About Marriage Ministry
"Marriage is a lifelong, covenant relationship between one woman and one man."
We are committed to "honoring the covenant" by supporting strong Christian marriages. In every stage and in every circumstance of life, we want to encourage and enrich godly, lifelong marriages while holding to the truth of God's Word and defending the covenant relationship that God has established between one man and one woman.
Whether you are engaged or newly married, long-term married or remarried, balancing dual careers or entering retirement, raising children, stepchildren, grandchildren or none at all - whatever stage in life you are in - we want to help you thrive in your marriage. On these pages, you'll find a variety of resources and opportunities to support you in that endeavor.
If you are considering getting married at Northside, please feel free to look over the Frequently Asked Questions below. If you have already reserved Northside for your wedding, we have placed the Northside wedding policies, a wedding checklist, liability release form and Scripture references below. Click on the links below to download these documents. If you have any questions, please contact: Sally Burkhalter 229-242-4940.
Northside Wedding Policies
Wedding Checklist
Liability Release Form
Information for Decorators
Information for Photographers and Videographers
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® is required to view and print the form. To ensure that you have the most recent version, you may download a free copy of the software here.
1) Does Northside limit its weddings to church members? Yes. Because of the high usage rate of our facilities by Northside ministries and members, the Pastors and Management Team have decided to conduct weddings for member families.
2) What is the first step in arranging a wedding at Northside? The first step is to speak to a Northside pastor, requesting that he conduct the wedding ceremony. You may wish to approach a pastor you have come to know through a particular ministry. The pastor will want to meet with you and your fiancé. All of our pastors are committed to Biblical marriage as the union of two believers. The pastor will want to hear your testimonies or discuss with you your relationships with Christ. Once a Northside pastor has agreed to conduct your wedding, you may request that a date be booked.
3) What if I want to be married at Northside by my hometown pastor? Weddings here are usually conducted by Northside pastors. On rare occasions a guest pastor may be approved or sometimes there may be co-officiates for the ceremony. Please discuss this with the Northside pastor when you speak with him.
4) How do I find out if the church is available for my wedding date? Call the church office (229-242-4940) and ask to speak with Sally Burkhalter, the Wedding Administrative Assistant. She can discuss with you what dates the church is available.
5) May I put a date on hold while waiting to meet with a pastor? No. In an effort to make sure the calendar clearly reflects available and booked dates, we will wait until plans for the wedding are certain before booking the wedding.
6) How much advance notice is needed to schedule a wedding at Northside? Several months are needed to arrange meetings, complete counseling, and finalize arrangements. Some couples, of course, begin the process much further ahead than that.
7) Is premarital counseling required? Premarital counseling, a valuable time of preparation for the lifelong commitment of marriage, is a requirement for all weddings performed at Northside Baptist Church. The pastor who will perform your wedding or his designee will meet with you and your fiancé over a 4-6 week period.
8) What is the fee for holding a wedding at Northside? Northside asks the family to pay a fee of $400. This fee helps Northside cover some of the additional costs associated with a wedding. Church expenses can range up to $700-$800 per wedding for set-up, security, technical and custodial fees.
9) Does any of this fee go to the pastor conducting the ceremony? No. The pastors conduct marriages as part of their vows to serve as ministers of the gospel. Any honorarium the couple wishes to give the pastor is a separate consideration.
10) May I select my own wedding director or must I use a Northside director? You must use an approved Northside wedding director. She is familiar with wedding etiquette as well as our facility. She will be the church's representative during wedding activities.
11) Which rooms may be used for weddings? Weddings are typically held in the worship center. Receptions and rehearsal dinners are usually held in the fellowship hall or Family Life Center.