Congratulations to both of you on having made one of the most important decisions of your lives! While we believe making Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior is the most significant life-changing decision you will ever make, choosing the one with whom you will spend the rest of your life in the sacred covenant of marriage is also incredibly significant.

Now that you have chosen to commit yourselves to one another, we encourage you to make and keep Christ the center of your engagement, your marriage and your home. At The Bridge, we are committed to working with you in this task. We will do our very best to help you plan a God honoring, God pleasing wedding ceremony that will be one of the most  memorable events of your lives.

THE ENGAGEMENT COVENANT

Believing that marriage is a holy and sacred gift from God, it is our desire that couples approach marriage according to biblical standards and in a way that is pleasing to God. In this regard, Pastors reserve the right to decline officiating a wedding if couples do not agree with the “engagement covenant” which includes the following:

Common Faith Experience

Believing that God has intended Christians to marry only Christians, we require that both bride and groom individually have a personal born again relationship with Jesus Christ, or both do not have a born again relationship with Christ. (11 Corinthians 6:14-16; Romans 10:9-10) While Scripture permits the marriage of two nonbelievers, it does not permit us to marry a believer with an unbeliever. Therefore, Pastors will only marry those who share a common faith.

A Covenant of Purity  

Believing that the sexual relationship has been designed and intended for marriage, we ask that you agree to abstain from any sexual relationship until after the wedding. Furthermore, believing that living arrangements that include cohabitation prior to the wedding is a compromise of your Christian witness, we ask that you agree to separate living arrangements until the wedding. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13)

Life Long Commitment

Believing that Scripture clearly teaches that God hates divorce and that remarriage after divorce is only permissible when unfaithfulness has been the cause of the divorce, Pastors will only perform marriages for divorced individuals who are deemed the “innocent” party of a divorce based on unfaithfulness.

Pre-marital Counseling

Believing that the best marriage counseling is done before the marriage, all couples will be required to participate in a pre-marriage counseling course consisting of 3 one hour sessions and a half hour meeting with the pastor performing the marriage.

Wedding Information

Times available for weddings are as follows:
Weddings cannot be scheduled during holiday seasons or when there is a church calendar conflict. The Bridge is available for the wedding ceremony only, the reception will need to be held elsewhere. The Sanctuary has a seating capacity of 330.

• Reservation for the space in your name must be done at least 60 days prior to your wedding day.
• The Bridge officiating Pastor will be available for the rehearsal.
• The person scheduling the wedding will be held liable for any damage to carpets, furniture or buildings so it is important that you carefully note the guidelines included herein.
• The Bridge reserves the right to restrict the privileges of any outside vendor who violates the wedding policy of the church.
• The groom and best man should go immediately to room 208  on the second floor upon arrival at the church.
• The officiating Pastor will organize the ushers.
• A one-hour rehearsal will be scheduled some time the week preceding the wedding. It must begin and end on time and should include all members of the wedding party.
• The assigned Pastor will conduct the rehearsal.
• Please remember to give your marriage license to the Pastor on the night of the rehearsal.
• The Bridge Pastors use an approved script for the wedding ceremony. A variety of ceremonies will be given to the couple to choose.
• No changes to the vows will be permitted after the selection has been given to the office.
• It is the final decision of the Pastor to allow extra scripture readings, poems and etcetera to the wedding ceremony.
• No alcoholic beverages or smoking are allowed in the building or on the church grounds.
• No one under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be allowed to participate in the rehearsal or wedding.

FLOWERS AND DECORATIONS

Florists will have access to the location of the wedding ceremony two hours prior to the wedding. When the ceremony is concluded and all photography completed, we ask that all areas be cleaned and all flowers and decorations be removed immediately. The church cannot store any wedding decorations nor is it responsible for any items left behind by vendors. Church furniture or decorations are to be returned to their original places. No decoration of any kind is to be applied to walls, ceilings or glass. Florist wire, ribbon or pipe cleaners may be used when necessary but nails, staples and adhesives of any kind are not permitted on the  chairs. Votive or dripless candles may be used in the auditorium. Aisle candles are permitted in hurricane lamps only. In order to protect the carpet and furniture, plastic material must be placed under all floral arrangements and candles.

MUSIC

Due to the sophisticated nature of the sound and lighting system in The Bridge only a Technician from The Bridge can operate them. The engaged couple is responsible forbooking a technician for your wedding ceremony. The CD’s and / or audio tapes must be turned into the Pastor no later than 2 weeks prior to the ceremony to be pre-approved. After they are pre-approved, we will forward them to our Media Department to be used for your wedding ceremony. Only music that is suitable for a worship service may be used. Sacred, contemporary Christian, hymns and classical instrumental music are appropriate. Some secular wedding and love songs are permissible.

• Vocalists are not required to attend rehearsals.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOGRAPHY

The location chosen for the wedding and the surrounding church grounds, when available, may be used for photographs immediately before and after the ceremony. Once theceremony begins the photographer should use discretion to prevent any disruption to theceremony. The church does not provide a video camera, however videotaping is allowed. Video equipment should be positioned in fixed locations during the ceremony.

REMINDERS

Members of the wedding party and guests must abide by the following guidelines, which will be strictly enforced.

• Use of inappropriate language is prohibited.
• Proper dress is required at the rehearsal and the wedding.
• The use of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, drugs, or items resembling such is strictly prohibited on the premises.

WEDDING CHARGES

Sound & Lighting $ 80.00
Vocalist $ 50.00
Custodial  $ 75.00
Pastor’s Honorarium $ 200.00 (recommended amount only)