Due to the numerous requests for our pastors to officiate wedding ceremonies, and the full schedule of Great Lakes Church, the following guidelines have been set up for wedding ceremonies. This is about as formal as we get around here!
1. Pastors are available to officiate wedding ceremonies for people, whether or not they attend Great Lakes Church. Active members will receive priority if there are multiple requests made for the same day.
2. Couples are encouraged, but not required, to attend premarital guidance meetings. Great Lakes Church offers pre-marriage pastoral guidance. If you choose to schedule this, the total cost is $150 for three 45-60 minute sessions.
3. Pastors typically officiate wedding ceremonies held locally (within 20 miles of the Kenosha/Racine area). If the wedding is more than 20 miles away, please talk directly to the person you'd like to officiate your wedding to confirm it works for them.
4. The fee for a pastor to officiate your wedding is $700 (if the wedding is outside of the 20-mile radius, the fee will be more). The price includes an hour-long meeting with the officiating pastor (see #6) to review wedding requests and assist you in planning your wedding. This payment is due in full after the application is submitted AND you receive a confirmation that the wedding has been scheduled.
5. If you are using Great Lakes Church to host the wedding, there may be an additional fee depending on building usage. This includes the facility fee, tech, coordinator, and setup.
6. Most of the pastors at Great Lakes Church do not attend wedding rehearsals. Our pastors are experienced in officiating weddings and can conduct ceremonies with very little instruction on the day of the wedding.
7. The couple and the pastor will meet a minimum of three weeks before the wedding. At this meeting, the pastor will confirm any special requests, readings, and other details. Also, this is a chance for the pastor to get to know you both and hear your story. You should leave the ceremony feeling excited and confident!
Within 10 days of submitting your wedding inquiry form, you should receive an email from us confirming whether or not the requests you made (pastor, date, times, etc.) will work.
Once you've received confirmation, you'll be asked to pay the wedding fee(s), and we will hold the date for you!
Thanks for asking us to be part of your special day!