Use Our Building

Westminster Presbyterian Church of Albany, NY
Wedding Policy
Approved by the Westminster Session March 12, 2024

Celebrating Love:

Westminster Presbyterian Church is a congregation centered on the two things that Jesus said are most important: loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. We are honored to offer our historic sanctuary and intimate chapel for ceremonies that celebrate love, whether you are members of our congregation or not. If you’re about love then we have something very important in common.

Fully Inclusive:

Westminster embraces a welcoming and inclusive spirit, extending heartfelt invitations to couples of all faith traditions and those without religious affiliation.

We also proudly affirm and celebrate LGBTQ+ couples, recognizing their right to marry with dignity and joy.

Tailoring Your Ceremony:

Our Minister is available to officiate (or co-officiate) weddings for church members and their close family members with Session approval. We also have a network of ordained clergy and wedding officiants who can customize your ceremony to fit your unique wishes. If you prefer to bring your own officiant, please discuss this option with our office for the necessary approvals.

Accommodating Your Needs:

Whether you envision a grand ceremony in our spacious sanctuary or a more intimate gathering in the chapel, we have the perfect setting for your special day. We have an amazing organ and a grand piano in the sanctuary and a baby grand piano in the chapel. Let us know if you would like to hire our organist to accompany your ceremony. You are also welcome to bring in your own accompanist to play piano.

For smaller receptions, our Fellowship Hall provides a beautiful and convenient option. Please see our Building Use Policy (located at the top of this page) for more details.

There is a handicapped accessible ramp leading to one of the State Street doors to our sanctuary and a small elevator connects our main floor to the lower level where you will find a handicapped accessible bathroom. Contact us to discuss additional facilities and logistical details.

Planning and Fees:

To schedule a tour and discuss your wedding plans, please email our Church Administrator at office@wpcalbany.org. We will guide you through the process and happily address any questions you may have. Specific fees associated with weddings are listed below.

We require a $300 non-refundable deposit to reserve your wedding date on our calendar.

Click here for our wedding fee structure

The worship service in the Presbyterian Church upon the occasion of death is called A Witness to the Resurrection. It is a service that seeks to touch on all the thoughts and emotions that family and friends may experience at the time of death: sorrow, loss, and grief; but also gratitude and hope. We strongly urge that church members plan for their memorial service to take place in Westminster’s sanctuary.

While we seek to accommodate the grieving family’s wishes as much as possible, there are certain parameters in place. Our own tradition allows for either a memorial service (where the casket is not present) or a funeral (where the casket is present). In the case of a funeral, we require that the casket be closed.
The pastors will plan the service in consultation with the family, but will have the final say as to the order, content of, and the participants in the service. Family members may speak at the service, but should feel no obligation to do so.
Other pastors or religious leaders may participate with the approval of Westminster clergy. The Minister of Music and the Arts will play at the service or provide an alternate organist.

Please contact the church office for information about any related fees for memorial and funeral services at Westminster: office@wpcalbany.org / 518-436-8544

Welcome to Westminster Presbyterian Church! We are glad to be able to share with you two of our most valuable resources: our historic building and parking lot. Please read carefully the terms outlined below.

Donation: We do not charge for use of our facilities but welcome your donation to help cover the significant cost of heat, light, snow removal, maintenance, cleaning and insurance that our congregation incurs each year. You may make your donation online (wpcalbany.org/give) or mail it to the church (85 Chestnut Street, Albany, NY 12210). You may also leave an envelope with your donation in our church office–please put your name on the envelope so we know who to thank!

Sexton Fee: Our Sexton, Joy Tallmadge, will be your guide to our building during the time you are with us. Joy knows every inch of our building–and if you need something, it is likely she will be able to find it! We require all groups holding events in our building to pay our Sexton $20.00 per hour. Please note that Joy has a 2 hour minimum. Joy will arrive one hour before your event and stay a minimum of 30 minutes to close up. Please pay Joy Tallmadge directly by cash or check at the time of the event. 

Times: When we confirm your reservation to use our building, we will also confirm your start and end time. When setting these times, please take into account your need for set up and break down time. If your event runs more than 30 minutes past the time we have agreed on, we will begin charging you a rental fee of $100 per hour. The church building closes at midnight. Everyone must be out of the building and all clean up completed by that time.

Uses: We offer our building for your use specifically for the purposes you have described to us. You are not permitted to use our building for purposes or events that have not been previously approved by us. No alcohol is permitted in our building by outside groups. No illegal activities are allowed.

Rooms: We ask you not to use other rooms in the church that are not a part of our agreement with you (except, of course, the bathrooms!). Please do not make use of our kitchen unless we have explicitly given you permission to do so. If you find yourself in need of additional or different space, just ask Joy before relocating yourself.

Food and Drink: If you would like to offer food and drink at your event, please ask us for permission in advance. As an Earth Care Congregation, we are committed to reducing our use of plastic and minimizing waste. We would prefer you to use our plates and silverware and cup and saucers instead of bringing in disposable items. Joy will show you where everything is stored and she will even run the dishwasher for you!

Health & Church Attendance: Everyone in our building is encouraged to familiarize yourself with our Health & Church Attendance recommendations. Learn more 

Responsible Person: Each group must designate a responsible person who will (1) assure that the group is informed of our COVID safety requirements and (2) abides by them. This person must collect the names and contact information for all participants and retain this information in case it is needed for contact tracing.

Safe Church Policy: We ask all groups to follow the procedures our church has adopted designed to assure the safety of children, youth and vulnerable adults in our building. These procedures will be attached separately and may be found on our website. We expect that children will be supervised by at least two responsible adults at all times while in our building.

Building Maintenance: We do our best to keep our building clean and maintained. If you see anything that is broken or needs attention, please let Joy know and we will do our best to remedy the situation.

Please respect our neighbors: Our church is located in a residential neighborhood. We do our best to be good neighbors and ask that you do the same. Please don’t make a lot of noise in our parking lot, especially in the evening. And please be aware of the sound level of any indoor events, especially if the windows are open. 

Emergency Contact: If something comes up on the day of your event please contact our church office at 518-436-8544.