The Sacrament of Marriage
What Do You Need To Do To Get Married All Saints Parish?
Congratulations on your engagement! Preparation and instruction are essential to being married in the Catholic Church. These steps will help you to plan for your wedding at All Saints Parish (click on the tabs above for Marriage Preparation Course information and how to register, the Freedom to Marry & Baptism Status Forms, Reading Selections, the Selection Form and a Checklist for the following 10 steps).
10 Steps to prepare for your wedding:
THE WEDDING CEREMONY
An important part of our pastoral work is to help you prepare for your marriage. One of the most important parts of your preparation is the arrangement of the marriage ceremony. You shape the ceremony yourselves by selecting readings and choosing music from the many choices provided by the church.
Couples are invited to choose the readings from the Bible that will be proclaimed at the wedding Liturgy. Three readings (one from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and one from the Gospels) are proclaimed. The Church provides many choices for each and these can be found by clicking on the link above.
There are many different traditions that take place for weddings. If there is something that you are considering please talk to your Pastor about it beforehand. The celebration of your marriage should express the faith of the church, your own personal experience of God’s love and be meaningful to the community assembled: your wedding guests.
THE MUSIC
Music for the celebration of Marriage not only adds beauty and dignity to the ceremony, but it has a more important liturgical function. It is an integral part of the Liturgy itself: the singing of the acclamations and responses by the assembly, hymns and songs at the entrance (gathering) and communion procession are prescribed in the Rite of Marriage.
The Sacrament of Marriage is a public event celebrated to express and strengthen the faith of the whole Church, not just the faith of those present at the wedding. Since this is the Church’s prayer, the music used must be acceptable to the whole Church. A list of approved musical selections is available from our parish musicians. All musical selections must be approved by one of our musicians named on the back of the selection form.
Congratulations on your engagement! Preparation and instruction are essential to being married in the Catholic Church. These steps will help you to plan for your wedding at All Saints Parish (click on the tabs above for Marriage Preparation Course information and how to register, the Freedom to Marry & Baptism Status Forms, Reading Selections, the Selection Form and a Checklist for the following 10 steps).
10 Steps to prepare for your wedding:
- Arrange a meeting with your parish priest at least 6 months before the anticipated date of the wedding to begin your paperwork and set the time and date for your wedding. This meeting is approximately an hour long and both the bride and groom must attend. You will receive a package from your parish priest at this time with important forms and information in it.
- Pay the wedding stipend of $200.00 to confirm and hold the date.
- Find and complete your paperwork (Baptism Certificates, Affidavit of Freedom to Marry Forms, etc.). Either the bride or groom must be a baptized Catholic. A recently issued Certificate of Baptism (within 6 months) for both parties is required from your church of Baptism. If the other party is a baptized Christian they must also produce a baptismal certificate.
- Attend a Diocesan approved Marriage Preparation Course. Contact the parish office to help you get registered or click on the Marriage Preparation link above.
- You will find a booklet with the readings and a selection form in the package given to you at the first meeting to help you choose readings and music for your wedding (these can also be found by clicking on the link above). Wedding music in the church must be liturgical in nature.
- After you have completed your Marriage Preparation Course and completed your Selection Form with your selected readings, music and witness information you will need to arrange a second meeting with your Pastor to complete your paperwork.
- At the second meeting your Pastor will ensure all of your required paperwork is obtained and completed. At this second meeting, or when your paperwork is completed, you will be given a time and date for your wedding rehearsal.
- Obtain a Marriage License from the registries office (you will need to go there together) and bring it to the parish office at least 2 weeks prior to the wedding.
- Attend your wedding rehearsal.
- Attend your wedding.
THE WEDDING CEREMONY
An important part of our pastoral work is to help you prepare for your marriage. One of the most important parts of your preparation is the arrangement of the marriage ceremony. You shape the ceremony yourselves by selecting readings and choosing music from the many choices provided by the church.
Couples are invited to choose the readings from the Bible that will be proclaimed at the wedding Liturgy. Three readings (one from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, and one from the Gospels) are proclaimed. The Church provides many choices for each and these can be found by clicking on the link above.
There are many different traditions that take place for weddings. If there is something that you are considering please talk to your Pastor about it beforehand. The celebration of your marriage should express the faith of the church, your own personal experience of God’s love and be meaningful to the community assembled: your wedding guests.
THE MUSIC
Music for the celebration of Marriage not only adds beauty and dignity to the ceremony, but it has a more important liturgical function. It is an integral part of the Liturgy itself: the singing of the acclamations and responses by the assembly, hymns and songs at the entrance (gathering) and communion procession are prescribed in the Rite of Marriage.
The Sacrament of Marriage is a public event celebrated to express and strengthen the faith of the whole Church, not just the faith of those present at the wedding. Since this is the Church’s prayer, the music used must be acceptable to the whole Church. A list of approved musical selections is available from our parish musicians. All musical selections must be approved by one of our musicians named on the back of the selection form.