CALVARY CHURCH WEDDING POLICY

6/1/2012

CALVARY CHURCH

WEDDING APPLICATION PROCEDURE

1. Read this page as well as the attached Calvary Church Wedding Policy and forms.

2. Fill out the Covenant form (1) and the Bride and Groom Questionnaires (2) and return to the
church office. Keep the Wedding Policy for future reference. All application forms will be
reviewed by the Wedding Approval Committee. This process usually takes a minimum of two
to three weeks.

3. Due to facility scheduling considerations and the time required for completion of pre-marital
course requirements and pastoral appointments, weddings must be booked at least 6 months
ahead of the wedding date. Exceptions require approval by the Wedding Approval
Committee.

4. When a decision is made regarding approval of your wedding, you will be contacted by a
member of the Calvary Church staff. We will then check the church calendar and the
availability of the date you requested, and will schedule your wedding with you based on
what is available at that time. Approval of your application does not necessarily mean that the
date you requested is available.

5. When the staff member contacts you regarding approval for the wedding and scheduling the
date on the calendar, they will also direct you to the person who can sign you up for the
Preparing for Marriage Course, which is required for getting married at Calvary Church.

6. If you choose to have a reception here at Calvary Church, you will be given contact
information for Calvary’s Catering Coordinator, as Calvary’s catering must be used for on-
site receptions (no outside food is allowed).

7. After the wedding date has been officially scheduled on the Calvary Church calendar, you
will be sent a letter with your confirmed dates, the name and phone number of our wedding
coordinator, and payment schedule.

8. If you have any questions, please call the church office at (630) 851-7000.

CALVARY CHURCH

9S200 State Route 59 ◦ Naperville, IL 60564
Phone: (630) 851-7000 ◦ Fax: (630) 585-3255

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CALVARY CHURCH WEDDING POLICY

WEDDINGS AT CALVARY CHURCH

We believe marriage is a permanent holy covenant ordained by God between a man and a woman
(Genesis 1:27; 2:18, 23, 24), which also models the relationship between Christ and the Church
(Ephesians 5:23). Therefore, all of the plans for your wedding should reflect the sacredness of that
covenant (Matthew 19:5,6).

In addition, the leadership of Calvary Church has determined the following qualifications, based on
Biblical truths:

1. Bride and groom must individually confess a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as
Lord and Savior. Calvary Church will not marry unbelievers, or join an unbeliever to a
believer in marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). God’s Word is clear about the necessity of
spiritual compatibility between marriage partners. We understand the common biblical
meaning of “believer” as a reference to a “born-again” believer (John 3:3). Therefore, we will
not marry a believer to an unbeliever.

2. Bride and groom must abstain from physical intimacy or living together. The Bible says
that if anyone is “in Christ” they are being made “new” as their “old” life “passes away”
(2 Corinthians 5:17). One important aspect of our new life in Christ is that of our sexuality.
Sex is a gift from God, for He is the one who created it! Therefore, we must follow God’s
directions regarding our sexuality. The Bible gives us clear instructions for sex within the
parameters of the marriage relationship (2 Corinthians 6:3). God’s Word also gives us clear
warnings and consequences when sex is used outside of the marriage.

While many couples that come to Calvary Church are honoring God through abstaining from
sexual intimacy, there are many couples that do not fall into this category. Couples who are
physically intimate or are living together are asked to temporarily move apart into separate
residences and covenant with Calvary Church to abstain from sexual relations, remaining
chaste, until their wedding day. We would like the opportunity to encourage you to make this
commitment with us, understanding that this is God’s best for your marriage relationship. In
order for their wedding to take place at Calvary Church or be officiated at by a Calvary
pastor, the couple must sign the Premarital Covenant (see separate sheet), thereby agreeing to
abstain from sexual intimacy before marriage.

PRIOR MARRIAGES:

Remarriage of divorced persons – remarriage may be permitted by a pastor from Calvary Church if
the Wedding Approval Committee approves and pastoral evaluation of the circumstances in light of
God’s Word determine that the reason for divorce was a pattern of adultery (Matthew 5:32, 19:9) or
desertion by the unbelieving ex-spouse (1 Corinthians 7:15). If the divorce occurred because of
abuse, where the former spouse refused to turn from actions of abuse, the principles of 1 Corinthians
7:12-15 permitting divorce would possibly apply. The Wedding Approval Committee will evaluate
all potential remarriage situations on a case-by-case basis. Recognizing the time needed for healing
and restoration, persons who fit the above criteria should have been divorced no less than two years
prior to their wedding.

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MARRIAGE APPROVAL POLICIES:

What are the specific requirements to be married at Calvary Church or by a Calvary pastor?

1. BRIDE & GROOM QUESTIONNAIRES AND COVENANT: The church provides you with this
Wedding Policy, Bride and Groom Questionnaires, and a Covenant form. The prospective
bride and groom must each fill out their respective questionnaires along with the Covenant
form and return them to the church office. These will then be submitted to the Wedding
Approval Committee for review. A wedding date can be booked only after you have received
formal approval for your wedding by the Wedding Approval Committee.

Note: If a particular pastor is preferred, it is the responsibility of the couple to contact that
pastor and confirm that he is available on the dates they wish to schedule their wedding and
rehearsal. If no pastor is chosen, one will be assigned.

2. PREMARITAL PREPARATION: After the couple has received approval for their wedding, they
will be required to complete the Calvary Church pre-marriage preparation listed below:

a. Meet with the officiating pastor for an initial interview.
b. Enroll in and complete Calvary’s eight-week pre-marital class (if you have not done

so already), which is offered three times each year (Winter, Spring, and Fall). The
cost of the class is $100 per couple and includes the PREPARE Personal and
Relationship Evaluation. For information regarding the pre-marital class, please call
the church office at (630) 851-7000.

c. During the eight-week class each couple will be assigned a Mentor Couple
and will meet with them a minimum of three times.

d. After completing the class and mentoring process, the couple will meet with the
Wedding Coordinator and officiating pastor one final time to coordinate the details
of the ceremony.

3. ENGAGEMENT PERIOD: The couple must have been engaged no less than six months before
the proposed marriage ceremony.

4. WEDDING CEREMONY: All music and parts of the ceremony must be submitted to the
Wedding Coordinator and approved by the officiating pastor. You may contact the Wedding
Coordinator anytime after receiving formal approval for your wedding.

FACILITIES POLICIES:

1. PROCEDURES – After receiving approval for the wedding, the couple will be contacted by a
member of the Calvary Church staff in order to schedule an available wedding date on the
calendar.

2. FACILITY AVAILABILITY – Due to the high demand for, and use of, our facilities, we need to
give preference to members and regular adherents (who have attended at least 3 months) for
the use of our facilities.

 Time slots are booked on a first come/first served basis.

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Friday Night Weddings:

 Friday weddings will be scheduled within a four-hour time slot.

 All Friday weddings and/or receptions must be finished before 10 p.m.

 Rehearsals for Friday weddings will generally be on Thursday evening if there are no
scheduling conflicts. Rehearsal time slots will normally be:
o 5:00-7:00 p.m.
o 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Saturday Weddings:

 For Saturday weddings, we offer two time slots from which to choose, either morning or
afternoon. These will normally be:
o Morning: 8:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
o Afternoon: 12:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

 All Saturday weddings and/or receptions must be finished by 4:00 p.m., due to the fact
that we have Saturday evening Worship Services.

 Rehearsals for Saturday weddings will be on Friday evening or on Thursday if there is a
Friday wedding or other event. Rehearsal time slots will normally be:
o 5:00-7:00 p.m.
o 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Sunday Weddings:

 Sunday weddings will take place within a 4-hour time slot and are only available on days
when our Small Groups meet—usually the second and fourth Sundays of each month.

 Due to facilities considerations, we are unable to host receptions on Sundays.

 Sunday weddings may start no earlier than 2:00 p.m. (decorating no earlier than 1 p.m.)

 All Sunday weddings must be finished before 10 p.m.

 Rehearsals for Sunday weddings will normally be on Friday evening (or on Thursday if
there is a Friday wedding or conflicting event). Rehearsal time slots will normally be:
o 5:00-7:00 p.m.
o 7:00-9:00 p.m.

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3. DECORATIONS – Calvary Church offers the following decorations:
 Two spiral candelabras
 Kneeling bench
 Unity table
 Pew bows
 Ten roman columns
Requests to use any additional decorating items will be considered by the Wedding
Coordinator.

4. RECEPTIONS – We urge couples to carefully consider ALL of what you would like to do at
your reception in light of the following biblical principles, regardless of where the reception
will be held:
 Regarding the use of alcoholic beverages, we would remind the wedding party that the
Bible clearly calls drunkenness a sin (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 5:19-21; 1 Samuel
1:12-17; Luke 21: 34-36; Romans 13:13-14; Romans 14:21; Ephesians 5:18), and that we
are to avoid all appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Therefore, we will not permit
the use of alcoholic beverages at receptions in our church facilities.
 Regarding the practice of dancing, to avoid any hint of lust and lasciviousness
(Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:5-6; I Thessalonians 4:3-7; Ephesians 5:3-7; I
Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 12:2), we will not permit dancing at
receptions in our church facilities.
Regarding Reception catering – No outside food is allowed; Calvary Catering must be used
for receptions that are held in our facilities.
Receptions are limited to a 3-hour time period.

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5. FEES

A. WEDDING FEES – The fees listed below include:

 Services of the Wedding Coordinator
 Standard* sound support for ceremony and rehearsal
 Use of the Chapel, Bride’s Room, and Groom’s Room (Note: The Chapel has a

comfortable seating capacity of approximately 250 people.)
 Use of the various wedding furniture and décor that we have available

If one of the couple is a Member or a parent is a Member of Calvary Church
(Member: Has completed the church Membership Class and other membership
requirements and has been Received into Membership by the pastors and deacons):

$500*

If one or all parties are adherents of Calvary Church
(Adherent: Calvary Church is your home church. You attend services on a regular
basis, but you are not yet an official, voting Member):

$700*

*Note: If sound support requirements go beyond the standard needs for your wedding
or rehearsal, or if sound support will be needed at a reception held here, there will be
additional hourly charges for this which would be billed to you after the wedding.

WEDDING FEE DUE DATES

We require 50% of the wedding fee in order to finalize the date you wish to reserve.
This should be submitted to the Wedding Approval Committee Administrative
Assistant within 14 days of receiving your confirmation letter. The remainder of the
wedding fee is due to the Wedding Approval Committee Administrative Assistant one
month prior to the wedding. Please make checks payable to Calvary Church and
mail or bring to the church office Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00
p.m. (please be sure to indicate “Wedding Payment”).

B. RECEPTION FEES

Reception-related details, pricing, and payments are handled by Calvary Catering.
Please contact the Catering Coordinator at (630) 851-7000 for information.

C. HONORARIUM

It is usual for the pastor officiating at the rehearsal and ceremony to receive an
Honorarium (payment.) Please ask the Wedding Coordinator for suggestions.

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PREMARITAL COVENANT

We are committed to God’s ways in preparing for our marriage. We agree to abstain from sexual
intimacy until we share our marriage vows together. We believe it is God’s will for our life and
marriage to be sanctified, to be set apart for pure and holy living.
"It is God’s will that you be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you
should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable...For God did not call us to
be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but
God, who gives you His Holy Spirit." 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
We also understand that God does not look at our past failures. Instead, He looks at us as broken
people, who He can make anew. With His forgiveness, we can start all over again. As we ask God to
forgive us through Jesus, He will see us as a completely new couple.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
We seek to trust God and honor Him by upholding His parameters of sexual intimacy within the
context of our future marriage. We believe that with God’s power, we will be able to keep this
covenant and be greatly blessed by our obedience to Him.
Having read the Calvary Church Wedding Policy, we hereby agree to work with the Wedding
Coordinator and officiating pastor in following all of the stated policies and procedures, as well as to
complete the pre-marriage preparation process. We also agree to abide by this Premarital Covenant,
abstaining from sexual intimacy until the day of our wedding, when we will together make a lasting
covenant before God.

Signature of Groom-to-be: _____________________________________Date: ______________________

Signature of Bride-to-be: ______________________________________Date: ______________________

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PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE – BRIDE

Name: __________________________________________________ Today’s Date: _______________

________________________________________________________ ___________________________

Street Home Phone

________________________________________________________ ___________________________

City State Zip Cell Phone

If out of area:  Currently away at college  Live out of the area

________________________________________________________ ___________________________

E-mail Address Age

1. Give a brief (2-3 sentence) testimony about your personal acceptance of Jesus as your Savior and
your relationship to Him now.

2. Date of your conversion to Christ: ______________________________________________________

3. What is your affiliation with Calvary Church?
 Member (Either I or one of my parents have been Received into Membership by the pastors and deacons of Calvary Church.)
 Adherent (Calvary Church is my home church; I attend services on a regular basis, but I am not yet an official, voting Member.)
 Other (I attend a different church.)
Please list church name and location: ___________________________________________________________

4. How long have you been attending Calvary Church? ______________________________________

5. Are you willing to study God's design for marriage in a pre-marriage preparation class as part of

your pre-marriage counseling? Yes  No

6. Pastor desired to conduct the ceremony: _________________________________________________
Have you checked with the pastor to see if he is available?  Yes  No

7. When did you first meet your fiancé/fiancée? __________________________________
When did you begin dating? _________________________________________________

8. How long will your engagement have been before your desired wedding date? __________________

Date of engagement _________________ Approximate wedding date _________________________

Location for wedding ceremony:  Calvary Church  Other_______________________________

Time preference for wedding ____Morning ____Afternoon

Do you wish to have a reception at Calvary?  Yes  No  Not sure yet

9. Does your family support your decision?  Yes  No
May we contact your parents?  Yes  No Phone Number: _________________________

10. Marital Status:
 Never Married

 Widowed - How long have you been widowed? ___________________

 Divorced - Date of divorce: ___________________________________

Years of Previous Marriage: From _________________ to __________________

Mo/Yr Mo/Yr

Reason(s) for Divorce: ____________________________________________________________

Status of Former Spouse: A. Re-married Not married B. Christian Non-Christian

Are children involved?  Yes  No If so, please give ages: ____________________________

With whom do they live? __________________________________________________________
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PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE – GROOM

Name: __________________________________________________ Today’s Date: _______________

________________________________________________________ ___________________________

Street Home Phone

________________________________________________________ ___________________________

City State Zip Cell Phone

If out of area:  Currently away at college  Live out of the area

________________________________________________________ ___________________________

E-mail Address Age

1. Give a brief (2-3 sentence) testimony about your personal acceptance of Jesus as your Savior and
your relationship to Him now.

2. Date of your conversion to Christ: ______________________________________________________

3. What is your affiliation with Calvary Church?

 Member (Either I or one of my parents have been Received into Membership by the pastors and deacons of Calvary Church.)
 Adherent (Calvary Church is my home church; I attend services on a regular basis, but I am not yet an official, voting Member.)
 Other (I attend a different church.)

Please list church name and location: ___________________________________________________________

4. How long have you been attending Calvary Church? ______________________________________

5. Are you willing to study God's design for marriage in a pre-marriage preparation class as part of

your pre-marriage counseling? Yes  No

6. Pastor desired to conduct the ceremony: _________________________________________________
Have you checked with the pastor to see if he is available?  Yes  No

7. When did you first meet your fiancé/fiancée? __________________________________
When did you begin dating? _________________________________________________

8. How long will your engagement have been before your desired wedding date? __________________

Date of engagement _________________ Approximate wedding date _________________________
Location for wedding ceremony:  Calvary Church  Other_______________________________

Time preference for wedding ____Morning ____Afternoon

Do you wish to have a reception at Calvary?  Yes  No  Not sure yet

9. Does your family support your decision?  Yes  No
May we contact your parents?  Yes  No Phone Number: _________________________

10. Marital Status:
 Never Married
 Widowed - How long have you been widowed? ___________________
 Divorced - Date of divorce: ___________________________________

Years of Previous Marriage: From _________________ to __________________

Mo/Yr Mo/Yr

Reason(s) for Divorce: ____________________________________________________________

Status of Former Spouse: A. Re-married Not married B. Christian Non-Christian

Are children involved?  Yes  No If so, please give ages: ____________________________

With whom do they live? __________________________________________________________

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