Mike Lecourias and Sandra Rodriguez had planned to get married in their newly built house in Huntsville in front of family. Yet construction delays forced the couple, who met online two years ago, to find another option. On Saturday afternoon, they joined nine other couples at the Katy-area Current A Christian Church for a free Valentine's Day wedding ceremony in the church's plaza. Seven of the couples were married; three renewed their vows. Another couple was married later in the day, and two couples backed out. "We're really excited," said Rodriguez, who married for the second time. "This time, it's for love. I really found love." After a group prayer, Darren Walter, pastor of the nondenominational church, officiated the ceremonies, one by one. Last month, Walter began a six-part sermon series titled "Sex Was God's Idea" and offered free Valentine's Day weddings to couples who wanted to get married, especially those living together. He also challenged the couples to remain sexually pure from Feb. 1 to the wedding day. He encouraged them to sleep in separate beds and even in separate rooms. Lecourias, 62, said he had been sleeping on the couch for the past two weeks. Photo: formal dresses brisbane "It hasn't been fun, but we plan to celebrate," he said, referring to a post-wedding dinner and an overnight stay at the Hyatt Regency Houston hotel. Walter, who has been married for 16 years and married as a virgin, said the "sexual purity" challenge can help couples focus on their spiritual commitment. "You start the marriage making God a priority. It's mutual respect to honor God, each other and the marriage," he said. "I firmly believe if the church had been more vocal on this topic 50 or 100 years ago, we'd be living in a different world today. There would be more value put on marriage." Walter also said he wanted to help couples who couldn't afford to tie the knot. Wedding costs at the church start at about $500 and can include fees for the facility, sound, lighting and more. "So many times the money is an obstacle to getting married," he said. Charis Phillips, 34, of Sugar Land had postponed her September wedding for that reason. "I wanted a medium-size wedding, but I found out that weddings are expensive. You think you can do it on a budget, but it's hard." Phillips married fiance Wayne Variste, 35, with her teary-eyed godfather, Cicero Martin, standing nearby. "She's always had a beautiful heart and spirit. For this to come true for her, I'm just elated," he said. Renewing vows Mark and Patsie Lockett, who attend the church, took the opportunity to renew their vows to celebrate 20 years of marriage. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do than renew my vows with this woman," he said, choking back tears. The couple also accepted Walter's purity challenge by abstained from intimacy until the wedding day. "It was easy. He snores," said Patsie Lockett, laughing. "But after 20 years of marriage, you're always looking for something fresh." Mark Lockett agreed. "It's not always easy, but with God in our marriage, there's no quitting." Eunice Menendez, 24, and David Perez, 26, also were on a tight budget and learned about the free wedding offer earlier last week while picking up their marriage license in Richmond. The couple has a 1-month old son, Emmanuel, and said it was right thing to do. "I really didn't want the JP (justice of the peace) to marry us and I wanted it outdoors," Perez said. More info: Cheap Bridesmaid Dresses