Your Wedding
A church wedding ceremony is a service of worship celebrated by people coming together to witness and bless the joining of a bride and groom in a covenant of Christian love. When a couple requests a church wedding at Crossview Covenant Church, they receive from this Christian community a ministry designed to help them prepare for Christian marriage. Adequate planning and participation of the couple with staff is important if the full benefit of that ministry is to be enjoyed. This webpage is intended to provide some introduction to what will be included in that planning.
Pastoral Counseling
The officiating Pastor will have 3-4 meetings with the couple before the wedding. To prepare for their marriage the couple will be asked to attend Prepare & Enrich Sessions with a trained counselor. Prepare & Enrich is a widely known, researched and valid assessment tool that helps you to learn about yourself, your relationship and the strengths and growth areas of your current relationship. The cost for Prepare & Enrich, which includes the online assessment and three individual couple sessions, is $245.
Wedding Consultant
Crossview Covenant Church provides a Wedding Consultant for all weddings and receptions performed in the church. It is our desire to do whatever we can to assure a successful, joyful experience. Our Wedding Consultant will work closely with the bride or designee in planning the wedding.
Wedding Fees
A non-refundable reservation fee of $150 is due upon booking your wedding date on the church calendar. All remaining fees are due one week prior to the wedding day.
Scheduling Your Wedding
Weddings are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. You are encouraged to reserve your date as early as possible. An initial visit with a Crossview Covenant Church pastor & appropriate reservation fee ($150**) are required to secure your wedding date. We encourage you to plan your wedding start time before 4:00pm, if scheduling on a Saturday.
** Reservation fees are non-refundable
Rehearsals
Rehearsals are generally scheduled for the evening before the wedding. Please remind guests to be prompt.
The Wedding Ceremony
The wedding ceremony is a service of worship. Couples need to make certain their desires and plans for decorations, music, dress, and other plans are clear to the pastor. The officiating Pastor shall have final determination of what is appropriate in the church.
- Music: All music should be carefully planned and coordinated with the rest of the worship service to create an atmosphere that is consistent with this sacred Christian experience. The church keyboardists are often engaged to play for rehearsals and weddings. If you desire other keyboardists or musicians, you may arrange this with the Wedding Consultant.
- Photography: Photographs are an important record of your wedding day. Pictures may be taken prior to or after the ceremony. Video cameras are allowed in the sanctuary.
- Decorations: Only drip-less candles may be used, and the carpeting and furniture wherever candles are used must be covered for protection against dripping wax. When decorating, no tacks, nails, screws, tape, or adhesive may be used in woodwork, furniture, pews, chairs, stage curtain or walls. Decorations may not be hung or suspended from lighting fixtures or fans. Only the existing lighting may be used in the sanctuary. All decorations are to be removed soon after the ceremony so the Worship Center can be reset for Sunday mornings.
Marriage License
The State of Minnesota requires a marriage license that is signed by two witnesses as well as the couple. It can be secured through a Minnesota courthouse. Allow ample processing time. This license is good for 6 months before your wedding date, so getting it early is most beneficial. The license is due to the church office one week prior to the wedding, along with the honorariums.
Facility Use and General Conduct
The following principles of conduct apply to all weddings and receptions held at Crossview. Please uphold these guidelines by informing your families, wedding party, and wedding guests as necessary.
The buildings, grounds, and parking lots of Crossview are available for use by the wedding couple and their guests during a wedding ceremony. Dressing rooms are available for the bridal party. Please remove personal belongings from the dressing rooms as soon as possible after the wedding ceremony.
Smoking is not permitted within the church building. No alcoholic beverages are allowed on the premises at any time.
For safety and clean-up, no rice or confetti may be thrown on church property. Birdseed or rose petals may be thrown OUTSIDE the church building.
Crossview's Wedding Consultant will be on hand during the rehearsal and the day of the wedding to provide assistance to the bride and groom and the wedding party.
If you have any questions during the planning of your wedding, please feel free to contact the Wedding Consultant. They are here to assist you and make your day the best it can be. We wish you the very best in your marriage and pray that God will bless you in wonderful ways in the years ahead. Congratulations!