WEDDINGS

Due to the size of our church and the number of requests for weddings we have designed an approach to conducting weddings that ensures that we can meet the needs of our people by sharing the weddings across our qualified staff. We have a Wedding Approval Process to facilitate a reasonable schedule for our pastor and staff in respect to conducting weddings.

1. Complete and submit the Pre-marital and Wedding Application form. A reply will be returned within 2-4 weeks indicating acceptance and the pastor/elder assigned.
2. Meeting with Administrator to compile further details (if needed)
3. Preliminary wedding meeting with Officiant
4. Approval by the Elders

5. Pre-marital Mentoring/Discipleship sessions

6. Final Planning Meeting (30 days before the wedding day)
7. Meeting to sign documentation (a few days prior to wedding day)

Complete the Pre-marital and Wedding Application form and submit it to the office.  The Executive Assistant or Administrative Assistant will be in contact with you to confirm availability.  Confirmation does not guarantee the date for your wedding.  The date will only be held upon receipt of all required documentation and the approval of the wedding by Mission City Elders.  The Elders must approve all weddings at Mission City.

Understanding God’s blueprint for a successful marriage is essential for every couple before their wedding day.

Participating in Pre-marital Mentoring/Discipleship is a prerequisite for all weddings to be held at Mission City or by a Mission City Pastor.

For more info about Pre-marital mentoring/discipleship with Mission City, visit HERE.

This process is very simple. If you would like a Pastor or Elder from our church to perform your wedding ceremony, please fill out the wedding application. We have designed an approach to conducting weddings where we can meet the needs of our people by sharing the weddings across more than one Mission City Pastor/Elder. 

Weddings require an officiant to invest 20-25 hours per couple doing the following:

• pre-marital mentoring/discipleship sessions 
• an evening to run the wedding rehearsal
• preparation for the wedding
• oversight and officiating at the actual wedding

During the Wedding Approval Process you will be assigned an officiant for a wedding based on the following four criteria:

1. Schedule availability of pastor/elder
2. Number of weddings already assigned
3. Request for a particular pastor/elder by the couple
4. Relational connectedness of pastor/elder to couple

To be assigned a pastor/elder and thus receive Mission City leadership approval for a Mission City wedding you must complete this application in full, and submit it to the office. A reply will be returned within 2-4 weeks indicating acceptance and the pastor/elder assigned.

Additional Staff

Please note – additional staff involvement in your wedding (music, production, etc) is not an expectation and will be your responsibility to arrange. Weddings are not considered a part of the staff role

We realize some weddings are planned far in advance and some are last minute (hopefully not many). For planning purposes, we require that requests not be submitted more than one year prior to the wedding day nor less than two months prior to the wedding day.

Our first priority is our weekend services.  With that in mind, weddings can take place on:

• Friday afternoon
• Saturday mornings starting at 10am and ending by 1:30pm
• Sunday afternoons between 3:00pm and ending by 5:00pm.

Holidays

Weddings and rehearsals may not be scheduled during:

• Month of September 
• On the week leading up to Easter or on Easter weekend
• On the week leading up to Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and week following Christmas.
• New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day

Weddings requested on Victoria Day, Labour Day, or Thanksgiving weekend are subject to the officiant’s availability.

Some Biblical injunctions regarding how to treat and care for pastors/elders as they give themselves to various ministry calls and requirements are found in 1 Timothy 5:17-18, Romans 4:4, and 1 Corinthians 9:3-18. In light of these considerations Mission City leadership asks that you be gracious, kind, considerate, and generous to the pastors who are walking with you through your wedding plans. With this in mind, we have not established mandatory fees for our staff officiating your wedding, but simply ask that you appreciate their time away from their families, hard work and investment in your lives with an appropriate honorarium. The same is true of any staff assisting you on your special day, in proportion to their involvement.