Weddings at St John's
St. John’s, Ross is a lovely venue for wedding celebrations, featuring our beautiful, historic sanctuary for the ceremony, plus ample parking and facilities to host a rehearsal dinner and/or reception. Our sanctuary provides seating for up to 300 guests, in a worship space complete with pipe organ and grand piano. Hallett Hall is approximately 1372 square feet and may accommodate up to 140 seated guests. It is a caterer's delight, equipped with a full kitchen. The Hall is adjacent to the Fireside Room, which may be used for the bride and attendants' needs before the ceremony.
Holy Matrimony is a Sacrament of the Church, and therefore there are some guidelines for being married at St. John’s. Please review the “Weddings at St. John’s” document to find out more about our wedding policies. The first step is to complete the “Wedding Request” form and return it to Arlene Henry at info@stjohnsross.org or fax it to 415-456-2911, Attn: Arlene, our Parish Coordinator. Ms. Henry will then put you in touch with our Wedding Coordinator.
We, the clergy and staff, look forward to working with you as you prepare for your celebration at St. John’s! Your wedding here will be a day of joy for all.
In addition to the ceremony itself, the clergy of St. John's provide services in order to help you create a successful, life-long marriage. These take the form of three or more counseling sessions with either Father Chris Rankin-Williams, Rector, (crw@stjohnsross.org) or Father Steve Hassett, Associate Priest, (steve@stjohnsross.org) depending on who will be officiating at the ceremony.
The Music Director at St. John's, Dr. Lenore Alford, will be pleased to provide the music for your unique wedding. Professional pianist as well as organist (she holds a Master's degree in Piano as well as her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Organ), Lenore has over ten years experience in playing weddings; her experience in repertoire, taste, and timing will make your ceremony a polished and stylish one. For those of you with specific requests, Lenore can adapt her extensive repertory of wedding music to fit every situation and every couple, as long as the music is appropriate to the wedding ceremony.
Musical Instruments at St. John'sSt. John's boasts two extremely fine instruments in the sanctuary: its Aeolian-Skinner/Allen hybrid pipe organ, and Baldwin grand piano. You may choose one or both of these instruments for your ceremonial music, depending on the mood you wish to create. In choosing organ or piano, here are some things to keep in mind.
The sound of the pipe organ evokes pomp, circumstance, and majesty. It is also the most ancient of instruments, which means its presence in your wedding adds the weight of tradition in a way no other instrument can. In contrast, the piano generally evokes a more intimate atmosphere and may be used for more contemporary music, as well as in accompanying soloists.
Many couples enjoy a combination of the two instruments during the ceremony. For example, you may want to enter and exit to the majestic sound of the organ, but use the different atmosphere the piano may create for music during the ceremony itself.
You may wish to have additional instruments at your ceremony. Trumpet, violin, or flute are some frequent choices of instruments frequently heard playing with the organ or piano at weddings; vocal selections are also very popular. Dr. Alford has a quality network of musicians she can recommend for this purpose if you are interested.
Choosing the music for your ceremony
Dr. Alford will be pleased to meet with you prior to the ceremony to discuss your musical selection "wishlist" in detail. But to get started, here is a basic overview:
Music for weddings falls into three basic categories: Processional, Ceremonial, and Recessional. You may also wish to decide on music played before the Processional music, as guests are arriving. Dr. Alford plays a fifteen minute "mini-recital" of festive organ or piano music before each wedding ceremony begins.
St. John's is particular about the flowers used in its sanctuary, especially those placed on the altars. Accordingly, all arrangements for wedding flowers should be discussed with and approved by the Altar Guild Wedding Coordinator, Ms. Betty Matarangas, who will be pleased to work with you to create a beautiful, yet appropriately decorated space for your wedding.
Wedding Photography at St. John'sThe sanctuary of St. John's is available for wedding pictures prior to, and at the conclusion of your wedding ceremony. Videography is also permitted, subject to the direction of officiating clergy and the Altar Guild. However, please note that no flash photography is permitted during the progress of the wedding service.
Sanctuary and Reception Hall
at St. John's
The sanctuary of St. John's is a beautiful, sacred space, dating from 1908. It has a wonderful acoustic, seats 300 people, and houses St. John's prestigious pipe organ and Baldwin grand piano.
Hallett Hall is the parish hall of St. John's, used for receptions and events of all kinds. The Hall is a caterer's delight, equipped with a full kitchen, refrigerators, microwave, and the like. The Hall itself is approximately 1372 square feet. Adjacent to Hallett Hall is the Fireside Room, approximately 527 square feet, which may be used for the bride and attendants' needs before the ceremony.
St. John's Ross
14 Lagunitas Ave. (at Shady Lane) | P.O. Box 217 | Ross, CA 94957 | (415) 456-1102 | contact us