WEDDING POLICY

OF
WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH
SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
Mark Bordeaux, Pastor

Overview
The pastoral staff at Westside Baptist Church is committed to assisting couples in
building the marriage that God desires for them to have – the kind of marriages for which they
pray, hope, and dream. Our greatest source of fulfillment ultimately comes from a relationship
with Christ – not a husband or wife. Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life and have it
to the full” (John. 10:10). The marriage partners’ relationship to Christ is by far the greatest
single factor in enriching the marriage and bringing to it stability and harmony. As each
individual grows closer to Christ, they grow closer to each other.
Marriage is a wonderful experience when both husband and wife have surrendered
themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and love one another as they love Him. God designed
marriage for men and women to complement and fulfill each other. He also has given guidelines
and principles by which a marriage made in heaven may be lived out on earth.
Every couple enters marriage with a desire and dream of happiness and a growing love.
Yet many marriages are ending in broken hearts and divorce. Westside Baptist Church is
committed to assist couples in building a happy and fulfilling marriage relationship and avoiding
the tragedy of broken vows.
Marriage preparation is vital. Couples will often spend scores of hours and thousands of
dollars planning their wedding, but very little time in preparation for their marriage. Even in the
most normal of relationships, six months to a year should be allowed for guided marriage
preparation. In cases of remarriage, more time may be needed. The engagement period should
be a time of committed preparation for marriage in Christ with a freedom to postpone or cancel
the wedding. A decision so solemn as to involve life-long vows to God and one another should
be taken very seriously.

What We Believe About Marriage

According to Scripture, marriage is a covenant, and as such, it is binding. A covenant is
not based on equal giving and receiving, but on commitment, first to God and then to each other.
The institution of marriage was designed by God (Gen. 2:18-25) and should represent Christ and
the Church (Eph. 5:18-33).
Both the groom and the bride should be Christians (2Cor. 6:14). They should be able to
share their personal testimony of how they experienced the new birth and were saved by grace.
They should be committed to serving the Lord faithfully through their membership and support
of the local church (Heb. 10:25).
Remarriage is permissible by God’s grace for those whose spouse has died or for those
who have divorced due to their spouse’s adultery or abandonment (Mt. 19:1-9; 1Cor. 7:10-16).
Even when there has been immorality by a spouse, divorce should always be seen as the last
option and used only when all other options have failed. (Under no circumstances do we believe
that God wants a spouse or children to stay in a home when they are experiencing abuse. For
their safety they must leave and seek help.)

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Expectations for Those Who Wish to Be Married
Spiritual Preparation
The pastoral staff and facilities of Westside Baptist Church are available for the ministry
of marriage to members of the church family and their children who know Christ as their Savior
and desire to enter a Christ-centered covenant of marriage under the authority of the Scriptures.
Those who wish to be married at Westside Baptist Church should schedule an appointment with
the Pastor.
Those who are eligible for marriage and are willing to participate in premarital
counseling may then schedule counseling sessions with him or the one he designates. These
premarital counseling sessions may require approximately six to eight hour-long sessions.
Couples who have completed these sessions agree that it was time well spent and leave closer to
God and each other.
We use the finest materials available to prepare couples for their lives together. One such
tool is Prepare/Enrich. When couples have successfully completed their premarital counseling,
the pastor, or his designee, will notify the church office and at that time church facilities may be
reserved and the wedding placed on the official church calendar. A Wedding Reservation
Form must be completed by the responsible party and approved by the Pastor.
Of course, couples are expected to be faithful in their worship and Bible study attendance
so that these disciplines are a part of the rest of their lives. Finally, the Lord Jesus would expect
couples that love Him to abstain from sexual activity before marriage.

Preparation for the Ceremony

The marriage ceremony should honor the Lord Jesus Christ in every way. The pastor has
books of beautiful ceremonies that couples borrow to find the ceremony that they prefer. The
Pastor or Minister of Music must approve all music.
Couples should familiarize themselves with the Westside Baptist Church Guide for
Weddings which will contain important details to help prepare for their wedding. The Pastor
may also suggest additional reading of helpful books, many of which may be checked-out of the
church’s Media Center.

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 A GUIDE FOR WEDDINGS
AT
WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

What a wonderful sacred time when two Christians are united in

marriage in Christ's church! We are happy that you want to be married at
Westside Baptist Church so we have prepared this guide for weddings to
be celebrated in our facilities, led by one of our pastoral staff.
Marriage is a divinely instituted relationship given by God to glorify Him and to provide a life of
happiness and service to couples that are united in Christ and in the will of God. We, therefore,
regard the wedding ceremony as a worship service to be conducted with reverence and dignity, as
well as with warmth and joy.

The following instructions are given to you as guidelines for the planning and conducting of the
wedding ceremony in Westside Baptist Church.

A. Pastoral Responsibility for the Wedding

In principle, weddings will be conducted in the Westside Baptist Church facilities only by the
Pastor of Westside Baptist Church or his designee. Members' ordained minister friends or family
members may be requested to assist in the ceremony by the family with the approval of the Pastor.
The primary concern of the pastoral staff at Westside Baptist Church is that a pastor will have an
ongoing spiritual ministry to the newly married couple, perform the wedding. If they are going to
remain in the community, we want to ensure that a local pastor will connected to the couple to
provide pastoral care and guidance for them, both before the wedding and in the future.

Church members and children of church members have priority in scheduling weddings in the
church. When the church's facilities are requested by those who are not members of the church
(regular guests, occasional guests, and/or their children) a wedding facility request will be accepted
and scheduled ONLY at the discretion of the Penior Pastor. Weddings will be scheduled only
after the completion of the required premarital counseling with the couple desiring to be
married. Factors to be considered will be the spiritual and Biblical basis of marriage and whether
there will be a future pastoral relationship with the church.

In principle, Westside Baptist Church’s auditorium will not be rented to other churches or pastors
for wedding ceremonies except under meaningful extenuating circumstances. A formal request
must be submitted to the church along with the recommendation of the Pastor.

B. Premarital Counseling

All couples that wish to be married in Westside Baptist Church are expected to attend premarital
counseling sessions. The pastor performing the service will normally guide the counseling of the
couple. He may suggest helpful seminars, books, professional counselors, mentor couples and
other ways to meet the couples’ marriage preparation. It is presumed that Christian couples

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desiring to be married in God's house will abstain totally from premarital sexual relations. This
will be questioned and required by our pastor.

C. Procedure for Wedding Planning

The couple desiring to be married should first schedule an appointment with the Pastor. At that
introductory meeting the Biblical teachings of marriage and the church’s wedding policy will be
reviewed. Couples who are qualified to be married at Westside Baptist Church should next
schedule premarital counseling with the Pastor or his designee. Premarital counseling will
require approximately six to eight sessions. These sessions must be completed satisfactorily
before a wedding date confirmed and the church facilities reserved. Non-members’ reservations
will not be confirmed until 6 months before the wedding date. The pastor will make books
available to the bride containing Christian wedding ceremonies. She may choose one of the
ceremonies from the books provided then schedule a time to review the ceremony with the
pastor. The pastor must approve any changes to the ceremony.

The Pastor must approve and sign the enclosed Wedding Reservation Form to confirm the
reservation of the facility on the church calendar. Verbal and telephone arrangements will not be
accepted.

D. Rehearsal

The Westside Baptist Church Pastor or designated minister who will be officiating the wedding
conducts the rehearsal. The Wedding Director works under him and the Pastor has the final
authority to approve the conduct of the ceremony, music, etc. The rehearsal time should be set at
the convenience of both the wedding party and the pastor performing the ceremony. One hour
will be set aside for the rehearsal. All participants should be there on time since several
members of the church staff are involved and rehearsals are normally during the dinner hour.
The wedding director should confirm that each person necessary for the rehearsal is present. The
auditorium may be reserved for the rehearsal after the couple has successfully completed their
premarital counseling.

E. Reception
If you desire to have your reception at Westside Baptist Church, you may choose the Family Life
Center or Student Life Center. The Pastor must approve reception activities, music, and any
alteration of the church’s property and landscape. We request that receptions conclude no later
than 10:00 p.m. on Friday nights and 9:00 p.m. Saturday nights.

F. Facility Use
The Auditorium was designed and furnished primarily as a place of worship. Therefore,
decoration of the Auditorium should be consistent with the spirit of the wedding ceremony as an
act of worship and not a performance.

Our church does not include the Lord’s Supper in wedding services.

NO smoking is permitted in the church buildings. NO fireworks are allowed on church property.
NO alcoholic beverages are allowed on the church premises or grounds. (Our staff and deacons
will as tactfully as possible deal with offenders.) NO rice permitted. Birdseed or bubbles may
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be used outside building only. PLEASE DISTRIBUTE BIRDSEED OR BUBBLES AS
GUESTS LEAVE THE BUILDING AND NOT BEFORE.

Care should be taken to schedule service for flowers and catering at the same time, or
overlapping times, to minimize use of facilities personnel time and travel.

PLEASE USE ONLY DRIP-LESS CANDLES WHEN DECORATING FOR WEDDING

AND/OR RECEPTION.

If requested, furnishings in the Sanctuary may be moved in preparation for the ceremony,
including:
v Clearing the platform.
v Moving promotional banners and materials.
v Other furnishings in the Sanctuary may not generally be moved without specific approval
from the presiding pastor.
v If the wedding is scheduled during the time our Christmas or Easter decorations are in
place and it is desired that they be moved, an additional fee for maintenance will be
determined at that time.

G. Music

The wedding ceremony is a sacred uniting of two people in Christ and is considered a worship
service. Therefore, it is only fitting that all music be of classical and good contemporary
Christian styles. Prerecorded music with accompaniment for solos and recordings in general are
discouraged. The Minister of Music is willing to assist in choosing all related music to the
service. Any questionable music in the service is to be decided and approved by the Pastor or
Minister of Music.

It is the bride’s responsibility to contact the Minister of Music for an organist or pianist. It is
suggested that this be done at the same time of scheduling the Auditorium and no later than six
weeks prior to the date of the wedding. A consultation with the organist is necessary in order to
discuss music selection. It is Church policy to utilize Westside Baptist Church organists for
weddings. The Minister of Music must approve any exceptions.

H. Financial Responsibilities
Charges for facilities, services rendered by the Staff, Organist, Sound Technician, and Nursery
will be billed to the responsible person after the wedding. An honorarium for the minister
performing the ceremony and providing the premarital counsel is customary, but not required.
This gift should be given directly to him.

The base facility services fee for members and non-members covers the following services:
v Opening and closing facility for rehearsal.
v Opening facility for florist and caterer.
v Pre-heating or pre-cooling facilities.
v Cleaning auditorium, restrooms, dressing areas, foyers, and reception area following
wedding.
v Emptying trash.

Members shall received discounted fees for facilities and costs of heat/air, etc.
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CHURCH ORGANIST/INSTRUMENTALISTS - It is the responsibility of the bride to consult
with the musician(s) in advance concerning his/her fee. They may be happy and honored to
serve, but please remember that the “laborer is worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7) and at a
minimum, an honorarium is customary.

SOUND TECHNICIAN - The sound technician is available to operate the sound system, set up
microphones, and record a CD of the service. Technician's charges include:
v On hand 1½ hour prior to wedding to set up equipment.
v Additional charges may be made for technician's time over and above what is stated here.
v Lighting.

NURSERY – Childcare must be arranged in advance through the church office (775-3484).
There must be at least two church-approved childcare workers present at all times. The
minimum fee allows for a 2-hour nursery. The fee may increase depending on the number and
ages of children.

I. Photography During the Ceremony (please inform photographer and guests)

Photographs may be taken as the wedding party comes up the aisle and as they retire. However,
DURING THE CEREMONY NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHS MAY BE TAKEN. Please notify
family and friends of this.

If videotaping is being done, please check with the pastor with regard to the proper location of
the person taping the ceremony. Generally, a stationery camera can be placed on the platform
but the cameraman is not allowed to move around, distracting from the service.

J. Other

v Parties making use of our facilities are personally responsible for making the contacts
with the musicians, florist, caterer, and photographer.
v If you wish to leave the wedding flowers for use during the following Sunday services,
please let us know well in advance. We will be very grateful to have you share their
beauty with us.

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Westside Baptist Church
Wedding Reservation Form
Date:
Name of Bride:
Ph. # Email:
Name of Groom:
Name of Contact Person responsible for the building,
if different than the bride:

Date/Time of Wedding:
Date/Time of Rehearsal:
Name of Officiant: Ph. #
List all dates/times when you will need access to the building:

Which room(s) will you be using?

Expected Fees:
Description Amount

Counseling and officiating Honorarium

Accompanist
Sanctuary
Dinner/Reception Area
Custodian
Total:

I understand and agree to the following:

§ All rules defined in the Wedding Policy and Guide must be followed.
§ All premarital counseling must be completed before the facility may be reserved and date
published
§ The space must be left as it was found (see Wedding Policy and Guide for details).
§ Persons and property will be respected while your group is using the building.
§ Your group is responsible for making monetary restitution for all damages to the building.
§ All fees must be paid in full seven days before the wedding.

(I/We), the undersigned, understand that Westside Baptist Church is a ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and the use of the facilities
of Westside Baptist Church is a privilege and any use must honor Him. Smoking is not permitted inside any of the buildings or on
church property. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on the church property. For and in consideration of the use of the facilities,
received from or in behalf of Westside Baptist Church, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, I/we do hereby remise, release,
acquit, satisfy and forever discharge Westside Baptist Church, of and from all manner of actions, causes of action, suits, debts,
covenants, contracts, controversies, agreements, promises, claims and demands whatsoever, which I/we ever had, now have, or
may have in the future, or which any personal representative, successor, heir or assign of me/us, hereinafter can, shall or may have,
against said releasee, by reason of any matter, cause or thing whatsoever, from the beginning of time to the date of this instrument.

Signature of Responsible Party: __________________________________ Date:

Pastor: _____Date:
Westside Baptist Church 554 Pinewood Road Sumter, SC 29154 office@wbcsumter.org 803-775-3484