Wedding Handbook

106 Osage Ave. • Bismarck, ND 58501701-255-1001

www.GoodShepherdBismarck.comwww.facebook.com/goodshepherdbismarck

A Note From the Staff

Pastor Craig Schweitzer

Pastor Bob Caranicas,

Pastor Julie Anderson

Congratulations on your next step in life’s journey! Your wedding day is one of the most import-ant and exciting days in your life and we are here to help you develop a Christ-centered service. The most important part of your special day is God’s presence and God’s promise to bless you forever with Christ’s unending, unconditional love.

For these reasons, it is proper to have the ceremony be, in the true sense of the word, a service of worship in which Jesus remains central, with the Word of God and prayer in their rightful place.  The Lord will bless your vows to each other and help make your wedding day an important step in building a solid foundation for your marriage.

We join you in prayer that the Holy Spirit will bless you during planning and prepara-tion and throughout your entire life.

In the Joy of The Lord,

Reservations & Procedures ChecklistThings to do Right Away:o Contact the Church Office to help with the wedding planning process and

to get information on church policies and charges at 701-255-1001.

o Schedule your wedding date, time, and location. *Please note* In the event you are interested in scheduling Good Shepherd

as a backup for an outdoor wedding, all policies and charges are the same as an on-site wedding.

o Send a deposit, $100 for members or $200 for non-members, to secure your scheduled wedding date. It is due within one week of scheduling and will be deposited upon receipt. If there are no damages or cleanup charges after the wedding, a refund will be issued. *Please Note* Should you choose to cancel your wedding, the deposit is non-refundable.

o Contact Karen Petersen at (701) 223-8043 or Vicki Martel at (701) 222-3444, our wedding organists/pianists, to play for your wedding. They can also help you with your music selections. *Please Note* all music must be approved by a Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Organist.

Five Months Before the Wedding:o Schedule your Premarital Counseling. For the benefit of your growing relationship, we expect all couples to

participate in an intentional premarital counseling program. We offer two options for couples to pursue. • The first is through LifeWorks called “Love.Commit.Succeed.” It is a

fantastic option for couples as they begin their journey as husband and wife together and involves a wonderful weekend retreat along with regular follow-up activities during the first 5 years of marriage. More information can be found at www.lovecommitsucceed.com/.

• The second option is three one-hour premarital counseling sessions with Brian Smith, LCSW. Brian is a retired licensed social worker who’s professional background focused on marriage and family relationships. He can be contacted by calling (701)471-6192. His fee is $50/hour with a minimum of 3 hours charged.

Two Months Before the Wedding:o Schedule your first meeting with the pastor. Please complete the

wedding questionnaire form and bring it with you to the meeting.

One Month Before the Wedding:o Submit a check payable to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for the

Wedding FeeThis comprehensive fee includes: facility use, pastor, wedding coordinator, sound technician, and one organist/pianist. This does not include videographer, soloists, or other musicians whom you hire. *Please note* For member fee, one member of the wedding couple needs to be a member at booking.

Two Weeks Before the Weddingo Schedule your second meeting with the pastor.

Rehearsal (typically 5pm the day before wedding) • Bring 4 extra copies of your program/bulletin. • Bring your marriage license.

Frequently Asked QuestionsWe hope your planning process goes smoothly, and look forward to sharing your special day with you. If you have other questions not answered here, please contact Congregational Life Coordinator at (701) 255-1001. Before the CeremonyWhat does the church wedding coordinator do?   The coordinator’s role is to help make your day go smoothly. They will communicate with the members of your wedding party, orchestrate your wedding party’s different roles, ensure the church facilities are meeting your needs, and bring everything together during your time at the church. Congregational Life Coordinator will assign a wedding coordinator approximately six weeks before your wedding. The coordinator will contact you to set up a time to meet. *Please Note* All weddings with 20 or more guests are required to have a wedding coordinator assigned by the church.  

$650 for members

$1,300 for non-members

When is the earliest date we can schedule our wedding? You may schedule your wedding as early as you’d like, as long as the church calendar is free for your desired date.

When and how often do we meet with our Pastor?Typically, the pastor would like to meet with the couple two times. The first meeting should occur no later than six weeks prior to your wedding, and the second meeting should be scheduled for one to two weeks prior to your wedding. You are welcome to meet sooner if you would like.  Please call the Pastor to schedule.

Do we have to do premarital counseling?As part of your premarital preparation, the pastor expects all couples to attend Premarital Counseling. If you live out of state, please check what may be local and use them.

Planning the CeremonyWhat about the unity candle?The church provides a unity candle holder for your use. Please supply the unity candle and tapers and any flowers/decorations for the holder.  All candles provided by the wedding party and must be drip-less. Any other candles and decorations must be contained in a holder and be approved ahead of time by the pastor.

Does the church have candelabras? No, the church does not have candelabras; a florist or rental store may be able to help you with these.

When can we decorate?Check with Congregational Life coordinator to schedule your decorating time and to avoid conflicts with scheduled events at the church.

Can we decorate the pews?Yes.  There are 21 total pew ends and four to six chair ends down the center aisle in the sanctuary. You may use bows, floral decorations or pewabras, with non-marking attachments for the pews.

Can the paraments (altar cloths) be changed if the colors don’t match the colors of our wedding?The church season is reflected in altar and pulpit paraments. These paraments will be present during the wedding ceremony and will not be changed. Generally, you can expect the altar and pulpit paraments to be as follows:

Advent (four weeks prior to Christmas), Blue Epiphany (January 6 to Ash Wednesday), white Lent (Ash Wednesday until Palm Sunday), Purple / No paraments Reformation Weekend, Palm Sunday and Holy Week, Red Season of Easter (Easter Day and seven weeks after), White Season of Pentecost (most of June through November), Green

Does Good Shepherd help with the wedding programs?The pastor will help you plan a unique and special wedding service, but you are responsible for layout and printing of the wedding programs.

What music should we choose?Your music should complement the Christian tone of the ceremony, and since your ceremony is “live,” recorded music is not allowed.  Please contact Karen Petersen at (701) 223-8043 or Vicki Martel at (701) 222-3444, our wedding organists/pianists, who can help you with your music selections.

What information do we need to share with our photographer/videographer?Please ask your photographer and videographer to consult with the pastor prior to your wedding service for suggested setup locations. Again, because your wedding is a worship service, the use of a flash is not appropriate. Please include a statement regarding this in your programs as a reminder to your guests.

Your Wedding DayCan a flower girl drop flower petals?Silk flowers are allowed, but please, no fresh flowers. An aisle runner is not required for silk flowers but if you chose to have one, a 48 foot aisle runner is ample for length.  What about bubbles, rice, confetti, etc.?We allow bells and rose petals. We do not allow rice, bubbles, birdseed and/or confetti on church grounds.

Will there be a place to get dressed?Yes, there is a large room in the basement that is available and contains a full-length mirror and a tall hanging rack.  This room is left unlocked at all times, so make sure all of your valuables are kept in a safe place. Restrooms and/or a classroom off the fellowship area can also be used for additional space.*Please note* The basement fellowship area will be available for you and your wedding party to gather. You are welcome to serve snacks in that area.

How early can we meet at the church? The church is open at 8:45 a.m. If you need access to the church before 8:45 a.m., please call to schedule. 

What do I need to know about a guest book table and a gift table?Your wedding coordinator will set up your guest book table at your rehearsal.  A picture of the two of you adds a nice touch to the guest book table. Your guest book will be closed shortly before your ceremony begins to encourage your guests to move into the sanctuary. *Please note* Please designate someone (2-3 people) to keep your gifts, cards, and guest book secure during the service and remove them from the Narthex area before the ceremony. A gift table is not set up unless it is requested by you.  Who is responsible for cleaning and picking up?The wedding party is responsible for picking up everything brought into the church. The wedding coordinator will assist you. Designate someone to help with the sanctuary; to make sure all decorations, flowers, candles, etc. get to their proper places and the Sanctuary is returned to Worship arrangement. This may require replacing front rows of chairs. Please assign another person to check the fellowship area, dressing rooms, bathrooms and other places your party used, to make sure nothing is left behind. Your deposit fee will be refunded in whole only if these areas are returned to their original condition and there is no damage.

Are there any other church guidelines of which we need to be aware?• Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is a very busy place of worship with

many people coming and going.  During your time at the church, please don’t leave any valuables unattended.

• “No Smoking” signs are posted throughout the building. For the safety and health of all, please observe this request. 

• Alcoholic beverages are not acceptable on the church premises or parking lots.

Ceremony informationScripture SuggestionsWe encourage you as a couple to select one to three scriptures that help to set the tone for your wedding and your marriage.  Listed below are suggestions, but the list is by no means exhaustive.

Scripture TopicGenesis 1:26-28 Woman and man created in God’s imageGenesis 2:18-24 Companionship rather than lonelinessProverbs 3:3-6 Loyalty and faithfulness written on the heartSong of Solomon 2:10-13 The voice of the belovedSong of Solomon 8:6-7 Many waters cannot quench loveJeremiah 31:31-34 The new covenant of the people of GodRomans 12:1-2 Living as ones not conformed to this worldI Corinthians 12:31-13:13 Paul’s hymn to loveEphesians 5:21-33 Marriage reflects Christ’s love for the churchPhilippians 1:9-11 A prayer for overflowing lovePhilippians 4:4-7 Rejoice!Colossians 3:14-17 Do everything for Jesus’ sakeI John 2:15-17 How love for God is made real in the worldI John 3:1-2 God’s love in making us childrenI John 5:1-5 The love of God revealed through usMatthew 19-4-6 Faithfulness in marriageJohn 2:1-10 Jesus’ miracle at the wedding in CanaJohn 15:9-12 Love one another Psalm 67 May God be merciful to us and bless usPsalm 100 We are God’s people and the sheep of God’s pasturePsalm 117 The steadfast love of the LordPsalm121 The Lord keeps watch over youPsalm 127 Unless the Lord builds the housePsalm 128 Blessed are those who walk in the Lord’s waysPsalm 150 Let everything that breathes praise the Lord

The Worship ServiceTypical Order of ServicePrelude*Option for Special Music*ProcessionalGreeting*Option for Special Music*IntroductionDeclaration of IntentionPrayer of the Day*Option for Special Music*Scripture*Option for Special Music*Sermon/MessageExchange of VowsExchange of RingsMarriage Candle Lighting*Option for Special Music*BlessingPrayers and Lord’s Prayer*Option for Special Music*BenedictionPresentation of the CoupleRecessionalPostlude

There are many places for appropriate Christian music within the service. Your musician can assist you with these choices. Congregational singing is another option.

Additional Information• Wedding ceremonies last approximately 30-45 minutes, but vary with

music selections.• Ceremonies can be a variety of times; Friday weddings can be scheduled

at whatever time your officiant and you agree to, Saturday afternoon weddings are to begin no later than 3 pm, and Saturday evening weddings can begin no earlier than 7 pm.

• Saturday weddings must conclude their pictures by 3:45 pm because of 5 pm worship.

• Wedding rehearsals are automatically scheduled for 5 pm the day before your wedding and will last one hour.

• If you wish to have your reception at the church, please call the Church Office at 255-1001 to ask about availability.

Facility InformationSanctuary Aisle Length: 48 feetNumber of pew rows down the center aisle: 21, plus four to six chair rows Seating Capacity: 491

Lynne Center Aisle Length: 40 feet Approximately 12 chair rows: Seating Capacity: 217(Includes one row of pews along the back wall)

Over the years, we have built a church that provides a home base for many people and services.  Having invested time, energy, money and considerable prayer, we respect this church as a House of God and request all who use our facility to treat it with utmost reverence. Thank you.

May the Lord bless your wedding day!

106 Osage Ave. • Bismarck, ND 58501701-255-1001

www.GoodShepherdBismarck.comwww.facebook.com/goodshepherdbismarck

9/2019