Weddings

We do have people inquire about Pastor Ray Miranda performing a wedding ceremony. For the most part, Pastor Ray officiates ceremonies for those who are part of the congregation he serves (The STORY). Because of the relational, spiritual and church components that are to be vital aspects of a marriage, it would be extremely difficult to assess such things without regular contact and prior knowledge of the couple in a timely manner. This is both true for people who are family members of someone who is part of The STORY, people with no relational connection or people who live out of town. The reality is, it is not so much a ceremony that Ray performs, it’s a 4-month spiritual and relational process that culminates in a ceremony. This process includes one-on-one meetings, walking through an 11-week marriage video and workbook series, weekly phone calls and follow-up after the wedding.

Because Ray does a specifically Christian ceremony, both husband and wife must be Christ-followers with a story of how they came to faith. With words like, "I dedicate my marriage in the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.." being part of the ceremony, we want to make sure this is consistent with a person's beliefs and their desires. Both husband and wife must currently be part of a church body (connected, serving, inviting and giving). Because of this, Ray encourages the couple who are inquiring to find a pastor who serves in the same church community they are part of. Since they would be involved in this community, a relationship on some level with a pastor should be likely. This is a more natural approach and effective approach since this pastor would be able to regularly follow up with them after their marriage date.

If someone who is part of The STORY desires to have a ceremony performed by Ray, it will require 6 months notice. The reason for the 6 months is that time must be made for the lengthy process. Additionally, it is not likely that Ray can perform a ceremony if there is a scheduling conflict, if weekend travel is required or if early on a Sunday.

If you have any questions, you can email ray@thestorychurch.org.