counseling free of charge, as our gift to the couple.
• If the Fellowship Hall is used for a reception an additional fee of $500 is required.
• The sound system and projector can be used for the reception for an additional $100.
• If communion is held during the ceremony, a charge of $15 will be made to cover the use of the communion trays and cups. Contents are to be provided by the bridal couple.

• SMOKING IS NOT PERMITTED ANYWHERE IN THE BUILDING.

• Only bubbles may be used outside as the bridal couple leaves the church.

• The piano may not be moved. If it is moved, it may require re-tuning resulting in an additional charge.

• Decorations may be used in the church. If affixing to any wood surface, please use only masking tape or Command Adhesive hooks. Nails and staples are prohibited.

• Candles may be used but must not be placed where they could risk being tipped or causing any other fire hazard. The wedding coordinator reserves the right to reposition or remove any candles which are deemed unsafe.

• Certificates of Insurance which list Village Church of Lincolnshire on a primary contributory basis are required from all outside vendors including florist, photographer and videographer. These can be faxed to the church at 847-295-7757 referencing your wedding date.

• The use of any alcoholic beverages or liquor is prohibited anywhere on the VCL properties.

• Everyone must be out of the church building by 8:00 PM on Saturday so that the custodian can clean-up and set-up for Sunday services.

• The security deposit is fully refundable and will be mailed to you if you have fully complied with all these guidelines. Failure to follow these guidelines will result in charges as determined by the church to be deducted from the security deposit.

We share in your happiness as you make your wedding plans and begin the beautiful adventure of marriage. We are anxious to serve you and to do our best to make your wedding day one that is God-glorifying and the joyous occasion that you anticipate.

With great Christian joy we here at Village Church of Lincolnshire are at your service.