In accordance with the teachings and doctrine of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LC-MS), and as written in The Lutheran Service Book Agenda.  

       Marriage is . . .

Marriage is a structure belonging to all humanity.  Marriage is a covenant of fidelity between a man and woman made with society’s sanction, grounded in the steadfast love of God.  God’s abiding faithfulness is the model:  as He is, so should we be.

Marriage is a glad occasion overflowing with joy.  Those who celebrate marriage rejoice in the gifts of God:  life, health, strength, sexuality, family – all that the Creator declared from the beginning to be “very good.” 

Marriage is of interest to both church and state, and marriage is done in the presence of a representative of one or the other.  It is not the minister who performs the marriage but the wedding couple.  The bride and groom marry each other, exchanging vows of faithfulness and commitment to each other, and the minister is the principal witness to their action.  Family and friends gather with the couple to witness the exchanging of vows. It is in this community of prayer and support that the couple begins their new life together.

Marriage is the relationship between a man and a woman.  The marriage union is not complete until God is invited to be an active partner in the union.  It is only through the power, presence, and grace of God in the marriage, that the promises of love and fidelity shared on the wedding day can have any hope of lasting a lifetime.

          Wedding Requests

Requests for weddings to be held at Zion come from members, former members and those with no affiliation with the Church.  It is the policy of Zion Lutheran Church that only church members may be married in the sanctuary.  For the purpose of the wedding guidelines only, church membership is defined as a confirmed adult member of Zion Lutheran Church and his/her child.  The Pastor of Zion, presiding at the wedding, must approve any deviation from this policy.  Exceptions include:

                                      1.    Individuals who have established a significant pattern of regular worship at Zion Lutheran
                                             Church.
                                      2.    Members of area Lutheran churches with a Pastoral vacancy.
                                      3.    At the discretion of the Pastor and with approval of the Church Council.


Planning Your Wedding . . .

 
Wedding Worship

A wedding is a time of special thanks and praise.  You are asking God’s blessing upon your life together.  In worship you join with family and friends in celebration.  During your planning, remember every person involved in the wedding ceremony and every part of the wedding ceremony should be seen as adding to your worship of God and your celebration of joy.

The Pastor and wedding couple will design the marriage service with the help of The Lutheran Service Book and other resources.  The Pastor will make suggestions to tailor the service to your needs, focusing on the true meaning of marriage and the close fellowship we know as God’s family.

Scheduling

Scheduling a wedding date one year in advance is not unusual.  At least a four (4) month notice is required so that proper counseling and other preparations can be made.

After you have selected a date and time, it is important to call the Pastor of Zion to ensure the day and time are available on our church calendar.  No wedding date is reserved or final until approved by the Pastor.  When the wedding date is set, the Pastor will arrange for pre-marital counseling.

Weddings are to be scheduled and placed on the church calendar only by the Pastor.  To avoid conflicts on the days weddings are scheduled, no other activities in the church building will be scheduled without approval from the Pastor.

Music

All arrangements for the wedding music are to be made with Pastor.  All music titles must be submitted to the Pastor NO LATER than two (2) weeks prior to the wedding.  All music to be used in the wedding ceremony must be approved by the Pastor.  It is the responsibility of the wedding couple to ensure all music is reviewed and approved by the Pastor.

Since the marriage service is a service of worship in which God is present, the music must be carefully chosen.  Your wedding is a public service in which the congregation - your family and friends - will play an active part.  The music should be in keeping with the worship of God, the atmosphere of the church, and the capabilities of the organ.  As yourself these questions:

                                                        1. Is the music consistent with what the Bible teaches about marriage? 
                                                        2. Is the music appropriate for a worship service? 
                                                        3. Is it tasteful? 

The wedding music prior to the service, both instrumental and vocal, has the responsibility of setting the mood.  This does not mean the music should be ponderous and dull!  It should be festive and joyful.  It does mean the music should direct one’s thoughts to God.

The church organist is the custodian of our organ.  Requests for a different organist must be made through the Pastor.  Any soloist or outside musicians may be of your own choice, but they should contact the Pastor in ample time to arrange for rehearsals.

Marriage License

The marriage license is to be turned in to the church office on the day of the wedding rehearsal.  There will be no rehearsal until the Pastor has the marriage license in his possession.  The Pastor and your witnesses sign the license after the service.

Church Property

We are pleased to provide you with the use of our sanctuary and furnishings.  All chancel furnishings are dedicated items and are not to be removed or concealed by decorations.  

The altar paraments are seasonal and the color represents that part of the church year in which your wedding is celebrated.  These colors are not changed for weddings.

We can assist with flower and candle selection, along with answering questions related to other chancel decorations.  An aisle cloth or runner may be rented from a local florist.  All chancel decorations must be approved by the Pastor.  If you plan to have a flower girl actually dropping petals, the petals must be silk (artificial). Please, no petals outside of the sanctuary.

Out of respect for the worship of God, the church property and our custodian, we request any birdseed be thrown outside of the church building.  We request rice never be thrown due to the nature of clean up and to prevent accidents.  Bubbles are also acceptable, but must be used outside of the church building.

Zion Lutheran Church is a no smoking facility.  We request no smoking inside any of our buildings.  Indiana law requires no smoking within 15' of entrance doors.  

The consumption of alcohol is not allowed either in the building or on the church grounds. Please advise your wedding party. 


Photography and Videography

Professional and amateur photographers are asked to remain at the back of the sanctuary during the ceremony, once the processional is completed. We would also like to ask that photographers limit their movement during the ceremony, out of respect for this sacred event. During the wedding ceremony photos are to be taken without flash. Flash may be used prior to and after the ceremony as well as during the processional and recessional. Photographers are asked NOT to rearrange any furniture for photo settings, but to use it as is. Please notify family, friends and other attendees that flash photography is not allowed during the wedding ceremony.