Held twice a year, the Houston Bridal Extravaganza provides photographers, venues, and others an opportunity to help brides plan their weddings. The Married Young Adult (MYA) Ministry of Houston’s FIrst is also in attendance to help couples prepare for what comes after their special day — marriage. For the past six years, our MYA ministry has had a booth at this largest bridal planning showcase in the U.S. as a way to reach couples in our community – an idea that began with Brad Talbert, our Minister to Married Young Adults at The Loop Campus.

“When I started as the MYA Minister, I thought it would be a great way to encourage and engage with people looking for help without a place to find it,” says Talbert.

Our church most recently had a booth at last month’s Bridal Extravaganza at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Houston’s First staff and volunteers serving at the booth invite people to a free one-day class to help couples get started out with the right foundation.

“Most people are so glad to see us there and there are a lot of people that say they need something like this and didn’t know where to find it,” says Talbert. “Mothers and mothers-in-law are always elbowing the bride-to-be that they should do it!”

Jesus and Vianey Guillen began attending Houston’s First after seeing our church’s booth at one of the Bridal Extravaganzas in 2017.

“When we passed by the Houston's First booth at the Bridal Extravaganza, it caught our attention. They told us about the classes that were offered and we decided to attend the Preparation for Marriage event they promoted,” says Vianey. “We really enjoyed everyone who spoke at the event. Hearing the different testimonies at the event really solidified our decision to attend Houston's First and the Newlywed or Close Life Bible Study.”

The next Houston Bridal Extravaganza that our MYA team will attend is in July. Pray for them as they continue their outreach to couples in our city!

Preparation for Marriage

Outside of this class offered by our MYA Ministry, our church has a weekend Preparation for Marriage Program (PMP) offered by our Julianna Poor Memorial Counseling Center every other month. PMP is rooted in a solemn and abiding commitment to the sacredness of Christian marriage, and is a valuable tool for a successful marriage. Since the program is accredited with the State of Texas, couples get $60 off their marriage license as well.

The PMP is not exclusive to couples getting married at our church. Couples getting married at another church or venue are more than welcome to enroll in PMP, and pastors from other churches often recommend our program to couples marrying in their churches. Click here for more information.