First of all congratulations on your decision to get married.
Marriage is very special and a significant celebration for you and your families. Getting married in the Catholic Church is also a very special event. It is not just about the wedding day itself but a lifetime of love, fidelity and commitment to each other in the eyes of God.
Here are the procedures you need to know for getting married in the Catholic Church and the specific details of how you can arrange your wedding at St Lewis’ Church.
For your wedding to take place at St Lewis’ church at least one of you must be a baptised Roman Catholic. Under normal circumstances neither of you will have been married before , even civilly in a Registry Office.
What is the first thing to do?
The first step is to contact the Parish Office for you both to meet with Fr Gordon , ideally at least 6 months before the date of your intended wedding. Please note: No dates can be confirmed before this initial meeting.
You will be required to participate in a Marriage Preparation Course.
What is a Marriage Preparation Course?
- It is a demonstration by the Church community that it cares about you and would like to be involved in this major event in your life.
- It is a chance for you to find out a little more about each other.
- It is a chance to find out a little more about the sanctity of marriage.
- It is an opportunity to meet other couples who will be getting married around the same time as you.
It is usually a one day course held on a Saturday from 9.30 to 16.00 in Liverpool.
So what happens next?
Closer to the time you will meet with Fr Gordon to discuss your wedding plans in more detail. This will also involve completing the appropriate paper work and helping you to compile your Order of Service.
Legal Requirements
You are required by Civil Law to register your intention to marry at a Registrar’s Office. A minimum of 28 days and a maximum of 12 months notice is required by the Registrar. Once you have spoken with Fr Gordon you will need to make an appointment with the civil resistrar.
The Wedding Ceremony
You are invited to plan your wedding ceremony with Fr Gordon. You may choose the Scripture Readings, prayers, write the Intercessions and select the music and hymns for your ceremony. Fr Gordon will help you do this.
Music
The Catholic Church requires that music during your wedding ceremony should express the faith of the Church and be appropriate to the celebration. Please note that you have asked for a Christian Marriage Service in church , this means all music should be either from the hynm book or from established classical composers, and all readings should be taken from Scripture.
Fees
- There is a fee for the Marriage Preparation Course.
- There is a fee to resister your intention to get married this is payable to the civil authorities.
- There is a fee for the church, organist and the civil registrar.