Revision 6/20/2013
A Letter from Pastor Del Smith
Let me take this opportunity to congratulate you on your upcoming wedding. Our prayer
is that your wedding will be a great success and your marriage will be greatly blessed.
We are excited about helping you form this wonderful commitment and bond with the
blessing and direction of God.
It is interesting to note that in our culture, it is easier to get a marriage license than a
driver’s license. There are all kinds of tests required for driver’s license but for a
marriage license there is only a fee. And yet we can do so much more damage with a
marriage license than we can with a driver’s license!
It is my desire to see your marriage become a success. It is therefore necessary, that you
be prepared for marriage and that you are able to learn how to handle the struggles you
will face as two people mold themselves into one. It is not an easy process. The
wonderful feelings of love are sometimes drowned out by the conflict of adjustment. It is
our purpose to see you have a successful marriage and to help you confront these issues.
With this in mind, we make it a mandatory requirement at Christian Life Center for you
to attend pre-marital instruction.
We feel one of the best ways to accomplish the pre-marital instruction is to lead you
through a course that is simple, personal and helpful. The Premarriage Instruction Team
will help lead you through, on a personal basis, many of the questions and challenges that
you will face in your married life. They will share with you from their experience, many
methods and answers to help you be successful in your relationship. There is no charge
for this pre-marital course, other than the books and materials needed for the instructions.
A marriage inventory called “PREPARE” is given as part of the teaching. You will
receive two Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts books (Parrott & Parrott), two Saving
Your Marriage workbooks (Parrott & Parrott), one Sexual Intimacy in Marriage book
(Cutrer and Glahn), one PREPARE/Enrich Evaluation, and eight sessions with trained
premarital instructors. The cost of the materials is $100.00.
Due to the time required for the pre-marital counseling, we do not schedule weddings less
than six months from the time the request is submitted. If the pre-marital counseling
sessions are not completed, Christian Life Center and the Pastor performing the
ceremony reserve the right to withdraw their involvement in the ceremony. Please
remember this is a requirement, and it must be completed at least 2 months prior to your
wedding date. We leave the responsibility in your hands. Remember, preparing for your
wedding is far more than arranging a caterer, contacting photographers or buying a dress.
Those things will pass away in one day, but the foundations that we lay in this pre-marital
course will stay with you all of your lives. This should be the number one priority for
you.
Thank you for letting us serve you. This is a part of our ministry and service to you as a
couple so that you develop a strong marriage relationship. God bless you.
Sincerely,
Del Smith,
Senior Pastor
Planning Your Wedding
at
Christian Life Center
Christian Life Center’s policy concerning marriage is based on biblical principles. The Bible
states that marriage is ordained by God, it is not just a contract between two people but it is a
covenant between a man and a woman. It is sanctioned in the presence of God and according to
Scripture “the two shall become one flesh”. (Genesis 2:21-24; Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:31;
Malachi 2:14).
Your wedding is one of the most important moments of commitment in your life. This sacred
occasion marks the beginning of your new journey together. Our desire is to encourage and
support you in the fulfillment of your wedding covenants to each other and to God. To ensure
that this day is the most meaningful and memorable for you, your family and your friends,
careful planning and preparation are in order. For that reason, we are providing the following
information to help you plan and prepare for your wedding here at Christian Life Center.
Our wedding consultants will be your personal assistants in the planning and preparations for
your wedding. Serving as liaisons between the church staff and the wedding party, they will help
you manage all the aspects of your wedding ceremony. They can be a source of information and
helping hand when you need it most. Our wedding consultants take personal pride in ensuring
your ceremony to be the best it can be.
We are pleased to be able to provide a very beautiful facility for your special day. God has truly
blessed us with this wonderful gift, and we are glad to share it with you. Our sanctuary seats
approximately 1550 people and includes a large stage area for your ceremony. The foyer will
offer a vast area for your guests to enter and for your receiving line following the ceremony.
Dressing rooms can be available for the bridal party upon request and those arrangements will be
taken care of via your wedding facilitator. Flowers and decorations can be a beautiful addition to
your wedding, but please do not use nails or tacks, use only dripless candles and we ask that any
moving of furnishings or equipment be done by our church custodial staff. To assist you further,
we have purchased several beautiful Candelabras and a Unity Candle Stand that are also
available for you to use with a small cost for the candle inserts. Please note that we can not
guarantee the overall appearance of our sanctuary, primarily the platform. We will do our best to
create a pleasing aesthetic, but there may be changes made at our discretion.
Setting the tone for your wedding vow ceremony is also an important element. That is why we
encourage you to select your wedding music carefully and with much thought. It is most
important to keep in mind that your wedding is a special and reverent moment, not only before
your guests but also before the Lord. If you need assistance in music selections, your wedding
consultants will be glad to help. Our desire is that the quality of music be representative of the
standard of musical excellence which is upheld in the services of Christian Life Center.
Since this is such an important moment in your life, and it is our church home, there are some
general guidelines that will help make this day go well for everyone involved.

It is important for everyone to recognize that the church is a house of God and that each
member of your wedding party conducts themselves appropriately. These are your
friends and relatives and we ask that you be responsible for the people who you choose.
Your ushers should be responsible individuals to help carry out these guidelines for you.

There will be no alcoholic beverages permitted anywhere on the premises. Any
member of the bridal party who is found to be intoxicated will not be allowed to
participate in the wedding ceremony. If the bride or groom is found to be
intoxicated, the ceremony will be cancelled immediately without any refunds of any
kind. Your ceremony is a covenant made before God and nothing should hinder
that.

Confetti or rice must not be thrown inside or outside the church building. An alternative
suggestion has been to use bubbles as the bridal party exits the building.
CHRISTIAN LIFE CENTER
WEDDING POLICY
The use of our facility is contingent upon the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Receipt of your application and deposit of $200.00*
Verification of your membership or regular attendance for the past three months
Verification of availability of the date you are requesting
Verification of the availability of the Pastor
Completion of the premarital counseling, Prepare evaluation, and premarital instruction
(this requires 6 months time)
*Deposit will NOT be refunded in cases: extreme lateness of thirty
minutes or more on the rehearsal/wedding day, damage incurred
on church premises, or if any alcoholic beverages are found to be
on the church premises.
You will have a total of one hour on the night of the rehearsal and three hours on the day
of your wedding at Christian Life Center facility. Your Wedding Coordinator will go over
this in detail with you.
Scheduling Your Wedding Ceremony
Scheduling your wedding at Christian Life Center is an easy process and there are a few guidelines that will help us facilitate all that is required on our part. Ceremony times may be anytime
up to 4:00pm on Saturdays and up to 7:00pm on most weekdays.

Weddings can be scheduled within the following times:
- January 1st until two weeks before Easter
- One week after Easter until one weekend before Thanksgiving
- There will be no wedding ceremonies scheduled on the following holidays:
Memorial Day Weekend, July 4th weekend and Labor Day weekend.

Your wedding rehearsal will be held on the evening before your wedding and can be
scheduled up until 6:00pm. Your rehearsal is a very important aspect to the look of your
wedding, so everyone needs to be present and on time. One hour is allotted for your
rehearsal. You will be given one half hour grace period, and then there will be a charge
of $50.00 per half hour after that. If everyone is ready at your specific time, then with the
help of our facilitators, the rehearsal can be accomplished in one hour. Remember, we
are here to help you to make this day special.
To schedule your wedding at Christian Life Center:
1.
Pick your wedding date. For information about available dates please call Claudia Harris
at 267.852.2090.
No dates will be held without church calendar approval and a deposit.
2.
Set the time for your wedding and rehearsal. All rehearsals will be held the day before the
wedding. Be sure that all can attend, this ensures that your wedding
will run as smooth as possible. (Note: If you request to conduct a ceremony on Friday,
your rehearsal time will have to be Thursday at 5:00pm.)
3.
Fill out your Request for Wedding Reservation form (enclosed) and return it along with
your deposit of $200* to Attn: Wedding Request, Christian Life Center, 3100 Galloway
Road, Bensalem, PA 19020. Your request will be formally presented for placement on the
church calendar, and we will confirm by telephone and written response that your wedding
date has been officially reserved. Please DO NOT order any dated material until you have
received the letter.
4.
Once your request has been approved, one of our wedding consultants will contact you in
order to start the wedding plans. Also, someone from our pre-marriage counseling team will
call to schedule an appointment to begin your pre-marital instruction.
Weddings at Christian Life Center are reserved for our regular attendees; therefore, we offer our
facilities to you at no charge. However, we do recommend that you give honorariums to the people that
will be working with you to make your wedding the best possible occasion. These people work regular
jobs, and they take on the extra responsibility to making your wedding successful. To assist you in
making sure that they are taken care of, please refer to our fee schedule below. Please write one check
written out to Christian Life Center and give it to your wedding consultant 3 weeks prior to the
wedding. Your wedding consultant will discuss these further with you.
Wedding Honorariums:
Damage Deposit (refundable) *
Minister
Wedding Consultants
Sound Technician
Video Technician
Candles
$200.00 (Mandatory)
$125.00 / Off Site $175.00 (Mandatory)
$225.00 (Mandatory)
$75.00 (Mandatory)
$75.00
$ 30.00
You will have a total of one hour on the night of the rehearsal and three hours on the day
of your wedding at Christian Life Center facility. Your Wedding Coordinator will go over
this in detail with you.
*Within 4 weeks, the deposit automatically will be returned to the person and location where it
Deposit will NOT be refunded in cases: extreme lateness of
thirty minutes or more on the rehearsal/wedding day, damage
incurred on church premises, or if any alcoholic beverages are
found to be on the church premises.
originated.
A Message for the Photographer
In trying to help make your wedding a wonderful, memorable and sacred experience, we have a
few guidelines we would like you to pass along to your photographer.

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
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Feel free to take flash photography during the processional and recessional.
Please do not stand on steps or platform.
Please do not stand on the floor space directly in front of the 2 main aisles; the groomsmen
stand on the right hand side of the center aisle. Please do not block them in any way.
There is to be no moving around during the ceremony. Pastor is very strict about this and will
stop the ceremony to correct the situation if needed.
You are welcome to set up your tripod half-way back in the main aisle once the bride has
entered.
You will have 30 minutes to take photographs in the sanctuary after the receiving line is
finished.
Do not move anything in the church without the permission of the wedding coordinator.
(candelabras, microphones, etc.)
The wedding is not a photo opportunity but rather a religious ceremony, and it is expected to be
treated as such. If a photo cannot be obtained during the ceremony, we can arrange for it to be
taken afterwards.
Thank you for your cooperation,
Wedding Consultant
Christian Life Center
Christian Life Center ~ Request For Wedding Reservation
For all regular attenders and members of Christian Life Center the rental cost for our
Sanctuary is no charge for you. All monies will be due to Wedding Consultant 3 weeks prior to
your wedding.
Are you a regular attendee of Christian Life Center? ___________________
Which service do you attend? __________________________
(Please Note: We reserve the use of our facilities for regular attendees; therefore before your
request is approved, we will check your church attendance for the last three months.)
What kind of ceremony are you requesting (Please Circle)
A. Large ceremony, which includes usage of sanctuary, candelabras, sound,
lighting and wedding consultants.
B. Small ceremony conducted in Pastor’s Office.*
*(Please understand that you will not be permitted to use the sanctuary,
candelabra or wedding facilitators. There will be no exceptions!)
Bride_________________________________
Groom________________________________
Bride’s Address________________________________________________________________
Bride’s Home#__________________________W/Cell#_____________________________
Bride’s E-Mail ________________________________
Groom’s Address_______________________________________________________________
Groom’s Home Phone ________________________ W/Cell#____________________________
Groom’s E-Mail ________________________________
What dates and times are you requesting for your wedding?
Wedding Day: ___________________________________ Time: _________________________
(No later than 4:00 pm on Saturday.)
Rehearsal Day:___________________________________ Time:________________________
(No later than 6:00pm on Friday or 5:00 pm on Thursday if Friday Wedding)
Desired Pastor on Staff to perform ceremony:_________________________________________
1st choice
________________________________________
2nd choice
(Church policy is that one of our Pastors on staff must perform the ceremony. However, this
does not guarantee that the Pastor you choose will be available. If you request an outside
Pastor, they may assist with the ceremony, but you must obtain prior permission.)
By signing this form, we understand that we must successfully complete the premarital
teaching course requirements two months before the wedding date. It takes approximately
three months to complete this premarital counseling course and evaluation. We also need to
allow time for the availability of the mentor couple doing the counseling. We understand
and accept Christian Life Center’s wedding guidelines.
_____________________________________
Signature of Bride
____________________________________
Signature of Groom
This form and refundable* deposit of $200.00 must be on file with the church to secure the date
that you have requested. You will be notified within two weeks once this date has been
approved.
You will have a total of one hour on the night of your rehearsal and three hours at
Christian Life Center on the day of your wedding. Your Wedding Coordinator will go over
this in detail with you.
* Within 4 weeks, the deposit automatically will be returned to the person and location where it
Deposit will NOT be refunded in cases: extreme lateness of thirty
minutes or more on the rehearsal/wedding day, damage incurred on church
premises, or if any alcoholic beverages are found to be on the church premises.
originated.
Please return this application to:
Wedding Request
Christian Life Center
3100 Galloway Road
Bensalem, PA 19020
For Office Use Only: __________________________________________________________
Date Deposit Received: ________________ Check #_____________ Amount#_____________
Received By: _____________________________________
Bride and/or groom are regular attendees of CLC for the past 3 months
Checked by______________________________________________Date_________________