WEDDING PLANNING FACT SHEET
Today’s Date__________ Fee Category (A,B,C):___________
Deposit:_______
BRIDE
__________________________________________________________
(last) (first) (middle)
ADDRESS________________________________________________________
____________________________________e-mail:__________________________
(city & zip code) (please use all CAP
letters)
PHONE__________________________________________________________
(home) (work)
Please notify us of any
address, email address, or phone number change during the preparation time
period.
DATE OF
REGISTRATION IN ST. MARY PARISH_____________________________
PARISH OF
(Non-parishioners and those
registered less than 6 months cannot have their date confirmed tonight.)
RELIGION_____________________ DATE OF BIRTH____________________
SACRAMENTS
(Y/N) Baptism___ Confirmation___ Eucharist___
HAVE YOU BEEN PREVIOUSLY
MARRIED?:________________________________
GROOM_________________________________________________________
ADDRESS________________________________________________________
___________________________________e-mail:_____________________________
(city & zip code) (please use all CAP
letters)
PHONE_______________________________________________________________
(home) (work)
Please notify us of any
address or phone number change during the preparation time period.
DATE OF
REGISTRATION IN ST. MARY PARISH__________________________
PARISH OF
(Non-parishioners and those
registered less than 6 months cannot have their date confirmed tonight.)
RELIGION_____________________ DATE OF BIRTH____________________
SACRAMENTS
(Y/N) Baptism___ Confirmation___ Eucharist___
HAVE YOU BEEN
PREVIOUSLY MARRIED?:________________________________
DATE
REQUESTED______________________
TIME: 1:00p or
6:30p
Are you planning:
qRite for Celebrating Marriage during Mass or
qRite for Celebrating Marriage outside Mass (Liturgy of the Word service)
GUIDELINES
for the
CELEBRATION
of the
SACRAMENT
OF MATRIMONY
Saint
Mary’s Catholic Church
Rev. Ted
Thomas, Pastor
(614)
445-9668
|
C |
ongratulations on your
engagement and welcome to St. Mary’s.
This historic Church dates back to 1868 and embodies the classic beauty
of the early German wood craftsmen who settled in our area. The Church is beautiful not only in its
visual impression, but also in its fine acoustics which give warmth and
resonance to music.
These
wedding guidelines will serve to inform you of our wedding policies and
expectations. We will do whatever we can
to help you celebrate your wedding joyfully and with the dignity it
deserves. As you express your love for
one another it is our hope and prayer that your wedding is one in which you,
your families and guests come to know the love of God in a more profound way.
More
than just preparing for a wedding, we hope to get you started in your
preparation for a fulfilling and lifelong marriage. We look forward to working with you in this
journey. If questions arise, or if these
guidelines need further clarification, feel free to call Jason Shanks at (614)
445-9668, or email him at jasonshanks@stmarygv.com.
All persons planning to be
married at St. Mary’s must complete the following requirements:
Marriage Information Night — Review of the guidelines
Mailing of Deposit and Information for Marriage Sheet — Enclosed
in this
packet is an “Information
for Marriage” sheet. Please fill it out
and return it with
your deposit to St. Mary’s
before meeting with the Pastor.
Baptismal Certificate--A Baptismal Certificate (please specify “With Notations”), certified and issued by
the parish where the Catholic was baptized, and recently issued (6-12 months prior to the
wedding), is required of all Catholic parties.
Someone baptized in another Christian tradition needs to furnish a
Baptismal Certificate, if possible, or a letter stating the place and date of
the baptism and verifying that the person has indeed been baptized.
Marriage Preparation Retreat —This
retreat is scheduled normally on a Friday evening and all day Saturday; dates
and times are on the insert in this packet. These sessions are held in the
Completion of a FOCCUS —
This involves completing a survey and follow-up evaluation with a couple from
the Marriage Team. FOCCUS (Facilitating
Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study) provides individualized
couple feedback on where each partner stands in regard to topic areas important
to marriage. The results of the
inventory point to issues or areas that may need to be addressed. You can expect to be contacted by a
Marriage Team couple no sooner than 6-8 months before your wedding, although it
may be done earlier.
Ceremony
Planning —
"Planning the Liturgy"
Please make an appointment
with Jason Shanks or Deacon Minner to begin planning your ceremony.
Completion of the Wedding Liturgy Planning Sheet following
participation in the Ceremony Planning Session.
ELIGIBILITY AND FEE STRUCTURE
At least one of the parties to be married must meet
the following criteria:
q
Established parishioner - a person who has been registered in the parish for
at least one year prior to Marriage Information Night. The wedding date for an established
parishioner can be confirmed at the Marriage Information Night. The total cost for your wedding is $650. This includes retreat, resources, Church fee,
presider stipend, and a coordinator to be present the day of the wedding, A $100
non-refundable deposit is needed to reserve your wedding date.
q
Recently registered parishioner - a person who has been registered in the Parish at
least 6 months but less than one year prior to Marriage Information Night. The
wedding date for a recently registered parishioner can be confirmed at the
Marriage Information Night. The total
cost for your wedding is $950. This
includes retreat, resources, Church fee, presider stipend, and a coordinator to
be present the day of the wedding, A $200 non-refundable deposit is needed
reserve your wedding date.
q
Non-parishioner or New Parishioner- a person belonging to a parish other than St.
Mary's and who has no intention of becoming a member of St. Mary parish, OR for
someone who has been a parishioner for less than 6 months prior to Marriage
Information Night. This case must be
granted an exception to our eligibility criteria. In this case, no wedding date can be
confirmed at the Marriage Information Night. If the exception is granted, a letter
from your priest to marry outside your parish, and a $400 non-refundable
deposit is needed to reserve wedding date.
The total cost for your wedding is $ 1250. This includes retreat, resources, Church fee,
presider stipend, and a coordinator to be present the day of the wedding,
All fees must be fully
paid 30 days prior to wedding. The money you paid to reserve your wedding
date is applied toward the overall total cost of your wedding. Your cancelled checks will serve as your
receipts. St. Mary’s will see that the appropriate parties are paid. Please have an envelope marked altar servers
and give to Jason Shanks at the wedding rehearsal on the day of the
wedding.
For all wedding fee
payments, please do the following:
·
Make checks
payable to St. Mary’s Catholic Church.
·
Mark the wedding
name bride/groom and wedding date in the memo line (i.e., Jones/Smith Wedding
·
Mail all wedding
fee payments (minus musicians and altar server) to: St. Mary’s
Catholic Church; Attention: Wedding;
Music is an important part
of your marriage ceremony. Please call
Amanda Walker through email at AWalker40@aol.com or by phone at 444-1919 . You have options of organ, piano, (both),
flute, cello, trumpet, etc. You will meet with Amanda separately to go over the
music guidelines. Fees for musicians is
discussed through Amanda and payment for musicians is made through them.
Pew Candles:
St. Mary’s has 16 pew candelabras and are available for rent at a charge of $200.00. This includes the candelabras, the candles,
and the globes. If used, these candles
would require a bow or flower decoration to cover the clip that attaches onto
the pew. This would need to be discussed with your florist.
Damage to Church
Property. If, while at your rehearsal or
wedding, any damage is done before or after to the Church, the surrounding
buildings, or any of the contents inside, you will be assessed the cost of any
necessary repairs and/or replacements.
Payment of your deposit serves as
your agreement with all terms and conditions contained in these guidelines.
WEDDING AND
CHURCH ACCESS TIMES
Saturdays –
Due to the liturgical
calendar and the parish schedule, some days are not available for weddings. Weddings
are not celebrated on holiday weekends nor the eve of major holidays (i.e. New
Year, Christmas). Weddings are not celebrated during the Lenten Season.
All wedding-related people
and their equipment and/or belongings must be out of the church by
REHEARSAL
The usual time allotted is
one hour, but if begun on time, normally takes about 45 minutes. Recommended rehearsal times are
Preparation on Your Wedding Day
A
dressing room for the bride and attendants is located on the first floor of the
Valuables and Other Personal Belongings
St. Mary Church will not be
responsible for personal belongings before, during or after the wedding
anywhere on Church property.
Your
wedding party and guests should be alerted that St. Mary Church has only
limited parking available. Church
parking is limited to the lot immediately behind the church, but not east of the iron fence. The lot beyond the iron fence belongs to the
adjacent commercial building, and church-goers’
cars are liable to be towed from this lot.
Access to the church lot is allowed from
The St. Mary Marriage Team consists of Fr. Thomas and a number of lay
couples led by Jason Shanks, Coordinator of Pastoral Ministries, who are
knowledgeable in St. Mary marriage preparation methods and who represent a wide
variety of marital experiences. These
couples conduct the FOCCUS inventory, and present at the retreat.
Fr. Ted Thomas, Pastor 445-9668 fatherthomas@stmarygv.com
Deacon Roger Minner 444-1265 rjminner@sbcglobal.net
Jason & Melissa Shanks 445-9668 jasonshanks@stmarygv.com
Richard and Karen Finn 491-7737 rfdigger@aol.com
Jason & Gina Nordstrom 783-2845 ginakyser24@hotmail.com
Leslie & Jamie Weilbacher 443-4377 leslie_weilbacher@hotmail.com
CEREMONY CONSIDERATIONS
Liturgy of the Word (non-Eucharistic) or Nuptial
Mass (Eucharistic Liturgy).
If a couple is to be married only with the Liturgy of
the Word, a deacon will preside over the ceremony. If a couple is to be married with a
Eucharistic Liturgy, the priest will preside over the ceremony. If couples are both Catholic a Nuptial Mass
is the norm.
In the case of cohabitation, couples are encouraged
to celebrate their marriage within a Liturgy of the Word and not in the context
of a
In the Diocese of Columbus,
a wedding in which one party is not baptized may not be
celebrated within a Eucharistic Liturgy.
The Unity Candle and other
secular unification ceremonies such as the rose ceremony are not found in The
Rite of Marriage. Therefore, we do not
allow the inclusion of these ceremonies in our parish.
Entrance Procession and Dismissal
The Rite of Marriage emphasizes the equality of both
husband and wife, created in the image of God and called to be co-creators with
Him. Couples are asked to respect this equality by incorporating the parents of
both husband and wife.
The order of procession at St. Mary's is: priest,
parents of groom with groom, mother of bride and escort, couples in wedding
party, best man with maid/matron of honor, ring bearer(s) and flower girl(s) if
desired, and finally bride with parents (an alternate would be the bride
escorted by father and the mother of bride escorted in procession or the bride
and groom walking in together).
The Dismissal is done in keeping with proper Liturgical
form. The priest dismisses the
congregation; the couple cannot dismiss by pews, nor have a receiving line in
the back of the Church.
Visit to Blessed Mother's Altar
We
encourage this practice as appropriate only when the couple being married has a
strong, authentic devotion to Mary OR who seeks to begin a devotion to Mary,
starting their marriage praying together asking for the Blessed Virgin’s
intercession. More will be discussed
regarding this at ceremony planning.
SAINT MARY CHURCH,
Phone: (614) 445-9668
GUIDELINES FOR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY AND
VIDEOGRAPHY
1. We welcome photographers at weddings, both for still
photographs and video recordings. However, the following rules MUST be
observed.
2. Our basic guidelines respect the principle that the
Rite of Marriage is the celebration of a Sacrament and therefore is public worship
and a sacred ceremony. For this reason,
photography/videography should not in any way be a distraction during the
ceremony. Especially, no flash photography is permitted during the ceremony, but is allowed during
the procession and recession.
3. Once the liturgy has begun, the
photographer/videographer is not to be in the sanctuary area (the carpeted area
elevated by the three steps from the church floor area) or visible in the front
of the church. Photographs/videos may be taken throughout the ceremony from the
back of the Church (behind the last guests), from the sides of the Church (not
to close to the sanctuary, and from the choir loft). The choir loft offers an
excellent vantage point for recording the entire liturgy.
4. Photographs may be taken in the church and in the
sanctuary prior to and following the service according to the following
schedule;
·
·
Additional photos may be
taken on the grounds. Check with the Church office concerning other events that
may be going on simultaneously.
Due to the unique lighting
in the church it is advisable that your photographer take a few test shots
before the wedding if he/she has not previously photographed in St. Mary's.
SAINT MARY CHURCH,
Phone: (614) 445-9668
GUIDELINES FOR FLOWERS AND
DECORATIONS
1. Flower arrangements may be placed in front of or next
to the altar, but not on top of the altar.
2. Flower arrangements may be placed on
3. Because the backdrop to the sanctuary is white oak
and dark in color, white or light colored flowers make the best appearance.
Dark colored flowers tend to blend into the background when you are seated in
the church.
4. Some florists use hanging sprays on the candelabra
rather than a separate arrangement (there are 2 candelabra available for the
sanctuary). These should be plastic or have a protected backing so they do not
scratch the candelabra.
5. Wood, wire, and fluted stands are available at the
church by request.
6.
Aisle runners are not permitted.
7.
Pew
decorations such as bows, sprays, or candelabras are permitted when attached to
the pews appropriately. The ends of the
pews are square. Attachments should be
made with ribbon, rubber bands, pipe cleaners, or clips. Tape or tacks are not permitted. More details can be discussed at Ceremony
Planning.
8.
Celebratory
items that may be used outside the
church when the bride and groom exit are: birdseed, flower petals, bubbles
and bells. Bubbles are preferred. Birdseed and flower petals make it hazardous
for some elderly parishioners to enter the Church for
9. Access to the church is as follows:
·
·
10.
Flower delivery:
Corsages and delivered to the church.
The Girls will be changing on the first floor of the
q Before the
next Marriage Turn in Info Sheet
& deposit
q As soon as
possible Secure
services of parish musician
q
As
soon as possible Request
baptismal certificate with
notations
q Before Attending Retreat Complete FOCCUS
(A couple
should call you)
q
As soon as possible Attend
Marriage Preparation Retreat
q
3 months from wedding Schedule
Meeting with Wedding Coordinator
or
Deacon to plan Ceremony and schedule
rehearsal.
q 2 Months
prior Meet
with parish Music Minister to
complete
selection of music for
liturgy
q 1 Months
prior Complete
and return liturgy planning
sheet
q 2 Months
prior Submit
Baptismal Certificates
q </