WEDDINGS

Weddings-

Weddings-

Weddings-

Weddings-

We're Excited to Celebrate With You

Congratulations on your engagement!

We celebrate with you as you plan your wedding with us at Bethel and begin a new chapter in your life together! You are, “by your promises” planning “to bind yourselves together” in the “presence of God” and “the congregation” “as husband and wife.” This is a wonderful experience that you are planning for your family and friends, but most importantly, God. He is pleased when you make it a service of worship dedicated to His glory.

God instituted marriage because He saw marriage as a way of bringing two people together to share their journey to fulfillment. You are, and will remain, individuals. However, with your unique gifts, you can soon learn to respect each other as creations of a loving, gift-giving God. Such respect assists you to complement each other, while, at the same time, growing to be what God planned for you as individuals.

Christian marriage, as a way of glorifying God by developing your uniqueness, requires the presence of Christ. How wonderful marriage is when “two or three are gathered in His name” experience Christ’s loving presence day after day.

You are to be commended for planning to have your wedding in a church. What a wonderful witness! It is like a confession of faith. It is in the church that Christians live out much of their lives. Confession, forgiveness, prayer, hearing of the Word, offering of our gifts, serving–all take place among the people of God. You have chosen to begin your married life in that setting. Thank you!

Wedding Guidelines

BETHEL’S WEDDING GUIDELINES

To schedule a wedding please complete the form below. Call the church office at 507.288.6430 if you have any questions. Or you may email Connie Post, Membership secretary at post@bethellutheran.com.

• Either the bride or groom or both must be a member of Bethel by the wedding date. (This means if you are a prospective member of Bethel, you will want to attend New Member Classes before your wedding.)

• A Scheduling Fee ($100), to help offset facility and custodial costs, is required within two weeks of setting your wedding date. This fee will hold your wedding date and time on the calendar.

• A Damage Deposit Fee ($200), dated the day of your wedding is required within two weeks of setting your wedding date. This check will not be cashed unless there are damages to the facility.

• The Wedding Coordinator Fee ($150) is payable to Cindy Bahler (bahler@bethellutheran.com) two months prior to your wedding.

• Pre-Marital Counseling is required for all couples planning a wedding with a Bethel pastor. We use an online assessment from Prepare/Enrich (www.prepare-enrich.com) as part of the counseling sessions. The cost ($35 per couple) for the Online assessment is payable online when you complete the assessment.

Weddings at Bethel are scheduled at one of the following times: 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm. These times are set to allow enough time between multiple services on a Saturday. (Friday evening weddings are subject to availability of sanctuary.) If 90 days before your wedding there are no other weddings scheduled, you may depart from the schedule policy and choose a time of your liking, but no later than 4:00 pm.

For information on Offsite weddings please refer to the Offsite Wedding Booklet link below.

Begin the Wedding Process

Marriage Request Form

God’s Word for Your Marriage

Suggested Scripture Readings

Taking the time to choose your ceremony readings is one way to make your wedding more personal as you and your partner start this adventure under God's blessing. We invite you to read the following scripture suggestions:

Old Testament

New Testament