Congratulations

At The Bridge, we believe that marriage is one of the places where we see the committed, unconditional love of God most clearly. In marriage, both you and your partner promise to love each other with a sacrificial, generous love through the highs and lows of life. We, the pastors and support team at The Bridge, are thrilled to be here to help you start that journey well in any way that we can!

Your Wedding

When a couple requests to use our worship space for their wedding, we assume that you desire for God’s presence to be acknowledged and God’s blessing to be sought as part of the service. 

We acknowledge that everyone is at a different place on their journey with God and their commitment to a church community, so we do not require you to be a member of our church to use the space for your wedding. We hope that this space will be a blessing to you as you celebrate your wedding day!

We are excited that you’ve expressed an interest in being married at The Bridge. To process your request, please carefully follow the guidelines outlined in below. 

Next Steps

Reserve Your Wedding Date

To reserve your wedding date, email the church office to check date availability. Once you have decided on the date and confirmed it with the church office, please send or deliver the completed wedding request form and the wedding fee to the church office, 10025 62nd Avenue, Johnston, Iowa 50131. Make checks payable to The Bridge. This reserves your wedding date. Your wedding date is not reserved until this is received. 

Because of special activities and preparation, we may not be able to book weddings during holiday seasons or the weekend prior to Vacation Bible School. The following holidays require approval from our lead pastor before a calendar reservation is made, and additional wedding fees may apply:

Easter weekend, Memorial Day weekend, July 4th weekend, Labor Day weekend, Thanksgiving weekend 

Contact and Meet with the Officiating Pastor

As you are setting a wedding date, be sure to contact the pastor you would like to officiate the service, to confirm that this date, time, and place will work for all. At this time, set up an initial appointment during which you will discuss the ceremony, pre-marital counseling (see below), and any other issues that may be important to you. If you wish to use an outside officiant, this will need to be approved by our Lead Pastor. 

Wedding Coordinator

Our wedding coordinator will help you with the details of having your wedding at our church and will be on-site for the rehearsal and wedding. Under the direction of the officiant, they are a liaison between the church and the wedding participants in all matters other than counseling and planning the ceremony. This service is required for all on-site weddings.

Attend Premarital Counseling sessions

While a wedding is for a day, a marriage is for a lifetime and we want to help you prepare for your life together by having you and your fiancé attend premarital counseling. We offer counseling as a wedding gift for those who are members of The Bridge - an investment in your marriage. When exceptions are made and wedding ceremonies are planned with a non-Bridge pastor, the couple needs to counsel with the officiating pastor. This is your opportunity to get to know your fiancé far better, in conversations you may not have had before; set standards for your life together, and evaluate your goals. Please visit with your officiating pastor about how to set up your counseling appointments. 

Wedding Package

Wedding Fee: $600 for members. Nonmembers should contact the church office for additional fee information. Your wedding date is confirmed on the church calendar when this fee is paid. Your wedding fee includes the following:

    - Wedding Coordinator services

    - Audio/Visual Technician

    - Organist/Pianist

Worship Center decor and musical instruments are NOT to be moved or removed. 

Saturday weddings start no later than 4:00 PM.

An aisle runner is not provided. You will need to rent or purchase your own if you choose to use one. 

An honorarium should be given to the officiating pastor. The amount is up to your discretion, but should be a minimum of $100.

Additional Wedding Details 

• Present the music to the officiating pastor for approval. We prefer that the music for your ceremony be worshipful, glorifying to God, and specifically Christian in content. If you are considering selections of a more secular nature, you must get the officiating pastor’s approval of such music.
• Smoking and alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the church facility and on the church property, including the parking lot. It is expected that you, your wedding party, and your guests will respect this policy.
• No rice, confetti, or birdseed may be thrown on the church campus. We recommend bells or bubbles as a festive alternative.
• Only silk flower petals may be dropped on the floor, not fresh flower petals.
• Please do not leave purses or other valuables unattended in dressing rooms or anywhere in the facility. A locked room is available to use upon request.
• Do not leave gifts and cards unattended; please make arrangements for someone to watch them and transfer to a safe location.
• Wedding rehearsal generally takes one hour. The wedding ceremony, depending on the length of music, is about 30 minutes.
• Wedding Receptions are not an option.

Wedding Request Form