Marriage, as held in the Christian Faith, is a divine institution which is established by Almighty God as a part of His loving purpose for humanity. Our Savior Jesus Christ said, “The Creator made them from the beginning male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be made one with his wife: and the two shall become one flesh.” Thus marriage is a gift and a calling of God, not to be taken lightly or entered into from selfish motives. Rather, a couple who comes to the church to be wed should be moved by reverence and devotion, fully realizing the purpose to which God has appointed for marriage. To be married in the church is more than simply making a civil or legal contract. It is the exchanging of solemn vows in God’s presence and the seeking of His eternal blessing upon the marriage union.
For this reason the church solemnizes marriage in the context of worship, acknowledging God as an essential participant in married life. The whole basis for a wedding service conducted within a Presbyterian Church is predicated upon the desire and intention of the prospective bride and groom to have a Christian marriage.