Weddings
Congratulations on your engagement and thank you for considering a Catholic marriage ceremony as you commit to love and honour each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives in a permanent, exclusive and mutual love relationship.
The NSW Government has legal requirements for your marriage, click HERE to go to their website.
The information in this page is of a general nature, but life is very rarely as simple as that. You may have special circumstances that need to be taken into account. Discuss them with the parish priest as soon as possible. Contact the office on 9520 8277 or fill out the Wedding Contact Form and the priest will be in touch.
THE BASIC RULES
FIRST STEPS
Contact the parish office (9520 8277) and speak to one of the priests about your situtation and hopes.
Marriages on a Saturday are between 11.00am and the latest start time of 3.00pm to cope for our vigil services. Other times midweek are available.
Weddings on Sundays are not encouraged due to the priests commitments with parish masses.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Your celebrant has a responsibility not only to assist you with your preparation for the sacrament of Marriage but also for the life-long commitment you will be entering into.
At the first meeting, you will be guided to all that is required.
The necessary documents you will eventually be required to produce for both bride and groom are:
Birth Certificates -
Photo Documentation - Drivers licence or Passport.
For Catholics - Baptism Certificate - this can be requested from the Parish where you were baptised.
For Non-Catholics - Evidence of your baptism if available.
If applicable, Annulment documentation or Death Certificate.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION
All couples are asked to reflect on their commitment to each other and are reqauired to attend a Marriage Preparation Course.
Catholic Marriage is a little different to civil marriage. It is meant to be a sign of the love God has for each of us. Therefore, Catholic marriage has the same qualities as God’s love; freely given, total, faithful and fruitful.
It’s not always easy to love like God – as human beings we are limited and sometimes selfish making it hard for us to love perfectly. Although loving each other might seem easy to you now, your love will likely be tested in the future by the challenges of life.
That’s why all our engaged couples participate in a marriage preparation course. This course will equip you with practical tools from contemporary relationship science as well as assisting your celebrant in preparing you spiritually to enter the Sacrament of Matrimony.
As it can get very busy in the weeks before the wedding, you should start this course as soon as possible. In our parish, the following courses are available.
SmartLoving Engaged: Online Marriage Preparation - Consisting of 9 lessons, you progress through the course at your own pace, doing the couple activities as you go.
Another option is the courses provided by CatholicCare: Click HERE to learn more.
Wedding Costs
The Catholic custom is for couples to offer a donation at the time of their wedding; this helps to support the clergy and is greatly appreciated as the Parish relies significantly on donations. While the amount of the donation is entirely at the discretion of the couple, people generally donate upwards from $250.00.
To hire the church for your ceremony the donation is $500.
True financial hardship will never prevent a Catholic wedding from taking place. If you find yourselves in this position please discuss this with your priest.
The Catholic Rite of Marriage has some specific liturgical components that must be included but you also have some flexibility in your ceremony. Click to see details about each type of ceremony.
Ceremony
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do we have to have the Eucharist in our ceremony
The Church offers both a Nuptial Mass and a Wedding Ceremony, so it is your choice whether to include the Eucharist in your celebration. Since a wedding is an official liturgy of the Church, it must be in accord with official rites of the Catholic Church, therefore the readings and prayers must be from the official liturgical books. It is recommended that the couple print booklets for their guests to encourage them to participate in the ceremony. Please ensure your booklets conform to copywrite law.
Can we get married in the Catholic Church if one of us has been divorced
No, unless the previous marriage is found to be not valid (Annulled) or the former spouse has died (Canon 1085). Your priest will be able to guide you on this matter. It is recommended you discuss this as soon as possible as the Annulment process can take some time to complete depending on the situation of your original marriage. The Tribunal Office will process your application for annulment.
Are there dates we should avoid for our wedding
As a Catholic you will know that there are certain times of the year that a special to the whole Church. Good Friday and Holy Saturday during Triduum are not available for weddings. You may also want to avoid scheduling your wedding during Advent (the time from four Sundays before Christmas through Christmas Eve) or Lent (the penitential period of about forty days between Ash Wednesday and Easter); weddings held during these times should take into account the fact that the whole Church is observing a special period of penance.
My partner is not Catholic, can we marry in the Church?
It is not uncommon for a Catholic to wish to marry a Christian from another Church or a non-Christian, if this is the case we have some extra paperwork to complete. The priest will fill out and lodge an Application for Permission for Mixed Marriage. Catholic partners are asked to reaffirm their beliefs and promise to live a Catholic life, to share their faith with their children by having them baptised and brought up in the Catholic faith.
Can we have a Catholic wedding if we have had a Civil Marriage already
In some cultures it is traditional to have a civil marriage before a Church marriage. Depending on the ceremony you have already taken part in the format of your Catholic ceremony may differ. You may be valid for a full Nuptial Mass ceremony or be permitted to have a ceremony more related to a marriage blessing. Discuss your situation with your priest and they will guide you to what is possible.
Check out this Catholic Wedding help site that has lots of useful resources for your preparation for Catholic Rite of Marriage
The US conference of Catholic Bishops has some great information on Catholic Marriage.
