Guidelines for the celebration of Marriage
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Arnold, Missouri
Guidelines
for the celebration of Marriage
Immaculate Conception Catholic Church
Arnold,
Missouri
Congratulations
on your engagement! Marriage has been blessed
by God from the beginning of creation; Christian marriage symbolizes the union of Jesus
Christ and His Church. To prepare well for
the celebration of this Sacrament please observe our guidelines:
To allow
sufficient time for marriage preparation, six months advance notice must be given.
Weddings may only be scheduled by one of the parish priests.
Weddings may be held on Friday evenings, beginning no later than 7:00
PM, or on Saturdays, beginning no later than 2:00 PM.
Ordinarily weddings are not celebrated during Advent and Lent.
Rehearsals are usually held on the Thursday or Friday prior to the wedding; please allow
one hour for the rehearsal.
If you have asked a priest
from another parish to celebrate your wedding, we require a letter from the priest stating
that he will assume all responsibility for your marriage preparation and will celebrate
your wedding. This letter must be received before we will reserve the church for your
wedding. In addition, he must be delegated in writing by the Pastor of Immaculate
Conception Parish.
The preparation for marriage
consists of three elements.
1.
The Pre-Nuptial Investigation is
filled out with you by the priest or deacon early in the preparation process. To complete this form, you will need a baptismal
certificate issued within six months of
the wedding date.
2.
The FOCCUS, a series of statements
about marriage and related issues. This inventory will affirm the strengths of your
relationship as well as point out areas for further discussion. After completing this
inventory you will meet with the priest or deacon to discuss it.
3.
The Marriage Preparation Program. You may choose the Archdiocesan Marriage Preparation classes [314-792-7182], the Engaged Encounter weekend ( www.geocities.com/stlcee
), the Marriage Preparation Retreat sponsored
by St. Francis Xavier Church [314-977-7318], or the individual preparation program held at
our parish.
In addition, a sacramental
Confession and reception of Holy Communion is expected for Catholics.
The priest or deacon will
provide a booklet containing options for the Scripture readings and prayers to be used for
the wedding ceremony.
Ordinarily a wedding of two Catholics includes the celebration of Mass. When one party is not Catholic, the wedding is
usually a Liturgy of the Word. If the couple
requests it, Mass may be celebrated, although Holy Communion is given only to Catholics.
If
either party is not baptized, the wedding will be a Liturgy of the Word; the Mass may not
be celebrated.
To assist you with various preparations for the wedding ceremony, please contact one of our parish wedding coordinators: Mary Lou Kettinger, 636-464-7483 or Heather Strahler, 636-287-8864
Two witnesses are required
for a Catholic wedding. Liturgical ministers
(readers of the Scriptures and prayer of the faithful, altar servers, presenters of the
bread and wine, extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion) may be requested from the
parish or chosen from family or friends. Scripture
readers and ministers of Holy Communion must be qualified to serve at the liturgy.
The “unity candle” is not required for a Catholic wedding; it
is entirely optional.
Normally children younger than 5
years of age should not be in the wedding procession; any exception must be approved by
the priest or deacon celebrant of the wedding.
Appropriate music and song
is essential for the wedding liturgy. Catholic
worship services expect the participation of the congregation; solo songs may not be
substituted for the congregation’s prayer (for example, the response to the readings,
the Lord’s Prayer).
Please contact one of our parish musicians: Julia Waters [314-487-8617] or Monica Bizelli
[314-560-0457]. Other musicians may not
perform without prior approval.
We ask photographers to
respect the liturgical celebration by not entering the altar area during the service; they
should also take care not to distract the congregation or interfere with the liturgical
ministers (for example, they may not take flash pictures of the Scripture readers while
they are reading).
Our church is a sacred place of worship, not a
studio. A few posed pictures in the church may be taken after the wedding, up to 20
minutes after the service. Alternatively, pictures may be taken before the wedding, but no
pictures may be taken later than 30 minutes before the wedding liturgy. In the case of a
Saturday afternoon wedding, all photography must end by 3:30 PM. Inappropriate arrangements for pictures (e.g.
sitting on the altar steps) is strictly prohibited.
We welcome appropriate
flowers for the church. Artificial flowers
are not permitted at the altar.
No candelabra may be brought into the altar area,
nor may lighted candles be placed in the aisles or entrances.
Pew decorations must be tied to the pews, never taped or tacked. The church will be
available for decorations two hours before the scheduled time of the wedding.
The throwing of rice, confetti or birdseed is not
permitted on the parish grounds.
A civil marriage license,
valid in the State of Missouri, is required and should be given to the priest or deacon on
the day of the rehearsal.
Any member of the wedding
party using alcohol anywhere on the parish grounds prior to the wedding, or who is
inebriated, will not be permitted to take part in the wedding service. This will be
enforced strictly.
Immaculate Conception Church has been built and maintained by the generosity of its
parishioners. We request a minimum donation
of $150.00 from parishioners. This donation includes the use of the church, the services
of the wedding coordinator, and the stipend for the priest.
For non-parishioners, the minimum donation is
$400.00.
Our musicians set their own fees; please contact
them for information.
A room for changing clothes may be reserved in the
Parish Center for a rental fee of $25.00. Please contact Greg Wise
(636-321-0002, ext. 1,12, ) or email him at icbvm@icarnold.org.