Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming marriage!
We care about your relationship and want your marriage to honor Jesus Christ. We take marriage seriously because God takes it seriously, and we believe that your actual marriage is more important than your wedding day. In addition to helping you plan your wedding day, we want to do all we can to prepare each of you through premarital counseling so that when you say "I do," you’ve had ample opportunity and help to work through any major issues that may arise.
Please read this guide thoroughly so that you can determine if College Park can meet the needs/desires of your wedding.
Requirements
To get married at College Park Church, you must (1) be a member, regular attender, or child of a member, and (2) complete premarital counseling at College Park.
Wedding requests will be prioritized as follows:
- Members of College Park Church (Note that membership is not the same as attendance. A member has completed the DISCOVER, CONNECT, JOIN events and has been voted in by the elders and existing members.)
- Faithful attenders of College Park Church for a minimum of the past 8 months and/or a family member of a College Park member (e.g. a child of a parent who is a member)
- By special request of a College Park pastor
Completing premarital counseling at College Park is also a requirement. Learn more and register for premarital counseling
In extenuating circumstances, alternate forms of premarital counseling may also be accepted. You can submit details to Ryan Berg, Assistant Pastor of Soul Care, for approval.
Because God has ordained marriage and defined it as the covenant relationship between a man, a woman, and himself, College Park Church will only recognize and solemnize marriages between one man and one woman. The pastors and staff of College Park Church will only participate in weddings and solemnize marriages between one man and one woman, and the facilities and property of College Park Church will only host weddings between one man and one woman.
Scheduling a Wedding
- Carefully review the information in this Wedding Guide.
- Contact Amy Spencer, Resource & Communication Manager, to request a date.
- Submit a Wedding Request Form once the date has been approved.
Please note the following:
- Weddings can be scheduled no later than 4 months in advance of the ceremony date and no more than 1 year in advance of the ceremony date.
- Wedding rehearsals may not begin later than 7 p.m.
- If you are having your rehearsal dinner at College Park, the rehearsal dinner may not start later than 7 p.m.
- Wedding ceremonies can begin no later than 4 p.m. on Saturdays.
- If you are having your reception at College Park, it may end no later than 6 p.m. in order for the facilities team to have adequate time to clean and set up for Sunday morning services.
- Due to the needs of our various ministries and our staff resources, the church is unavailable for wedding reservations on the following time frames:
- Sundays
- New Year’s Day
- Palm Sunday weekend through Easter Sunday
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Thanksgiving weekend
- December
If for some reason we are not able to accommodate your wedding, our pastors are open to officiating your wedding at another location.
Wedding Fee
The fee for a ceremony and rehearsal is $975 and covers the services of the Wedding Coordinator, audio/visual support, and facilities support. Checks will need made out directly to each contractor and given to your Wedding Coordinator to distribute.
- Wedding Coordinator - $500
- A/V Support - $300
- Facilities Support - $175
This fee does not include any additional services you may use such as musicians or photographers and does not include the pastoral honorarium.
Reception & Rehearsal Dinner
College Park is not able to host large-scale receptions or rehearsal dinners. However, we can accommodate smaller gatherings based on the following:
- Receptions and rehearsal dinners will be scheduled in the East Room.
- The East Room can hold 140 people at a standing cake reception (with optional chairs set around the perimeter) and 100 people seated for a dinner.
- Decorations cannot be affixed to the walls, but free-standing decorations and table center pieces, etc. are welcome.
The additional fee for a rehearsal dinner is $375 and covers the services of the Wedding Coordinator, audio/visual support, and facilities support.
- Wedding Coordinator - $125
- A/V Support - $150
- Facilities Support - $100
The additional fee for a reception is $550 and covers the services of the Wedding Coordinator, audio/visual support, and facilities support.
- Wedding Coordinator - $200
- A/V Support - $150
- Facilities Support - $200
Checks will need made out directly to each contractor and given to your Wedding Coordinator to distribute. These additional fees can be combined with the wedding fee so that you only write one check per person.
Your group is responsible for all setup and tear down of any rental equipment and decorations that you might use as well as removing all leftover food, beverages, and condiments.
Officiating Pastors
When you complete premarital counseling, the pastor or pastoral resident who serves as your counselor will also officiate your wedding if you desire them to. See the premarital counseling information for more details.
To have a non-College Park pastor officiate your wedding, please complete the Guest Pastor Request Form. This form will then be reviewed by the Assistant Pastor of Soul Care who will give approval for the guest officiant.
Available Equipment & Decorations
The equipment and decorations below are provided by College Park and available for your use. Ask your Wedding Coordinator for more details.
- Tables
- Chairs
- Grand piano in the Chapel
- Lectern/Podium
- Microphones
- Candles/Candle Holders
- 3 wrought iron candle screens
- Each screen has 36 candle holders. You will need to supply tea lights to put in the holders.
- 2 wrought iron candelabras
Note: These items can only be used for weddings onsite at College Park Church.
Documents, Programs, & Order of Ceremony
Your Wedding Coordinator will work with you to plan and complete the following items. Plan to give your Wedding Coordinator final copies of the following documents four weeks prior to your ceremony:
- Wedding Coordinator Worksheet (provided by your coordinator)
- Order of ceremony (and reception if applicable)
Please give the following documents to your Wedding Coordinator no later than the wedding rehearsal:
- Marriage certificate (College Park will mail this for you if you desire) – Please fill out all information ahead of time.
- Wedding program (if applicable)
- Any PowerPoint/DVDs/CDs for wedding
Rehearsal Guidelines
Rehearsals should be planned to last no more than 1 hour. The following people are needed at the wedding rehearsal:
- Bride and groom
- Best man and maid/matron of honor
- Groomsmen, bridesmaids, and ushers
- Parents of the bride and groom
- Ring bearer and flower girl
- All speakers and pastors participating
- Instrumentalists and anyone performing
Your Wedding Coordinator will let you know what time the Chapel is available to decorate on the day before your wedding. Generally, the building is not available until late morning or early afternoon.
General Guidelines
- The Chapel, Prayer Room B, and the Young Families Room will be reserved for ceremony. If additional rooms are needed, please work with your Wedding Coordinator to request additional rooms.
- There may be groups meeting in other parts of the building so please use only the rooms reserved for your wedding.
- All food and drinks should remain in the Commons, Prayer Room B, and Young Families Room.
- Children must be under adult supervision at all times and respect church equipment and supplies.
- Smoking and alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the building.
- The wedding party is responsible for clearing off all tables and taking down decorations. Trash bags and receptacles will be provided.
- Please clean up any areas/rooms that you used to prepare for the wedding.
- Only birdseed, flowers petals, or bubbles may be used outside the building.
- If using candles, each candle must be in a container or in a candle holder.
- The church is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or rented items. Please talk with your Wedding Coordinator about how to secure all gifts and personal items during the wedding.
We look forward to the possibility of working with you for your special day!
If you are interested in holding your wedding at College Park Church, please contact Amy Spencer.