INTRODUCTION
We at St. Christopher Parish want your wedding to be a faith-filled, beautiful and memorable occasion. Our wedding preparation program has been designed to assist you in preparing your wedding Mass or ceremony in our parish. This document is your first source of information about the wedding preparation process and for planning your wedding liturgy. Please read these pages carefully as they are designed to assist you in the process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.
WHO MAY OFFICATE AT YOUR WEDDING?
Normally, the parish priest/deacon who has assisted in your preparation for marriage will officiate at your marriage ceremony. Priests who are your relatives or special friends are welcome to officiate at the wedding in one of two ways: he may concelebrate the ceremony or he may be the principal officiant if it is arranged with the parish priest. It is understood that the principal officiant conducts the marriage preparation process. Therefore, you will want to consult with priest relatives or special friends very early in the preparation process before you make a decision.
WHO MAY BE MARRIED AT ST. CHRISTOPHER PARISH?
Church law guarantees active, registered members of the parish, who are in good standing, with the faith and morals of the Catholic Church, the right to marry in their proper parish church.
An Active-Registered Member of St. Christopher Parish is:
1. Someone who has been registered in our parish for 5 years before the scheduling of the wedding and
2. Someone who attends Mass regularly and
3. Someone who, according to parish records, contributes regularly to the parish in the offertory collection and through their time and talent in active participation in parish ministries.
A New, or Non-Active or Non-Registered Person is:
1. Someone who has not been registered in our parish before the scheduling of the wedding or who belongs to another parish but is being married here.
2. Someone who does not attend Mass regularly or
3. Someone who, according to parish records does not contribute to the offertory collection or give of their time and talent through active participation in parish ministries.
4. The Fee stands at $1200.00 with no waiver.
Children of long-time “active” and “registered” parishioners are considered regular members for the purpose of marriage and are eligible to be married at St. Christopher’s. Their status is determined by their parent’s active or non-active membership.
SETTING THE DATE AND TIME
You should make an appointment with a priest or deacon at least six months prior to the anticipated wedding date. Due to the number of weddings at our parish, it is advisable for you to contact our office as soon as possible in order to ensure the desired date and time of your wedding. If either of you have been married previously or divorced, you will have to obtain an annulment, a process that may take a year to complete. No wedding date may be scheduled until the annulment is obtained. Discuss this with the priest.
A date may be placed on the parish calendar only after:
1. Personal contact with the parish office and your Facility Usage Fee of $1200.00 is paid. This fee is exempt to longstanding parishioners and to those who have been registered at least a year or longer with the Parish.
2. Interview with Priest/deacon include: filling out marriage forms, completion of FOCCUS and review of FOCCUS results, return of signed portion of marriage regulations.
3. Attendance at pre-cana instruction class, usually with the diocesan program.
Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays at either 11:00 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Rehearsals are scheduled the night before the wedding between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
You as a couple can expect to attend a series of interviews with a priest, deacon and perhaps a married couple to assist you in your preparation for marriage. You will be asked to take part in pre-cana discussions of topics related to personal history, communication skills, married and family life, and the religious dimension of marriage.
DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR MARRIAGE
1. Baptismal Record
A copy of your baptismal certificate issued in the last six months is required for your wedding file. You will need to contact the parish of your baptism and ask them to send a copy of your baptismal certificate with the parish seal stamped upon it. Non-Catholics are encouraged to produce a baptismal certificate or a copy of one.
2. Certification
We require your participation in a preparation process. We also require a certificate of attendance at an “Engaged Encounter Weekend.” or diocesan “Pre-Cana” session. The priest will give you a brochure. You must make the appointment and attend this session.
3. Marriage License
The civil license for the marriage is to be presented to the officiating clergy at the time of the rehearsal. You must apply for a marriage license in the county of your residence. Marriage licenses are valid throughout the State of Ohio beginning five days after the date of application until sixty days from the date of application.
Preparing for the LITURGY
A church wedding is both a personal and a communal event, but even more importantly, a sacred ritual of the Church. As such, the religious nature of the ceremony must be carefully preserved.
Your wedding is a part of the faith life of our parish. You, as the ministers of the Sacrament, have chosen freely to express your love and commitment to each other. The Rite of Marriage is centered on Christ, and around the exchange of vows and the blessing and exchange of rings. This ritual best conveys the Church’s desire to witness your vows, to strengthen your fidelity to them, and to support you prayerfully in your life together. As with all liturgical celebrations, the full and active participation of all those present is desirable. Ordinarily, the Rite of Marriage takes place in one of two contexts: within Mass for two baptized Catholics or outside Mass if either the bride or groom is not Catholic. Customs not contained in the Rite of Marriage are prohibited in the Church but may be appropriate at the wedding reception.
Readings
The Rite of Marriage includes selected scriptural readings and prayers. You may choose those that are most expressive of your understanding of marriage. You will find these selections in a special booklet that you will receive from the clergy.
Environment
Very simple decorations are needed to enhance the beautiful liturgical space of our church. Normally, at least two live flower arrangements placed near the altar are sufficient for a wedding. The flowers are to be kept in the Church for all of the weekend Masses. Seasonal decorations (e.g. Advent, Christmas and Easter) provide the appropriate environment for all Weddings during those seasons. No decorations are to be placed on the Altar, table itself.
For safety reasons, the use of candelabra, lamps, floral displays with candles, and the use of an aisle cloth are prohibited.
The dressing room for the bride and her attendants is St. Albert’s Room located in the basement of the church office. It is open two hours prior to the time of the wedding. The groom and his attendants ordinarily dress at home. For security reasons, the wedding party is responsible for removing all of their belongings, etc. before the start of the wedding. It is advisable to assign someone who is not a member of the wedding party to clean up the room prior to the start of the Wedding Celebration.
If you wish to select children to be a part of the wedding party, their behavior is your responsibility. The immense space of the Church and its acoustics create an environment in which very young children can both be distracted as well be a distraction from the solemnity of the occasion. Prudence is encouraged.
MUSIC
Only liturgically appropriate music may be used during the wedding mass or ceremony. All music, sacred or of a classical nature must be approved by the Director of Music. This also applies to vocal or instrumentals played during the prelude time. No CD or taped (canned music) is permitted at all. The Director of Music –Mark Voris will be the main accompanist for your wedding. His fee is $225.00 to be paid at the time of your music meeting with him which should be scheduled no later then eight weeks before your wedding. If the Director of Music is unable to provide his musical services for your wedding day he will help you to secure his replacement.
Other musicians or singers may be involved in your celebration but only approved by the Director of Music. A list of artist both vocal and instrumental players for hire is also available if desired.
You need to contact the Director of Music, Mark Voris through the parish office to set up an appointment to plan the music for your Wedding 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding. 614-486-0457
MINISTERS FOR THE LITURGY
The officiating priest or deacon gives final approval to all plans for the celebration of the wedding liturgy, including those suggested by a professional wedding consultant. The professional wedding consultant should restrict his or her planning to the non-liturgical activities of your wedding (e.g. rehearsal dinner, reception, etc). What happens at the church is approved by the clergy only! Note: Cathy Myerholtz is our in-house wedding coordinator/contact person. Her fee is $150.00. See fee page for extra info.
Family and Friends
Friends and relatives of the couple may participate in the liturgy in various roles. You may wish to select individuals to serve as Readers, Eucharistic Ministers, servers, and gift bearers at the liturgy. If he or she is a vocalist or accompanist, you will need approval by the Director of Music. So that these ministers feel comfortable, they should be properly trained and should attend the rehearsal. Decisions about ministers may be made when the liturgy is planned with the parish clergy or Director of Music.
OTHER DETAILS
Food/Beverages
No alcoholic beverages are permitted on the Church property prior to and after the wedding period. Smoking is prohibited as well. We request that food, beverages or gum not be brought to the Church grounds or into the Church.
Photography
Photographers are welcome to take pictures before and during the ceremony. (See Rules for Photographers and Videographers within these pages). If you wish to have posed pictures taken after the ceremony, you must complete them within 30 minutes. 11:00 am weddings must be done by 12:30 p.m. to avoid distractions for those who might have a wedding at 1:30 p.m. For those who have a wedding at 1:30 p.m. you need to be done by 3:00 p.m. due to confessions being offered at 4:00 p.m.
Receiving Line & Guest Book
When we gather for liturgical celebrations, we do not assume the role of hosts, for it is the Lord himself who gathers and dismisses us. Social customs such as a receiving line and/or a guest book are not allowed in the church. The bridal couple is forbidden to dismiss guests row by row after the wedding. Also remember, to allow time for preparation for the next scheduled wedding the wedding party must vacate the Church by 12:30 p.m. for the 11:00 a.m. wedding and to prepare the church for the evening Mass the wedding party must vacate the Church by 3:00 p.m. for the 1:30 p.m. wedding.
The Unity Candle
The practice of lighting a unity candle to symbolize the uniting of two individuals or families is not part of the Catholic wedding liturgy and is therefore discouraged. It may be done at the reception or at church with permission of the priest. The wedding candle is never to be placed on the Altar.
Inappropriate Secular Customs
Secular practices such as the use of rice, birdseed, confetti, balloons, bubbles, etc. are not consistent with both the sacred nature of the Catholic wedding liturgy and the sacred space of the Church environment. These secular customs are more appropriate for the arrival or departure of the wedding couple at the reception.
SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE SPECIAL ATTENTION
1. Cohabiting couples present a concern for the Church. Living together before marriage seriously compromises the teaching of the Church on both sexual morality as well as the Sacrament of Marriage. The decision to live together deliberately or inadvertently shows disregard for the sacred nature of the marriage vocation and covenant. Couples who insist on living together are eligible to marry in the Church.
The Wedding Ceremony for a couple who continues to cohabit is greatly simplified. The exchange of vows and rings takes place outside of Mass in a Liturgy of the Word. The couple may invite as many guests as they like, but the wedding party itself may consist only of the Bride and Groom and a maximum of two couples including the Maid of Honor and the Best Man for a total not to exceed six (6) persons.
2. Pregnancy is another concern. If pregnancy affects the timing of the marriage, the couple may undertake preparations in the usual manner. If the pregnancy affects the decision to marry, the couple may be asked to delay setting a date until it is established that both bride and groom are able to give full and free consent to the responsibilities and obligations of marriage.
3. At least one party to a Catholic marriage must be an active, practicing Catholic. Sometimes a couple that does not regularly practice their faith approaches the Church requesting a wedding date. Often the preparation period for marriage will be extended so that the couple may demonstrate their good intentions, begin active practice of the Catholic faith, and restore their connection to the community of faith.