Weddings
Congratulations! We are happy that you have decided to celebrate your commitment to each other. We at Bethlehem honor the sacred nature of your relationship, and we look forward to helping you plan for this important event.
Bethlehem Lutheran Church is a community that works to connect people with God, each other and their mission in the world. We believe marriage should be rooted in the steadfast love of God. God’s faithfulness and self-giving love serve as models for the relationship between husband and wife.
Bethlehem as a community affirms and supports your decision to marry by offering opportunities to grow in faith, in fellowship and in your relationship with each other.
Since you have chosen to marry in a Christian church, your wedding at Bethlehem will be a worship service with its primary focus on God. The pastors, organist, wedding coordinator and other members of the Bethlehem community will assist you in the preparation of your wedding service.
We hope this is a helpful initial source of basic information about weddings at Bethlehem. We look forward to connecting with you in person! After you have looked at this information, if you have other questions or are interested in finding open dates, please contact Janet Lauber, at 612.312.3418 jlauber@bethlehem-church.org .
Information on member and non-member weddings at Bethlehem
The church is available for weddings between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm on Saturdays. Rehearsals are usually held at 6:00 pm. the evening prior to the wedding. Friday evening weddings are also possible, with the latest starting time being 6:00 pm.
The fees for 2012/2013 cover the cost of providing quality services to support you as you plan for your marriage and the wedding day itself. They include: a wedding coordinator, building use, pastor, organist or pianist, sound technicians, custodians, premarital inventory, pre-marriage retreat and administration fees. Total fees are $1,210.00. A deposit of $410 is required to reserve a wedding date. $160 of the deposit is nonrefundable.
All couples married at Bethlehem must take part in a four-step marriage preparation process.
We are excited to play a part not only in your wedding ceremony, but also in helping you grow a healthy relationship! Other couples who have been through the retreat and financial workshop have found the process very helpful, so we’re confident that you will also benefit from it and have a great time doing it!
Bethlehem Offers Winter, Spring and Fall Pre-marriage Sessions. Please contact Janet Lauber at 612.312.3418 or jlauber@bethlehem-church.org to sign up.
1. Attend a “Getting Started” Session, meet our wedding coordinators and take the Prepare/Enrich Pre-Marriage Inventory here at Bethlehem or receive your code to take the online version.
Sundays 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. Choose one date: October 7, 2012, January 13, 2013, April 7, 2013 or October 6, 2013
2. Attend a Saturday Pre-Marriage Retreat at Bethlehem, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm.
Choose one date: October 27, 2012, January 19, 2013, April 20, 2013 or October 26, 2013
3. Attend a “Me to We” Financial Workshop at Bethlehem, a 1 ½ hour workshop. Monday nights from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm. Choose one date: February 18, 2013 or May 6, 2013
