Weddings

We’re excited to serve our members and attendees during the process of marriage and wedding planning. We understand that planning a wedding from start to finish has many demands, so our goal is to make any involvement that we may have in your wedding be a simple and straightforward process.

Christian Weddings vs. Civil (Legal) Weddings

For a variety of reasons, our pastors and leaders have chosen not to be licensed by the Ontario government to perform civil (legal) weddings. This does not mean we won’t preside over a wedding ceremony, just that, in the event one of our leaders has a personal relationship with the couple and are officiating the wedding, we provide “spiritual leadership” only. The weddings we perform would appear very similar to any typical wedding except that when we pronounce a couple married we would say “As a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I pronounce you husband and wife.” rather than saying “By the power vested in me by the Province of Ontario, I now pronounce you husband and wife.” The rest of the ceremony is the same – processional, music, charge to the bride and groom (always based on some Biblical passage or topic), vows, rings, kiss, recessional, etc.

The Biblical theology of getting married does not require the government’s involvement or approval to be considered “married.” However, according to Romans 13:1 and other passages, we are also called to submit to the government God has placed us under (unless they seek to force us to disobey Scripture or dishonour Christ). Therefore, the elders require that any couple requesting a Christian wedding officiated by a Redemption pastor to also satisfy the civil (legal) component. This means you must have someone licensed by the Province of Ontario to pronounce you husband and wife on or before the day of your Christian ceremony and sign your marriage license. There are a variety of ways this legal/civil component can be done including, but not limited to:

• Have a ceremony, on or before your Christian ceremony, at City Hall as they provide civil wedding ceremonies.
• Have a ceremony, on or before your Christian ceremony, conducted by a wedding company.
• Hire a licensed individual to conduct a ceremony, on or before your Christian ceremony.
• Hire a licensed individual to attend your Christian ceremony and sign the marriage license.
• Have a family member or friend who is licensed attend your Christian ceremony and sign the marriage license.
  
  

Preparing for Your Wedding

Requests for weddings must be received at least six months before requested wedding date and not more than a year in advance.

Deposits and Fees

The total fee to use the church facility is $350, which includes: use of the facility, rehearsal time, custodial services, sound system, and a staff person to assist with the flow of your wedding. All fees are due 1 month prior to the wedding date.

Holidays and Weddings

Weddings and rehearsals may not be scheduled on Sundays, Kick off weekend (week after labour day), the week leading up to Easter, Easter weekend, 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. Facility usage on any other statutory holiday is subject to staff availability.