Weddings at Gethsemane

Congratulations on your engagement! We are delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate God's love in your lives and to surround you with our prayers and blessings.

Gethsemane is a beautiful church for a wedding, but we are even more interested in helping you build a strong marriage.  Therefore we ask every couple to participate in a pre-marriage preparation process.  It is very important to meet with Dean Steve Sellers or one of our Priests prior to setting a wedding date.  No definite date or time is set for any wedding until arranged with the Dean/Priest and entered on the Cathedral calendar.

After setting a date for the wedding, one of our Priests meet with the couple (usually 3 sessions) to discuss such issues as finances, spiritual beliefs, family and friends, communication, and marriage expectations. Then there are usually 2 more sessions to discuss the marriage service in The Book of Common Prayer (including discussion of Christian marriage and the biblical background of the service). During these last two sessions, the couple chooses Bible readings for the wedding and plans the ceremony. There are usually a total of 5 sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

 1.   What if I have been divorced?
In the Episcopal Church, permission from the Bishop must be obtained before conducting a remarriage after divorce.  The Bishop asks that someone who has been divorced fill out a questionnaire about their previous marriage (e.g.  What went wrong, and what will you do differently?)  After the first few sessions, the Priest will write a letter asking for approval for the marriage to take place.  Generally approval is given.  This step is intended to help couples avoid mistakes made in past marriages.

 2.   What if I am not a member of Gethsemane?
Ordinarily, weddings at Gethsemane are conducted for church members.  However, exceptions can be made on a case by case basis, provided that one person of the couple is a baptized Christian.  We want to help couples build their marriages on a strong spiritual foundation and are happy to provide information about membership to those who desire.

We do expect couples to attend Sunday worship at Gethsemane during the pre-marriage preparation time.  One reason for this is that a wedding is a worship service, and a couple is far more comfortable and engaged on the day of their wedding if they are worshipping in a familiar space with worship leadership that is familiar.  We also believe that worshipping together helps to strengthen a couple’s relationship.

3.   What if I only want a small chapel wedding?
The couple will do the same marriage preparations, but the actual wedding could be much simpler.

Do you have more questions?  Please contact us at 701-232-3394 or email answerperson@gethsemanecathedral.org

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