Congratulations!
We share in your happiness as you formulate your wedding plans and begin the wonderful adventure of marriage. We are anxious to serve you and desire for you to experience the joy and intimacy God designed for marriage. To that end, our Marriage Ministries want to assist you in the following three areas:

1. Help you assess your readiness for marriage and to prepare you for this lifelong commitment.
2. Assist you in planning and executing your wedding ceremony.
3. Partner with you in the formative years of your marriage.

As you begin to read this, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of information presented. You may also be surprised by the expectations we hold of couples we marry. We do this in light of our desire for you...a desire that your wedding and marriage would honor God as well as each other.

The wedding process at Central will take a minimum of three months to complete, which includes the eight-week marital class. This will allow you to complete the marriage preparation materials, meet our premarital counseling requirements, and carefully plan your wedding with one of our coordinators. You may obtain the necessary forms for your wedding at the church office. Just ask for the "Weddings at Central" booklet.

As a church that exists to faithfully articulate and model the purposes and nature of God, we therefore adhere to His expressed values concerning marriage. Central's Wedding Policy conveys these values. Click here to read our Marriage Policy.

After you pick up your wedding packet, you will notice the Wedding Request Form in the back of the packet. Please complete and detach this form, and return it to Judy Tiffan in the church office. Once you have completed and returned the wedding request form, you will receive the Character Relationship Profile. Please thoroughly and carefully complete the profiles and return them to Judy. The completed profiles are tools used to reveal strength and growth areas in your relationship; it is not a pass/fail test. The information revealed on the profiles will be held in confidence.

The Wedding Request Form gives you the opportunity to request your preferred pastor, as well as preferred dates and times for your ceremony. Please do not reserve a place for your reception until after your wedding date is confirmed.

After we receive the completed Wedding Request Form and profiles, we will then pursue securing the pastor you requested to perform your wedding. This pastor will then schedule a convenient time to meet with you.

During this initial consultation we will:

1. Provide honest and supportive feedback.
2. Further discuss, Central's Wedding Policy as set forth by the eldership of Central.
Further discuss, Central's Wedding Policy as set forth by the eldership of Central.
3. Witness your signatures on the "Purity Covenant."
4. Explain the "Before You Say 'I Do'" premarital seminar.
5. Confirm your wedding date contingent upon completing the "Before You Say 'I Do'" Seminar.

The pastor who officiates at your ceremony will do so with the integrity that you are indeed properly suited for each other as well as properly prepared for marriage. Only through open and honest dialogue with the pastor can this conclusion be reached. Issues of spiritual commitment, lifestyle, communication patterns, and previous marriage issues will be discussed through a series of sessions determined by the pastor.

This eight-week premarital seminar is offered four times a year here at Central and is a requirement for all who are married here or by a representative of Central. This seminar focuses on helping couples evaluate and strengthen their relationships according to sound biblical truths. Biblical roles for marriage, expectations, communication, covenant, conflict resolution, finances, intimacy, and sexuality are among the topics addressed. In order to meaningfully and successfully complete this seminar, we expect the following from you:

1. An investment of your time during the seminar. Each of the eight class sessions is 75-minutes in length. Attendance is required at all eight sessions.
2. An investment of your time during the week. A minimum of three hours per week is needed in order to complete the assigned homework from class.

You may register for the class by calling 480.924.4946 or e-mail Judy. Click here for class information.

Once your wedding date is confirmed, your wedding coordinator will contact you approximately four months prior to your wedding date. They will help you in making decisions in reference to our facilities, available furnishings, musical selections, decorations, and the order of your ceremony. The wedding coordinator will also be your go-to person at your rehearsal and on the day of your wedding.

Through our "Before You Say 'I Do'" Seminar and the time you spend with the pastor officiating at your ceremony, you will be given tools in order to build a successful marriage. We desire to support your marriage after your honeymoon and to continue the building process. To that end, we strongly encourage your participation in our Marriage Mentoring Ministry.