Here's some basic information about how the "Let Us Eat Cake!" marriage celebration will work. We'll add more detail as the event nears. Thank you for helping to make "Let Us Eat Cake!" a joyous occasion for all.

Reservations

If you are participating in the marriage celebration service, contributing a cake for our giant "cake of cakes," or volunteering your talents and services, please e-mail the Epworth registrar at this address:

mailbox@celebratemarriage.us

The registrar will respond with a confirmation message and more details.

Please register by June 9th if you plan to take part in the renewal ceremony. If you're coming to witness the ceremony or support the celebrants, there is no need for reservations.

The Celebration Service

The service will be much like a regular church service. There will be a special time for each couple to renew their vows with a member of the United Methodist clergy. Here are few questions people have asked:

Can we bring our own vows or words of recommitment?
Yes. If you have vows you want to use, please bring them.

Will the service use Christian language and beliefs?
The service will be Christian. There will be an option for you to choose a Christian or secular version of your vows.

Is this a "legal" marriage service?
This is not a legal marriage service. For those who are married already or have had a previous Holy Union, you will be reaffirming your vows. For those who have had no formal ritual, this will be an opportunity for your commitment to be blessed and affirmed.

What attire is appropriate for the ceremony?
We expect dress to range from casual to formal wedding attire. It's up to you.

Can children attend the ceremony?
This is a community event, and our children are an important part of it. Children accompanied by parents or family friends will be welcome in the Sanctuary during the service. Several couples are planning to have their children stand with them as they renew their vows. There will be no provision for child care. But there will be cake!

What do I do when I arrive?
When you arrive you will be asked to complete a card with your names, children's names (if they will stand with you), anniversary date, and whether you prefer a Christian or secular blessing. You will give this card to the minister at the appropriate time in the service.

Will alcoholic beverages be served?
It is our custom not to serve alcoholic beverages at church-sponsored events.

Photography

We have not been able to arrange for a professional photographer. Feel free to bring your own cameras. There will be plenty of "photo ops."

Donations

Offerings and donations received for the "Let Us Eat Cake!" marriage celebration will be contributed to Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR). You are urged to support these and many other fine organizations working to preserve and defend our religious freedoms and civil rights.

Arrival Times,Transportation, and Parking

Couples taking part in the ceremony should plan to arrive at Epworth around 12:30 and proceed to the Sanctuary. Witnesses and well-wishers should arrive at Epworth a few minutes before 1:00 PM. (Prelude music begins at 12:40.) Parking next to the church is limited. So, allow enough time to park on neighborhood streets, and please be considerate of our neighbors' driveways.

Directions to Epworth United Methodist Church of Berkeley

From Major Highways: From the Eastshore Freeway (I-80) take the Gilman Street exit and continue eastward until Gilman intersects with Hopkins. Turn left and proceed uphill on Hopkins. You'll pass Monterey Foods, MLK Middle School, and the North Berkeley Branch Library on the way. From Highway 24, take the Tunnel Road exit, and proceed west on Ashby Avenue to Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Turn right on MLK, drive north for about two miles, then right again on Hopkins. Find a detailed map and driving directions here.

Epworth United Methodist Church is located at 1953 Hopkins Street at Napa Avenue, near the south portal of the Solano Avenue tunnel.

By Public Transit: AC Transit local routes 43, 9, and 7 stop at the corner of Hopkins and Sutter (Shattuck Avenue), near the south portal of the Solano Avenue tunnel. (Route FS provides TransBay service, weekday commute hours only.) From there, it's a one-block downhill walk to the church. Route 15 stops at the corner of Hopkins and The Alameda (MLK Jr. Way), near the North Berkeley Branch Library. Walk uphill on Hopkins past Milvia – the church will be on your left. Transfer to the 43, 9, and 7 buses at the Berkeley BART station. (Route 9 no longer stops at North Berkeley BART.) On Your Bike: The northern end of the Milvia Street Bicycle Boulevard intersects Hopkins Street, just a block from the church.