Frequently Asked Questions

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Below are a list of Frequently Asked Questions organized into three categories: General Rental Use, Sanctuary, and Harmony Hall. We recommend reviewing the FAQs before touring. Please contact us if you have any additional questions.

General Rental Use

• What is the availability of the venue? Weddings ceremonies and receptions are offered on Saturdays from 9am until 10pm and Sundays from 2pm until 10pm. During the month of March, the venue closes at 6pm. Please contact us for specific date inquiries.
• Are you a same sex-friendly venue? As an Open and Affirming Church, FCCPA welcomes same sex marriages.
• What is your payment and cancellation policy? A non-refundable deposit of $400 is required to reserve the event date. The balance of the fee is due six months prior to the event and is non-refundable.
• Is there a security deposit? Yes a $1,000 security deposit is required and will be returned upon completion of the event if no damage has occurred.
• Do I need liability insurance? Yes, one month prior to your event, you are required to provide proof of a $1M General Liability Policy with Alcohol Coverage (if applicable). To use the kitchen, you must provide proof of your caterer’s insurance and that at least one member of the catering staff has a valid California Food Handler Training Certificate.
• What parking is available? The Church has two parking lots, both with ADA accessible parking spaces. The Louis Road parking lot has 87 spaces and 5 accessible spaces. The smaller Embarcadero Road parking lot has 44 spaces, 2 accessible spaces, and a ChargePoint car charging station. Additional parking can be found on nearby residential streets; however, there is no parking permitted on the east side of Louis Road.
• Is the venue ADA accessible? All parking, walkways, buildings, and restrooms are ADA accessible.
• Are there restroom facilities? There are four ADA accessible restrooms in the Harmony Hall area for wedding guests, and two separate restrooms near the Bride’s Room for the wedding party.
• Is there an outdoor space where my guests can mingle? Is it heated or protected? Is there a weather contingency plan? The Courtyard is available for guests to mingle during your rental time. This space is not heated or protected from weather. There is no weather contingency plan for the Courtyard.
• What can be tossed in the air for the bride and groom’s entrance or departure? Bubbles and real flower petals can be used outdoors. To reduce indoor slipping hazards, bubbles, birdseed, rice, real flower petals, and confetti are not to be used. Cloth flower petals may be used, but must be cleaned up by the Renter.
• Are there regulations regarding smoking? Smoking and electronic nicotine delivery systems are not permitted anywhere on Church property; this includes parking lots, walkways, and sidewalks.
• Do you have a recycling policy? Yes, we have composting (green), recycling (blue), and landfill (black) bins on site for waste disposal. Our preference is for compostable, recyclable, and re-useable products to be used.
• Are pets allowed? Service dogs are welcome, however other pets are not allowed on Church property.
• When are you allowed to setup? Once your rental time begins you will be able to setup your event.
• Who is responsible for cleaning up decorations, putting away tables and chairs, and emptying waste? You are responsible for removing decorations and personal belongings. Any waste products should be sorted into appropriate disposal bins (see recycling policy). For Harmony Hall and the Courtyard, janitorial staff will break down tables and chairs and dump sorted disposal bins in the outdoor waste enclosure.
• What type of staffing do you provide? For ceremonies a Wedding Host is on site for the duration of the rehearsal and ceremony rental. For receptions a Wedding Host is available by phone during the rental.
• Are you licensed to provide alcohol services? We do not provide alcohol services; you will need to have a licensed vendor provide this service.
• May we serve alcohol? Beer, wine, and champagne may be served during lunch and dinner wedding receptions; no hard liquor is allowed. Alcohol is not allowed in the Sanctuary except as part of communion.
• May we provide food and beverage to our guests? Wedding packages are available with ceremony & reception options to include light refreshments, lunch, or dinner. If you select a ceremony only package, then no food or beverage may be provided to your guests. Please contact the office at Office@fccpa.org for details.

Sanctuary

• What is the seating capacity of the Sanctuary? The Sanctuary can comfortably seat 300 people. We can accommodate up to 350 guests with the addition of banquet chairs set up in the garden wing of the Sanctuary.
• What are the decorating guidelines for the Sanctuary? Decorations can be placed on the arms of the pews (flowers, fabric, bows) using pew clips (pew arms are 2 ½ inches wide). Gaffer tape and existing fasteners may be used for decorations. No other adhesives, nails, tacks, staples, or pins may be used. Liturgical banners and seasonal decorations cannot be removed. You may request the Wedding Liturgical banner.
• How many pews are in the Sanctuary? There are 20 pews on each side of the center aisle.
• What is the length and width of the center aisle? The center aisle is 60 feet long and 68 inches wide.
• What are the dimensions of the altar table? The oval altar is 93 inches wide and 32 inches deep.
• What are the music options for the Sanctuary? You can have live music or pre-recorded music for your ceremony. We can provide musicians to play classical or contemporary music on the piano or organ for your ceremony, or you can hire your own musicians. We provide a headphone jack for your sound technician to plug in and manage a device for pre-recorded music. We do not provide a sound technician. Bands and videographers cannot plug into our sound system.
• May we serve food and beverage to our guests in the Sanctuary? Food and beverage are not permitted in the Sanctuary (with the exception of Communion). Light refreshments can be provided before the ceremony to the wedding party in the Fellowship Hall. There are wedding packages with ceremony & reception options if you would like to host your reception in the Courtyard or Harmony Hall.
• Does the Sanctuary have climate control? The Sanctuary has heating but does not have air conditioning.
• Is there a dressing room for the bride? There is a dressing room for the bride and attendants with a makeup mirror, sofa, and a private restroom.
• Is there a dressing room for the groom? The Casaday Library is available for the groom and groomsmen.
• Is there a waiting area for the wedding party? The Fellowship Hall is available for the wedding party to congregate before the wedding ceremony and is near both the Casaday Library and the Bride’s dressing room.

Harmony Hall

• What is the seating capacity of Harmony Hall & Courtyard? Harmony Hall can accommodate up to 230 people seated, and the Courtyard can accommodate up to 100 people seated.
• What are the decorating guidelines for Harmony Hall & Courtyard? Gaffer tape and existing fasteners may be used for decorations. No other adhesives, nails, tacks, staples, or pins may be used. Free-standing decorations may be brought into Harmony Hall, but decorations cannot be attached to any walls, speakers, or other objects that are part of the hall. Decorations may be draped or hung from trees, but no fasteners can be put into trees or on the outsides of the buildings.
• Is there a staging area or place for the bridal party to store personal belongings and congregate before the reception starts? The Youth Room, which is adjacent to Harmony Hall, has tables and chairs, couches, and a foosball table. It can be used as a staging area, a rest area for the wedding party, a kids activity room, or for a photo booth and lounge for guests. If the room is used for kids, adult supervision is required at all times.
• Does Harmony Hall have a dance floor? There is no designated area for a dance floor, but the floor plan can accommodate a space for dancing.
• What are the music options for the Harmony Hall? You can have live music or pre-recorded music for your reception. We provide a headphone jack for your sound technician to plug in and manage a device for pre-recorded music. We do not provide a sound technician. Bands and videographers cannot plug into our sound system. Music can be played between 9am and 10pm.
• Does the Courtyard have lighting? The Courtyard has lighting for walkways and for an outside buffet line.
• Does the Harmony Hall have climate control? Harmony Hall has heating but does not have air conditioning.
• Do you provide tables and chairs? Tables and chairs are provided with all Harmony Hall reception packages.
• Do you provide coffee makers, linens, flatware, or glassware? The caterer can use the coffee maker if they provide their own filters. Linens, flatware, and glassware are not provided.
• Can I bring my own wine, beer or champagne and is there a corkage fee? Receptions are permitted to serve beer, wine, and champagne, but no hard liquor is allowed. There is no corkage fee by FCCPA, but you should check with your caterer.
• Do you allow outside vendors such as caterers, cake vendors, photographers, etc.? We welcome outside vendors. We can provide a list of vendors that are familiar with our facility.
• Are kitchen facilities available for caterers? The kitchen is available for use if it is part of the reception package. Kitchen staff must provide proof of insurance and have at least one representative in the kitchen at all times with their California Food Handler Training Certificate. Caterer or kitchen team is responsible for following kitchen guidelines posted in kitchen, cleaning up the kitchen, and removing all waste.
• Is there an area for cocktail hour? The Courtyard is available for cocktail hour.