Weddings

WESTWOOD

Congratulations on your engagement and plans to marry. We welcome both Westwood Church members and guests to request/schedule our sanctuary. You are also welcome to request/schedule a Westwood pastor to officiate your offsite wedding. At Westwood, we honor the sacred nature of your relationship, and we look forward to helping you plan for this next chapter in your life together.

Since you have chosen to marry in a Christian church, your wedding at Westwood will be a worship service with its primary focus on God. It is our joy and privilege to welcome all couples to Westwood Lutheran Church. We expect that you will worship with us regularly, and work with each other and the church in your premarital process. The pastors, wedding coordinator, organist and other members of the Westwood community will assist you in the preparation of your wedding service.

We look forward to connecting with you. After you have looked at the information below, please complete Westwood's WEDDING REQUEST FORM (below). If you have additional questions, please contact Westwood Office Manager Lisa Boers.

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Preparation Process

Once we receive your contract, deposit check and your date is confirmed through the church office, we will get you started in our marriage preparation process. The timeline for this process is 6-8 months from the date of your wedding.

Prep Process

Step1

After your date is secured and a pastor and wedding coordinator are assigned, you will complete the Prepare-Enrich Inventory. This is an online pre-marital assessment that will be sent to each of you by email, and completed individually. This assessment is custom-tailored to a couple's relationship and is reviewed during your meetings with the pastor.

Step2

As a couple, you will attend a Pre-Marriage Retreat, Saturday, April 1, 2023,

9 AM - 3 PM on ZOOM. This retreat is taught by Pastor Nancy Carlson.
She will lead you through fun and interactive exercises and conversations covering issues relating to communication, conflict resolution, intimacy and looking at yourselves and each other through the Enneagram.

The cost of this one-session Pre-Marriage Retreat is $75 per couple. After completion, you will receive a signed form from the pastor who is officiating at your wedding. If you present the signed form to the County when you apply for your Marriage License – you will receive a reduced Marriage License fee. You must pre-register at least 3 weeks ahead.

To register: https://westwood.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/193/responses/new

Step
3

You will have one or two (1-2) private sessions with the pastor who will officiate at your wedding. During the session(s), you will get to know the pastor, and the pastor will get to know you! Your pastor will help to make your wedding as personal as possible. The sessions will include conversation, a review of the results of your Prepare-Enrich Inventory, and assistance with planning your wedding worship service.

Scheduling

Weddings at Westwood are generally scheduled on Saturdays and are typically 30 to 40 minutes in length. The church is available for weddings from 11 AM to 4 PM.

The wedding rehearsal is typically held the evening prior to the wedding and is conducted by the wedding coordinator. Your wedding rehearsal will be with the entire wedding party, including ushers and parents. It will usually last about one hour.

Coordinators

Westwood Wedding Coordinator

Our wedding coordinators are experienced, accommodating and will provide you with the tools and resources that will help you with your decisions. You will begin meeting with your wedding coordinator at least six (6) months before your wedding. Your coordinator will:

Give you a Westwood wedding guide that will provide you with a wide variety of information as well as many details helpful in planning a wedding.
Help you collect information for your wedding worship planning.
Guide you as you select your scripture readings, wedding vows, and prayers important to you both.
Assist you in connecting with our organist/director of music for music suggestions and ideas.

Your wedding coordinator will be available to you and your wedding party for your entire special day and will make every effort to assure that every detail is covered.