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Perhaps you are considering Blackhawk Church for your wedding. We want every couple to experience a memorable and sacred wedding service. Marriage is a covenant through which a man and a woman offer vows before God to live out together their lives of discipleship. Our policies about weddings emerge from this conviction.

Who may use the facility?

Since our purpose is to establish Christian marriages in the context of a loving community, weddings are reserved only for individuals who are committed followers of Christ and who have been regularly attending Blackhawk for at least six months prior to their application to be married here.

We believe sexual abstinence before marriage is God's design for each couple. We also believe living separately from each other until the wedding day is important in creating space for you to maintain the boundaries needed to do your pre-marriage process well.

Therefore, we ask you as a couple, to covenant with each other to abstain sexually throughout the pre-marriage period until you are married, and to live separately from each other until your wedding day. If there are any circumstances that you think merit special consideration, please explain on the reverse side of the wedding application.

How do we arrange a wedding date?

Your first step in the Blackhawk marriage process is to print and fill out a marriage application. On that form, you will have the opportunity to list a desired wedding date. Keep in mind that because of the nature of the church calendar, we can only schedule dates up to a year in advance, and that due to staff and facility commitments, weddings may not be possible on or around certain holidays.

Once you turn in an application, you will be asked to attend a Marriage Information Class. Attending the class will answer most of your questions about the marriage process, and will give you the tools you need to navigate the next several hectic months. This class is for those who are sure they want to be married at Blackhawk, for those who are still investigating the process and even for those who are pre-engaged. We ask you to attend the class at least 6-9 months before your desired wedding date so that you can complete the necessary steps to have your wedding at Blackhawk.

Do you have premarital counseling?

In place of traditional premarital counseling with a pastor, Blackhawk makes use of a team of dedicated mentors. These mentors are Blackhawk couples who have been married for varying lengths of time, and whose desire it is to assist newly married couples start their lives together successfully. Each engaged couple will meet with a mentor couple for between 6 and 10 sessions to discuss a variety of aspects of married life. As part of the mentor process, every couple must complete a relationship evaluation called PREPARE. The PREPARE evaluation is administered online, and is designed to measure a couple's relationship strengths and growth areas in several key categories. It is from the PREPARE evaluation that much of the mentor material will come.

May we use a pastor who is not from Blackhawk Church?

Approval of anyone other than a Blackhawk pastor must be obtained in writing from our pastors before you proceed with definite plans.

Can we make use of the mentoring process at Blackhawk, but get married elsewhere?

Understandably, our mentors are focused on investing in the lives of others from Blackhawk. If you are a part of Blackhawk Church and plan on continuing to worship here after your wedding, we want to make the mentor process available to you regardless of where you choose to hold the ceremony. However, if you do not plan on being a part of Blackhawk Church after your wedding, we must give priority to those who are a part of our church family. We will do our best to provide you with a mentor, but we cannot guarantee it.

Will a Blackhawk pastor travel to ________________ to marry us?

Because of the limitations on our staff, we can only perform weddings within 15 miles of the church.

How do I request a specific pastor to marry us?

In order to keep the lives of our pastors balanced, and to insure they have time with their families, we cannot guarantee a specific pastor for your ceremony. However, in most cases we will be able to accommodate your request. Please do not call the pastor directly and ask him to perform your ceremony.

Will a wedding coordinator assist us?

Our wedding coordinators will help you with Blackhawk wedding resources, rehearsal staging, and your ceremony. You must use one of our coordinators, who will provide access to the building, as well as helpful information and service. Your coordinator will work closely with the pastoral staff member involved in your wedding.

How do we get in touch with the wedding coordinator?

Approximately two months prior to your wedding, a wedding coordinator will contact you to begin discussing ceremony details.

May we have our reception at Blackhawk?

Our Auditoriums and kitchen are available for your rehearsal dinner or reception. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed anywhere in the facility or on the church grounds and smoking is not permitted in the building. The kitchen contains a variety of serving utensils, which are available for your use. You will need to provide your own staff for set-up and clean-up of the facility. When you are planning your reception, your coordinator will help you determine what is available and what you will need to get through another source.

Schedule of Fees