WEDDINGS:
The ICC welcomes wedding inquiries from people of all backgrounds. The setting itself is elegant: from outside, the church's tall, majestic steeple overlooks Gloucester Harbor, while the alleé of trees framing the long front walkway is unique among Cape Ann churches. The interior conveys a feeling of warmth combined with the dignity of history, along with first-rate acoustics.
Contact the Minister directly for all wedding inquiries and a current fee scale. (Better yet, come to a Sunday morning service and look around for yourself, if you can.) Rev. Fitting is also available to perform weddings off-site. For weddings here at the church, the ICC Minister and Organist have the 'right of first refusal', a normal practice meaning simply that they "come with the package", i.e. they must agree in advance to waive their services should a party wish to use a different minister and/or organist.
The downstairs hall (Vestry) may be available for receptions/collations; these are generally hosted by the church's Judith Murray Guild. Inquire with the Minister if you are interested.
MEMORIAL AND FUNERAL SERVICES:
The church is available for memorial services under generally the same procedures as for weddings; please contact the minister directly. We understand that sometimes the need arises on short notice, and while the church will do all it can, availability can't always be guaranteed.
WEDDING AND BABY SHOWERS:
The church's Judith Murray Guild handles all requests for showers. Inquiries should be directed to Guild president Carolyn Edwards at 978-283-1129.
OTHER SPACE RENTALS:
The ICC is glad to make its spaces available to the public for meetings, lectures, and musical performances on an as-available basis. Contact the Church Administrator directly with inquiries, and to request a reservation form and current fee scale.
The Sanctuary is especially well suited for music, both choral and instrumental, and lectures due to its spacious interior and fine acoustics. The lower level seats 300 comfortably, while in "cozy" mode it has accommodated close to 400. Presently the balcony, or gallery, is not available for general seating pending restoration efforts (visit the Restoration section for details); when this is done seating capacity will increase to approximately 500.
The downstairs Vestry, where coffee hour is held after Sunday services, is an excellent place for smaller-scale coffeehouse-style music, plus smaller group lectures and panel discussions. In recent summers the Gloucester Stage Company has used the Vestry for its primary rehearsal space. There are tables and chairs, with comfortable seating in the 60-100 range, as well as movable partitions. The Kitchen, adjacent to the Vestry, may be made available upon request.
The ICC has other, smaller rooms that can be made available as well upon request; inquire to see if one is suitable for your needs. Please note that due to the historic and sometimes-fragile nature of the building, we do not currently accept requests for outside birthday or confirmation parties, dances, et cetera.
A NOTE ON ACCESSIBILITY:
Unfortunately the ICC is not yet 100 percent handicap-accessible, although getting there is one of the goals of the restoration process. An electric chair lift near the Church Street door can be used to go from street level to the Sanctuary; however, wheelchairs do need to be lifted from curbside over the door transom. Access to the Vestry level is possible from the "yard" side door on the opposite side of the Church Street entrance, though this requires considerable maneuvering over grass. As yet there is no ramp on the main Sanctuary entrance (facing Middle Street).