'An Independent Baptist Church'

           Wedding Checklist

    What must I do to get married at Gospel Center?

Here is a step by step procedure for folks to follow who wish to get married at Gospel Center.  First of all, the Pastor would like to meet with the couple and talk and this can be scheduled on the phone by calling 354-9914.  At this time, the plans for marriage can be discussed and we can look at a date to see if the pastor is available and if the facilities are available.

                       Counseling is Available

 If the wedding can be performed, the pastor will have tapes and counseling materials available for the couple to take home and personal counseling and Q/A can be arranged if the couple wishes.  We have excellent cassette and video tapes available for counseling by various professionals such as James Dobson on marriage; we have excellent tapes on finances by Larry Burkett; a series by medical Doctor Ed Wheat on the physical aspects of marriage;  This way the couple can listen to these on their own time which is convenient to many busy couples nowadays, but then the pastor is available for personal counseling in addition to the tapes if the couple wishes or if they have any further questions the tapes do not deal with. 

                       Bride can 'design' her own Wedding!

After the date is set, the pastor will give the couple some sample wedding plans and the bride can look them over and 'formulate' the wedding she wants!  The bride is asked to plan her wedding step by step and have it down on paper for the night of the rehearsal which is usually the night before the wedding at about 6:30pm.  If this is all done ahead of time, it saves a lot of confusion instead of trying to figure things out that night of rehearsal!  You'll have lots of relatives and friends trying to 'help' you and this can be stressful!!  Having it all laid out step by step ahead of time is so helpful.  The bride can read this step by step plan to the wedding party during the rehearsal, and then we can all walk thru it.  Usually walking thru it the 2nd time does it!

                          Clean up after the Wedding

The pastor will ask the bride to have someone in charge of clean up and we just ask you to leave the church the way you found it for wedding cleanup. We will be having church the next day and our custodian has already cleaned the church earlier in the week.  Someone can also be in charge of picking up cigarette butts in the parking lot afterwards, which seems to be an abundant habit at weddings by the people attending the wedding.  This is the closest some people get to church when they come to wedding and funerals, and they must get nervous so they seem to smoke alot.  The classrooms can be used to change in the day of the wedding.  Again please clean up afterwards because the SS classes will meet in the rooms the next day. 

                       Music at the Wedding

 For the very simple wedding, we have wedding music and march on cassette tape if needed.  Otherwise singers and pianists can be arranged by the bride.  It is common courtesy to plan to offer to pay these people for their services.  Any music played during the wedding should be decent and proper and lyrics should proper and decent.  If CD is used we will have to call our sound tech's in to operate the sound room and they should be paid at least $25 for their time.  Otherwise, someone from the wedding party can operate our cassette deck on the stage if the music is on cassette tape and the sound tech won't have to come in.

                       Cost of using the Building

If you attend Gospel Center, there is no fee for use of the church or fellowship hall. If you attend gospel center and wish to use the Activities Building for reception, you can reserve that by calling 354-2779 and paying a $25 refundable fee if building if left the way it was found . If you do not attend Gospel Center, the fee is $35 for use and reservation of the Church and/or church kitchen.  If the Activities building is needed by someone who does not attend Gospel Center for a wedding reception, this is $75 plus a $25 refundable fee if the Activities building is left the way it was found with all trash removed. 

                    Bring Marriage License to Rehearsal

Couple should go to Court house several weeks ahead of time before scheduled date of marriage to get marriage license.  Bring it to the Rehearsal and we will fill it out then and get witnesses to sign it so it will be taken care of and we won't have to worry about it on wedding day!

                           Photography & Decorations

Amateur or professional photographers are welcome to take pictures or video tape at anytime at Gospel Center at any time during the wedding, or before and after.   Decorating the auditorium for the wedding is okay as long as common sense is used of course.  Just remove things after the wedding.  Our Podium and Lord's table can be moved, but we ask that nothing else be moved, such as speakers, modesty rail, etc.  They need to stay where they are because moving them can cause damage.

              Elaborate or Simple Wedding?

Whatever the bride wants!   We have had weddings very, very simple with just a few witnesses present and we have had elaborate, beautiful weddings.  It is all up to the Bride and we will bend over backwards to make the wedding just the way the bride wants it.   You can repeat the vows or just let the pastor say them and you both can say 'I do'....Again, let me say, however the couple wants it!  This is to be their special day and we want to make it special!  Take a look at the sample weddings pastor will give you and 'design' the wedding you want!