Your Wedding and the Church
Marriage is a gift of God, intended for the joy and mutual strength of those who enter it and for the well-being of the whole human family. God created us and blessed us with the gifts of companionship, the capacity to love, and the care and nurture of children. Jesus affirmed the covenant of marriage and revealed God’s own self-giving love on the cross. The Holy Spirit helps those who are united in marriage to be living signs of God’s grace, love, and faithfulness.
Marriage is also a human estate, with vows publicly witnessed. The church in worship surrounds these promises with the gathering of God’s people, the witness of the word of God, and prayers of blessing and intercession.
A church wedding carries the promises and responsibilities of the Christian faith. The sacred setting of our church and the ceremony will communicate, by word and symbol, the reality that marriage is instituted by God and has the promise of God’s blessing. The music, scripture and the service will reflect this sacred event.
Your wedding is a time when you are making a lifelong commitment to your spouse. By choosing the church, you have invited Christ to be present at the event and are expressing your desire to have Christ centered in your marriage. We would like to assist you in planning a marriage in which, the presence of Christ, his Word, prayer and participation in the church are not empty phrases, but realities which bring rich blessings to your new beginnings.
We have prepared a booklet to help you plan your wedding day, the rehearsal and your reception. Hopefully this guide and check list will answer many of your questions. The Wedding Book
We praise you, O God that your children have been drawn together in love for one another. Strengthen their hearts, so that they will keep faith with each other, please you in all things, and come to the joy of celebrating their marriage; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.