Beautiful Beverly MA

Weddings

Facility

  • The couple is responsible for securing a facility for the ceremony
  • For facilities beyond a two-hour drive from Beverly, MA, it is customary to provide for the travel expenses of the officiating pastor

Pastoral Services

  • For non-members of the Harbor, a gift of $250 for the officiating pastor is recommended for 6 hours of pre-marital counseling, presiding over the wedding rehearsal (in conjunction with a wedding coordinator, if provided by the couple), officiating of the wedding ceremony, and filing of the marriage license; payment should be rendered at the wedding rehearsal
  • For regular attenders & members of the Harbor, the above services are free; however, a voluntary gift to the pastor is appreciated and is typically offered by the wedding day

Pre-Marital Counseling

  • The couple should arrange for three 2-hour or two 3-hour sessions of premarital counseling with the officiating pastor within 2 to 6 months of the wedding
  • The bride and groom will each be asked to take an online assessment created by Prepare/Enrich before the first counseling session, cost $25 each
  • The couple is strongly encouraged to read any or all of the following books:
    • Love and War by John & Stasi Eldredge (Random House, 2009)
    • The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy & Kathy Keller (Dutton, 2011)
    • The Mystery of Marriage by Mike Mason (Multnomah Books, 1996)
    • Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas (Zondervan, 2002)
Ocean View in Beverly MA

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

Adapted from Park Street Church, Boston

Are there any prerequisites to getting married by The Harbor’s pastoral staff?

  • Both you and your fiancé must be followers of Jesus (2 Corinthians 6.14)
  • You both must be free to marry: never married before, or divorced on Biblical grounds (Matthew 19.9, 1 Corinthians 7)
  • You both must understand and be committed to living out a Biblical pattern of marriage (Ephesians 5.22-33)
  • If you are currently cohabiting or involved sexually in a way that is reserved for marriage, you are urged to repent, in part by not living together/being sexually active until after the wedding, and by having your wedding as soon as possible (2 Samuel 13.16, Genesis 34.4, Exodus 22.16)
    • The Harbor’s pastoral staff is also happy to perform weddings for couples who do not yet profess faith in Jesus Christ, provided they are willing to undergo the requisite premarital counseling; where one member of the couple is a follower of Jesus and the other is not, a preliminary meeting of the couple with the pastor will be needed to determine whether or not the pastor can marry the couple in good conscience (2 Corinthians 6.14-18)

Why must we do premarital counseling?

  • Knowing the rigors of marriage and believing marriage to be a lasting union between one man and one woman, the pastoral staff of the Harbor want to help prepare you for married life after the wedding

Can we substitute other premarital counseling services?

  • No; while premarital counseling from multiple sources is encouraged (see Home Improvement Ministries, for example), it cannot replace the counseling done by the officiating pastor

What if the pastoral staff of the Harbor is unwilling to perform a wedding?

  • If on the basis of moral grounds the staff cannot marry a couple in good conscience, the staff will suggest alternatives to the couple

How do i get started?

  • Contact the harbor, 100 cummings center suite 330-g, beverly ma 01915, 978.801.1777 or email sarab@the-harbor.net