First Congregational Church of Palo Alto — Local services in Palo Alto

Continuing our review (look at Jonathan Hsu for part 1) The cons: It can get hot: Of course since our wedding was in July, there had to be a heatwave. Many places in the Bay Area do not have air conditioning because, hey, it’s the Bay. But climate change is definitely making it hotter. So it was mid-90s on our wedding day and our wedding was timed for 4:30PM, the hottest part of the day. Now the sanctuary: they were doors you can have open to the outside, and they built the church so the wall with sun is actually solid with the stain glass on the perimeter which helps to block the sunlight. Also the tall ceiling helped as well. With 200+ people in the sanctuary though, it was hot. We were sweating. That or the nerves of the day and the relief it was finally happening and all the planning is done… Same issue with the hall although this was much better, lots of doors and the tall ceiling helped with the heat. And as the Bay Area is, it cooled off quickly in the evening. It’s also Palo Alto so the wind off the Bay helps. The next time we broke a sweat was on the dance floor.

Time: Rental was 8 hours total and you have 3 hours for the sanctuary encompassed within those 8 hours. This was really hard as we DIYed our wedding and our task force were family and friends. Luckily the church let one of our friends check-in at 2PM to get the buildings open, our caterers started on site. We were taking pictures with the wedding party so as we got to the church, our wedding party cars were unloaded with decorations and supplies and setup began. We had the sanctuary starting at 3PM so friends decorated in there while we were still setting up the hall. We had to finish the hall and church by 4PM to do a quick run through and get changed for the ceremony at 4:30PM. Ceremony happens, we take our pictures, we push everyone out of the sanctuary into the courtyard to close up by 6PM. (So church time was 3PM to 6PM). That leaves 6PM to 10PM for social hour, dinner, dancing, and clean-up. We pulled it off some how but the time pressure was super tight. We tried negotiating for some time in the morning to decorate and setup, no go. We tried negotiating for decorating during the rehearsal hour the night before, no go. So pro tip even if you DIY your wedding: hire people to do the decorating and setup, the rental time is super tight. Neutral note: While the sanctuary is open, you cannot have food served. So after the ceremony while we are taking pictures with groups, we had to wait until everyone was done and out, we removed decorations (we kept it light because it’s a beautiful place on its own), and closed it down. Once we finished that, we officially opened up the social hour and food served and bar opened.

When we plan to have huge events again in the future, we will definitely come back here. We highly recommend it and the people who go here are...

We love the First Congregational Church. I was first exposed to FCCPA by attending their awesome Spring Musicals. (These are a must-see.) When our daughter was around five years of age, we decided to participate in one of the church services as we wanted a good wholesome, progressive environment to raise our daughter. We fell in love with the church, the pastors, and especially the community. First Congo is the place where we belong.

Although I never thought I would be a “church retreat goer,” I look forward to them every year and cherish the special bonds created during our gatherings. We’ve hosted fundraising events like wine tastings and Fondue parties and have participated in events like caroling down Christmas Tree Lane. There is Vacation Bible School, family camping trips, youth groups, and lots more for the kids.

I find myself looking forward to church and Dave’s weekly sermons. And the music is second to none! Each week we get to listen to Joe, our outstanding, talented organist and music director, to one-of-kind soloists, the church choir, and sometimes a Blues band.

I have made forever friendships from folks at First Congo and love this open and affirming environment that I’m proud to call my community. If you are looking for a unique church community, I’d give us a try and make sure to let people know that you are new so we can welcome you...

This is an awesome church! Great music, fun community, excellent outreach opportunities, and great for families and people seeking connections and a welcoming community! Lots of ways to get involved in the church as an adult and great opportunities for kids and teens! Spring musicals, themed vacation bible school, Sunday school, bible study, sermon in song, live music from classical organ and piano to modern tunes with drums and electric guitar! Join the choir, be part of a board or committee, or learn about social and environmental justice issues and how you can be involved and make an impact in someone's life!

I got married here and loved working with the minister to have my dream ceremony. Afterwards had a lovely reception to greet all my guests! Super happy with the grounds for wedding photos! Music was amazing! Come get married and stay for the fellowship and...