Have you read your Bible today?
Click here for today's reading plan and devotional.
Weddings
At Celebration Community Church, we honor marriage according to the principles laid out for us in Scripture and take this commitment very seriously.
We believe God created marriage to be between a man and a woman: “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:5)
We believe God intends for marriage to be a life-long commitment: “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Matthew 19:6)
We believe that the foundation of marriage is Christ and that it is designed be a reflection of His love:
“…submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:21-33)
If you are engaged to be married and are inquiring about marriage at C3, please review all of the following policies and procedures before submitting your request.
Due to the large amount of requests we receive, weddings at Celebration Community Church are limited to those who are actively involved members six months prior to requesting a wedding ceremony. To be “actively involved” requires church attendance of 2-4 times per month and/or participation in a weekly ministry such as our Encounter Young Adult Ministry.
Christian ceremonies are performed by a man of God and are focused on the union between a man and a woman to glorify God. It includes vows taken before God, and the witnesses present, to love, honor, and serve one another as Christ loved the Church. It is an opportunity to proclaim your faith in Christ as One (husband, wife, & God) and to build a marriage based upon Biblical teachings. This ceremony is performed to unite a man and a woman in the eyes of God.
A civil ceremony is performed by a justice of the peace, or person approved by law, to unite a man and woman according to legal standards.
Our responsibility to you is to teach, guide, and lead you into your roles as husband and wife. This takes place through at least 5 Premarital Counseling sessions with either the Pastor conducting your ceremony or our licensed counselor, Richard Carter. Topics to be discussed may include the following: Putting God First, Intimacy, Budget/Money, Communication, Forgiveness, Dealing with our Pasts, Extended Family Issues, Blended Families, Future Family Plans, and Husband/Wife Roles.
**It is the responsibility of the couple to contact the church office by emailing office@celebratejesus.org to set up your premarital counseling sessions 6 months prior to your wedding date.
In addition, you are required to obtain a marriage license from the State of Kansas. You can find details about this process by following this link:
https://www.23rdjudicial.org/203/Marriage-License-Information. Once issues, the Marriage License is valid for 6 months, so we advise you not to put this off to the last minute so you don’t run into processing issues.
A Wedding Coordinator is a requirement and consists of a staff member that can assist with the following:
- Meeting with the couple to tour the church and discuss decorating details.
- Will be present at rehearsal to assist with final preparations and procession assignments.
- Schedules times with the couple for decorating the day before and arrival times on the day of the event. They are available to unlock the church and assist with any needs.
- Will work with the Sound/Music Team to direct the wedding procession.
- Will answer questions and be available to help with the wedding details on the day of the ceremony.
A Music/Sound Tech is required and will consist of a staff member or volunteer from our team. Musicians are not provided by the church, however music options can be discussed with our Creative Arts Director. **It is the responsibility of the couple to contact the director at kael@celebratejesus.org 2 months prior to the wedding date to discuss your ceremony.
Rehearsals are conducted the evening before the ceremony at 5:00pm. All those in the wedding party should be present including: Attendants, Parents, Grandparents, Candle Lighters, Musicians, Ring Bearers, Flower Girls, etc.
Your photographer may take your pictures before or after the service. Keep in mind that all pictures must be completed by 2:30 pm on the day of the service to allow our Service Teams to come in and prepare for our weekend services.
Rice is not allowed on the premises. Birdseed and Bubbles may be used outside of the building only. Other items may be allowed upon approval from the church staff.
All children need to be supervised and need to stay with the wedding party at all times. Children are not allowed to go into rooms that are not reserved for the wedding.
There are NO drugs or alcohol allowed on the premises, including the parking lot. Smoking is also prohibited within 50 feet of the facility.
The couple and wedding party are responsible for all personal belongings as well as decorations used for the wedding. All décor is to be taken down immediately following the ceremony. Celebration Community Church is not responsible for any decorations brought in or personal items left at the church. Please arrange for people to ensure that all items are accounted for and that all rooms used are returned to their original state.
The church is available for ceremonies on:
- Fridays by request
- Saturdays from 11:00am-1:30 pm
- All décor and activities, including pictures, need to be cleaned up no later than 2:30 pm for Saturday ceremonies.
Yes, you can submit a request for a Pastor to travel to off-site locations to conduct your ceremony. If we have a Pastor available, all travel expenses for both he and his wife are to be paid for by the couple in addition to the base fees for all weddings including the Pastor and Premarital Counseling Session Fees.
Financial obligations for weddings performed at Celebration Community Church include the following:
- Church Fees: $400 (Includes Pastor, Wedding Coordinator, & Music/Tech Team Fees)
- Premarital Counseling Fees: $225 (Minimum of 2 Sessions with Pastor, at no charge, and 3 Sessions with our staff counselor)
Financial obligations for Off-Site weddings:
- Pastor’s Fee: $300
- Premarital Counseling Fees: $225 (Minimum of 2 Sessions with Pastor, at no charge, and 3 Sessions with our staff counselor)
- All travel expenses including fuel/transportation costs, food, & lodging.
**It is the responsibility of the couple to submit payment in full no later than 2 months prior to your wedding date.
Once you have reviewed all policies and procedures AND agree to and meet all guidelines, you can submit your wedding request by following the link below and clicking on the form link at the top of the calendar that best fits your circumstances.
All wedding requests that plan to host their ceremony at C3 will click on “Wedding Request Form”. All requests that are off-site will click on the “Off-Site Request Form”.
An overview of our process here at C3 is as follows:
https://celebratejesus.org/calendar/
- Once your request has been received, we will respond with our availability within 1-2 weeks.
- If your request is approved, our office will email you a contract to review, sign, and return to confirm your date.
- At least 6 months prior to your wedding date, contact office@celebratejesus.org to schedule your premarital counseling sessions. **It is the responsibility of the couple to get these scheduled.
- At least 2 months prior to your wedding date, it is the responsibility of the couple to contact our Connections Pastor by emailing kael@celebratejesus.org to discuss the details of your ceremony in regards to music.
- All fees are due to the church office no later than 2 months prior to the wedding date.
- Your final premarital counseling session will be conducted with the Pastor and the Wedding Coordinator to finalize all ceremony details.
- Rehearsal is scheduled for the day before the ceremony at 5:00pm.
All other questions can be directed to renee@celebratejesus.org.