Due to limited personnel and resources, wedding facilities are available only for those who regularly attend our services.

We believe that God uniquely designed and instituted marriage as a part of His good creation to be a covenant that exists solely between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:15–25). Both Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul affirm this divine design in the New Testament (Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:31). God declares consistently throughout His Word that He has established marriage:

  • to provide a living example of Christ’s relationship to His bride, the Church;
  • to experience and model the oneness and complementary blessing enjoyed by the Trinity; and
  • to enable and promote the procreation and rearing of children, creating families that serve as the fundamental units of a stable society (Genesis 1:28; 2:18–25; Ephesians 5:22–24; Revelation 21:1–11). God commands all people to honor this institution of marriage (Hebrews 13:4).

For these reasons, the elders and staff of Cherrydale Baptist Church agree and affirm that we will only use our facilities, assets, and property—whether real, personal, or intangible—to perform, promote, support, and recognize weddings and marriages that adhere to this biblical definition.

In addition, we will only officiate weddings—whether on or off our premises—and/or provide premarital preparation for couples who are equally yoked, i.e., two believers or two unbelievers (1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14).

We ask all marriage candidates to agree with and adhere to the following guidelines:

  • The couple will complete the Premarital Preparation Program provided by Cherrydale or a similar program approved by the Cherrydale pastors.
  • Both bride and groom are honoring their parents with respect to the pursuit of marriage and the timing of the wedding (Ephesians 6:1–2).
  • In cases where either partner has been married previously, we will only marry people with one of the following biblical grounds for divorce: (a)The partner’s former spouse committed adultery (Matthew 5:31–32) or (b) The partner’s former spouse was an unbeliever who abandoned the marriage covenant (1 Corinthians 7:12–16). We may also officiate a wedding for someone whose former spouse has died or remarried, thereby eliminating the possibility of reconciliation. In every instance of divorce, we will encourage all involved to do everything possible to reconcile previous marriages for the purposes of demonstrating Christ’s ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:21) and pursuing clear consciences (1 Timothy 1:5).

In our pursuit of holiness and submission to Christ’s Lordship, believers must agree with and adhere to these additional guidelines:

  • The engaged couple will strive for and maintain sexual purity in heart, mind, and deed, which will necessarily exclude pornography, sexual touching, any form of sexual intercourse, and any form of cohabitation (1 Corinthians 6:15–20; 1 Thessalonians 4:3–5).
  • The couple will participate fully in the life of the Cherrydale family (or their local church).

Premarital Preparation

Due to limited personnel and resources, wedding facilities are available only for those who regularly attend our services.

For engaged couples who agree and adhere to Cherrydale’s guidelines, begin your Cherrydale wedding or premarital counseling process by calling the church office.