Sundays 10:30 AM | 6:00 PM

Wedding Ministry

Community Bible Church
710 Broadway Street
Vallejo, CA 9490
(707) 553-8780

OVERVIEW

The Wedding Ministry at CBC is available for CBC members and their immediate family members. The ministry seeks to glorify God by providing support with wedding ceremony and reception coordination.
Helpful Contacts
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Congratulations!
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! We are happy that you wish to schedule your wedding ceremony at Community Bible Church, Vallejo (CBC). We believe marriage is a holy ordinance of God. The CBC wedding coordination ministry seeks to serve the engaged couple by providing them with biblically-based guidance, by loving them and showing them compassion, and by extending that love to unsaved friends and family members. This serving, as a form of worship, magnifies God’s greatness, and draws attention to Him.  Likewise, the bride and groom will have opportunities to worship through serving, making sacrifices and preferring the other in a manner that is pleasing to God (Rom 12:1).   

First and foremost, with the provision of ceremony and reception coordination, the CBC wedding ministry exists to glorify God (1 Cor 10:31). Second, this ministry exists to publicly praise the inerrancy of God’s design for marriage and to reinforce the seriousness of the covenant between one man and one woman (Gn 2:23-24). Third, the CBC wedding ministry team assists the bride and groom in lovingly displaying to the world — through a biblical ceremony — that fulfillment in marriage is only possible for those in communion and submission to God. Neither a husband nor a wife can fulfill their God-given role apart from the work of the Holy Spirit (Eph 5).

Included in the following pages are the wedding guidelines. Please take the time to review this booklet carefully.  All weddings are considered “pending” and will not be added to the church calendar until the following requirements are met:
  • Premarital Questionnaire and Wedding Reservation Application  are completed
  • The bride and groom should each complete the Premarital Questionnaires, which is found on our website.
  • The questionnaires must be reviewed and approved. (by the officiating pastor) You will also find service provider agreements in this wedding book. Service provider agreements should be returned no later than 30 days prior to the wedding date.
  • Lastly, couples are required to complete premarital counseling. Please sign and return this letter stating that you have read, understand, and agree to abide by the wedding guidelines set forth by Community Bible Church, Vallejo.  
Again, congratulations from the entire CBC staff.  Do not hesitate to call with any questions or concerns that you may have. We look forward to helping you plan for this most memorable occasion.   

In Him,     
Kathleen Lee & Jude Crippen
Wedding Coordinators
weddingministry@cbcvallejo.org

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Setting Date & Time/ Request for Wedding Reservation
A request for a wedding reservation on the church calendar will be made at a reasonable time in advance of the wedding date. Weddings may only be scheduled on Saturdays and rehearsals on Fridays.  We request, in consideration of resetting rooms and equipment for Sunday worship services, that no wedding ceremony start later than 4:00 PM on Saturday.

REHEARSAL ON FRIDAY - One-hour of scheduled rehearsal time is allowed.  No rehearsal may be planned later than 7:00 PM.

CEREMONY ON SATURDAY - Six-hour bookings allow for two hours prior to wedding and four hours from the time of the ceremony.  

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Wedding Venues
Weddings at CBC include:
  • A ceremony site from the list below
  • A CBC Wedding Coordinator
  • The services of a CBC wedding coordinator include but are not limited to two preparation meetings, a two-hour rehearsal with the wedding coordinator present and day-of coordination on your wedding day.
  • A bride’s room
  • A groom’s room
  • Audio system & sound technician
  • Safety and Security Team
  • Facilities are set-up of all church supplied equipment

Receptions at CBC include:
  • A CBC Kitchen Manager
  • A CBC Reception Coordinator
  • Use of tables and chairs (for reception)
  • Use standard centerpiece arrangement for receptions
  • Use of cake, gift and guest book set up in main room

AVAILABLE VENUES:
Worship Center
  • Seats up to 1,000 guests
  • Available for ceremony only

Multipurpose Room (MPR)
  • Seats 324 sit-down dining guests
  • Available for ceremony and/or reception

Student Center
  • Seats 100 guests
  • Available for ceremony and/or reception
  • Available for bridal showers

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Bridal Shower Guidelines
One of the ministries of Community Bible Church  is to provide a setting where a Christian marriage ceremony can be held. It will be most meaningful to you, your family and friends when there is careful planning. For that reason, the following statements will govern the plans for your wedding. We sincerely believe these policies to be the most suitable and practical for all concerned. In order to maintain a safe environment for you, the wedding party and others who visit our campus, children must be supervised at all times.  Please use only the rooms set aside for wedding preparation. Many of our rooms are set up for upcoming events. We ask that you leave the facilities in good condition.

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Where to Dress
  • The Bride and bridesmaids dressing area is located in the nursery on the first floor of the Worship Center, Building A. 
  • The Groom and groomsmen dressing area is located on the second floor of the Worship Center, Building A, in room 220.
Please take all personal belongings with you after the wedding and clean the rooms. Do not leave any valuables in the rooms during the wedding or reception. CBC will not be held responsible for lost items or items left behind.

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Modesty Guidelines
For the Christian couple, the marriage ceremony is a time to celebrate the providence of God in bringing them together. It is a time to hear the requirements of a husband and wife from God’s Word. It is a time to promise before God to fulfill His perfect plan for marriage and is a time to ask God for the grace needed to live in love for Him and for each other.

Because you are looking to the Lord for His blessing, it should be your desire to glorify Him in every aspect of the ceremony. This can be accomplished through the handling of details such as vows, music and unity candle. On the other hand, each aspect also has the opportunity to draw attention away from God, so you must purpose to keep Him the center. God is demoted to a secondary place in immodesty of dress in the bridal party.

In today’s wedding, the bride has been elevated to the main attraction. While we understand this joy and admiration, the bride and groom must not disregard Scripture’s clear teaching on modesty (1 Timothy 2:9-10).

The Community Bible Church pastoral staff has provided a few guidelines to help each bride and bridesmaid be beautiful in modesty. These guidelines are intended to help keep God first in all weddings at CBC. 

Please use the list below when choosing gowns and dresses. All dresses:
  • Should have straps.
  • Should have necklines that completely conceal cleavage.
  • Should have sufficient covering on the back.
  • Should avoid excessive tightness.

Start with a Heart Check . . .

“How does a woman discern the sometimes fine line between proper dress and dressing to be the center of attention? The answer starts in the intent of the heart. A woman should examine her motives and goals for the way she dresses. Is her intent to show the grace and beauty of womanhood? Is it to reveal a humble heart devoted to worshipping God? Or is it to call attention to herself and flaunt her beauty? Or worse, to attempt to lure men sexually? A woman who focuses on worshipping God will consider carefully how she is dressed, because her heart will dictate her wardrobe and appearance.” John MacArthur  (emphasis added)

  • What statement do my clothes make about my heart?

  • In choosing what clothes to wear today, whose attention do I desire and whose approval do I crave? Am I seeking to please God or impress others?

  • Is what I wear consistent with biblical values of modesty, self -control and respectable apparel, or does my dress reveal an inordinate identification and fascination with sinful cultural values?

  • Who am I trying to identify with through my dress? Is the Word of God my standard or is the latest fashion?

  • Have I asked other godly individuals to evaluate my wardrobe?

  • Does my clothing reveal an allegiance to the gospel or is there any contradiction between my profession of faith and my practice of godliness?


(Taken from the book GIRL TALK by Carolyn Mahoney and Nicole Whitacre)

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Considerations on Rentals/Trash
RENTALS
CBC is not responsible for loading and unloading rented items. This must be worked out between the bridal party and the rental company.

A pickup time must be set in advance of the wedding date. If the rental company does not show up at the time agreed to, the items will be left outside the building not picked up at a time agreed to by the bridal party and rental company.

TRASH
All trash needs to be taken to the dumpster located at the back of Building B.

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Officiant
Submit the names of your first and second pastor of choice from our active elders to the Wedding Coordinator and she will check their availability. Any Officiant, other than a CBC Pastor, that is requested to officiate a wedding ceremony on the CBC campus must acquire approval from the elders.

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Sound and Safety Personnel
Approved Sound Technicians
  • Lance Lee 
  • 707-208-1518
  • speak2lee@yahoo.com
The Sound Technician will arrive one hour prior to the wedding.

Approved Safety Personnel
  • Greg Crippen 707-235-9501; freewayflyer85@att.net
The Security team will arrive two hours prior to the wedding.

Safety Patrol Recommendation - Responsibility of the groom, approved by elders and authorized by Greg Crippen.

Below are the number of safety personnel required to host events here at CBC:

  • 0-100 guests - 2 Safety guards

  • 101-200 guests - 3 Safety Guards

  • 201-300 guests - 4 Safety guards

  • 201-400 guests - 5 Safety guards


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Wedding Music
It is important to keep in mind that a wedding is a service of the church. The music should be in keeping with a ceremony that honors and glorifies our Lord Jesus Christ. Music and vocal selections to be used for the ceremony or reception should be submitted to the Worship Pastor for his approval. If there is doubt about a selection of music, you may call the Worship Pastor.  
 
Honorarium for the above ministries: An honorarium shows respect and appreciation,  a token of appreciation for their service, for their time and effort in performing the ceremony and guidance.

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Wedding Reception Dance Guidelines
When celebrating the marriage at the wedding reception, an opportunity is given to us to show the gospel in a tangible way that is expressed in the 3 traditional dances. 
  1. Bride/Groom Dance 
  2. Father/Daughter Dance 
  3. Mother/Son Dance

As with all activities that take place on the CBC campus, it is our desire to bring glory to God. We allow traditional dances; however, we ask that none of the music has explicit lyrics or works against a biblical worldview. If it is questionable, it would be best to not play it.  

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Decor Guidelines
It is the responsibility of the wedding party to arrange with a florist for decorations. Florists or individuals who provide decorations will be responsible for any damage caused by themselves, their employees, or their equipment.  If damage occurs, the church will arrange for repairs and the florist or individual will be responsible for payment.   Care should be taken to protect all church property; therefore, the following guidelines should be observed.   

  • No nails, tacks, staples, tape or glue may be used to attach decorations to the walls, woodwork, furniture, windows, columns or floors. We recommend using wall mounting tabs, clear suction cups with hooks, etc.  
  • Only mechanical or LED candles may be used.  
  • Florists are responsible for clearing all flowers and decorations at the conclusion of the ceremony. This allows time to reset the room. It is the wedding party’s responsibility to check and make sure this is taken care of before leaving the Community Bible Church campus.    
  • At no time are live flower petals to be used inside the church or on the church grounds. We suggest silk petals.  
  • For the bride and groom’s departure, we suggest bubbles, sparklers, ribbons, bells, cell phone lights, etc.

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Photographer / Videographer Guidelines
Upon arrival, the photographer and/or videographer is to identify him or herself to the Wedding Coordinator.  She will advise where to set up.  

Flash photographs are not allowed after the bride has entered the platform area. Other photographs, such as time exposures, may only be taken from the back of the ceremony area. 

At no time during the ceremony will the photographer enter the stage area or place themselves in such a position that would distract from the ceremony.  

Video taping is allowed provided the equipment does not distract from the ceremony.  At no time during the ceremony will the videographer enter the platform area or place themselves in such a position that would distract from the ceremony.  

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Catering Guidelines
Community Bible Church provides tables and chairs at no extra charge. It will be the responsibility of the wedding party to arrange the tables and chairs to fit their preference. The bride and/or groom should complete the Kitchen Use Form. Both forms should be submitted to the Wedding Coordinator at least 30 days prior to the wedding. Importantly, a Certificate of Liability Insurance is required for all caterers.     

Policies Regarding Kitchen Use 

1. Do not remove items from the kitchen or leave dirty dishes. 
2. The caterer may use the refrigerator, freezer, warmers and the ice machine.  
3. Personal items brought into the kitchen facilities must be removed upon departure; otherwise, items will be discarded. Please inquire with the family before removing food.
4. All trash cans must be emptied upon departure. Trash bags should be tied and taken to the dumpster located at the back of Building B..  
7. Floors must be swept and mopped upon departure. 
8. Countertops and appliances must be wiped down upon departure. 
9. No alcoholic beverages of any kind may be consumed on the Community Bible Church campus.

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