We can perform important Rites of Passage for your family

Rituals and ceremonies mark life's profound transitions. To affirm a vow of love, to welcome a child into the world, to mourn a death or celebrate a life well-lived - these are the rites of passage that hold a special place of honour in our Unitarian Universalist tradition.
We offer the services of Lay Chaplains to the community of Ottawa and the surrounding area.  We serve people of any or no faith affiliation, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.  Ceremonies may be performed in English, French, or be bilingual.

Where would you like your service to be?
You may choose to hold your event in Worship Hall. This hall with its soaring, wooden ceiling and beautiful view of surrounding wooded areas, is designed for grand occasions. It includes excellent acoustics and a modern sound system, theatre style seating, and a Grand Steinway piano. 
The capacity of Worship Hall is 300 persons. 
We have an adjoining space for receptions.  The capacity of Fellowship Hall (reception room) is 100 for a sit-down meal, or 160 for a standing reception.
You can also choose your home, a reception hall, outdoors, or any location of your choice within the Ottawa area.
Off-site Services
You may choose to hold your celebration or service at our church, or off-site.

Weddings
The Lay Chaplains of the First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa perform wedding ceremonies for couples who are not from the congregation but who wish to commit themselves to a loving relationship. They hold services for couples who do not have a faith background, couples who come from differing faiths, and same-sex couples. A Lay Chaplain will work with you to plan a wedding that reflects your vision, belief, and relationship goals. You can have a wedding that is traditional  in nature, combines traditional  and non-traditional elements, or is completely non-traditional.
Click here for the Wedding Booklet.
Click here to apply for a Marriage Licence

Worship Hall can accommodate up to 300 persons.

Memorial Services
We are a welcoming and inclusive church, available to any family requiring assistance during a time of bereavement. This includes our members, their extended families, and members of the wider community.  Although memorials would be conducted in a Unitarian Universalist tradition, you are encouraged to work with the lay chaplain or the minister to incorporate your own spiritual or religious content as well as music selections.
A Lay Chaplain can help you work through issues of grief and the planning of a memorial service. They will work with your family and close friends to create a service that is personal, meaningful, and memorable.

Fellowship Hall holds up to 160 for a standing reception or 100 for a sit-down meal.

Child Dedication Ceremonies
Unitarian Universalism celebrates the birth of a child with a Baby Dedication or Baby Naming ceremony. The purpose of this ceremony is to welcome your child into the family and circle of friends.

Other Rites of Passage
Our Lay Chaplains can also work with you to provide meaningful ceremonies for other rites of passage such as renewing wedding vows, coming of age, graduation, loss of a pet, retirement, or dissolution of a relationship.

Some wonderful words for FirstU's Lay Chaplains

"Thank you so much for officiating our wedding. Everything at the church was absolutely perfect. We were so impressed at how smoothly everything ran throughout the entire process of planning the ceremony. You are very good at what you do and made planning the ceremony effortless, meaningful, and fun! From the first emails and meeting you we had such a positive impression of you, your professionalism, and that you seem to truly live the values you preach. Thank you for everything. We feel very lucky that we found you to share in such an important day in our lives".      - J & A

"On behalf of the entire family I want to thank you for your participation and guidance throughout the difficult process of organizing and carrying out the funeral services. Your meticulousness, eloquence, and your calm and caring presence was appreciated by all of us. Thank you ! May you find happiness and the root of happiness."     - AB

"Thank you so much for your words of comfort and your presence at my late husband's Celebration of Life. I imagine you have helped many in their time of grief. We are very grateful and feel blessed that it was you who came into our lives at this difficult time."     - K

"You were delightful in our back and forth preparing for this service. I received many comments from among those who attended on how beautiful and memorable the service was. You made this day especially memorable. I am so grateful you agreed to do this."     - DF

"Thank you again for your contributions to Mom's service. It really was a lovely experience and we were delighted with your words, prayers and poems which many people commented on at the reception afterwards."     - BGW

From the knot.com:
This church is very accepting of ALL types of people - religious or not.
We met with our officiant, Alex, months prior to our wedding to discuss what we were looking for in our ceremony. He also asked a few questions about our relationship so he could get to know us better and make the experience more personal! We were assisted the whole way through planning the ceremony. We opted in for a rehearsal as well the day before. and it ran smoothly. On the day of the wedding, our officiant did everything in his power to make sure everything went according to plan! We did a candle ceremony with our parents and it went perfectly. We couldn't have had a better experience. I recommend getting married or having celebrations at this church.

"Our wedding was beautiful - just how we dreamed and with (your) guidance was truly representative of both our spiritual beliefs and secular views."

Church - Posted 2014-11-05
"We didn't want religion to  be the center of our ceremony and this is why we decided on a Unitarian church, which allows people of any faith or belief system to be married there. Our lay chaplain was amazing. She was warm, welcoming, and sincere. She allowed us to develop or wedding ceremony the way we wanted and she was on board with all of our ideas. The church includes a one hour rehearsal, meeting with the chaplain, and a sound technician in the rental cost. You can have live music or recorded music. Our ceremony was beautiful and we were so happy we picked this location..."

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