It’s Your Day!

Congratulations, you’re getting married! There are so many decisions to be made and finalized. The following list is to help you in making all the necessary decisions for your coming wedding celebration.

First Things First!

Secure a wedding venue and pastor

Often, if you’re set on a particular date you may need to reserve the site and officiant a year in advance. So schedule your venue tours early in the planning stage.

Choosing Maranatha

First point of contact: Jaime Fairbanks is your first point of contact. She will check the availability of the church and pastor for your desired date. You can reach Jaime at 651-464-3131 or magadmin@realchurch.org with any questions you may have.

Event Facilitator: Jaime Fairbanks is also Maranatha’s Event Facilitator. She will walk you through the steps of making sure you’ve got everything you need to make your special day a success. There is a required a down payment to reserve the facility and pastor.

Pastor: After you book your wedding date, the pastor performing the ceremony will touch base with you to confirm dates, times, and location. Pastors are willing to perform ceremonies at any location. If you choose a Maranatha pastor to perform the ceremony, he/she will require you and your fiancé to go through the premarital preparation program we have at Maranatha. The following section will walk you through that process.

Premarital Preparation

Pastor Michelle Ingram is the premarital coordinator. She will be meeting with you to set up premarital mentoring. The initial meeting is to gather information to register you for taking an online assessment and will last about 20 minutes. The fee for the assessment is $50/couple and once you’ve completed the mentor sessions you will receive a certificate that entitles you to approximately $70 off your marriage license fee. Pastor Michelle can be reached at 651.464.3131

The Prepare-Enrich Assessment The assessment is not a compatibility test. It shows where your relationship is strong and possible weaknesses.

Mentoring Meetings Once you’ve both taken the assessment, you’ll be paired with a mentor couple whom you will meet with approximately 6 times for 1-1½ hours. These sessions are considered counseling and are kept confidential unless your mentor couple has questions that need addressing by a pastor.

Meeting Completion You will receive your Educators Statement of completion either at your last session or in the mail that will entitle you to the discount on your marriage license. Your statement is only accepted in Minnesota.

Obtain Your Marriage License

Once you’ve received your Educator’s Statement you will be able to go to any Minnesota county Recorder’s Office and present your statement at the time you apply for your license. Make sure you allow enough time to receive your license in the mail. The length of time this takes may vary from county to county.