Wedding Preparation

Congratulations!

Congratulations on your decision to marry! This section of our website is given to aid you in your preparation for the celebration of the Sacrament of Christian Marriage.

As a starting principle, it is important that all aspects of the wedding celebration be guided by an awareness that you are preparing for a Christian Marriage ... not simply a civil union. A Christian Marriage is a sacramental sign and symbol of God's love for his people and of Christ's love for his Church. The sacrament of matrimony is above all a celebration of this love as it is reflected in the married love of a man and a woman.

Another principle is that the Sacrament of Marriage is a public community event ... not just a private or family affair. Therefore, the wedding celebration is meant to speak to and involve all present - the congregation as well as the bride and groom. It highlight and celebrates your love as the reflection of God's love for us in Christ.

In order to help stabilize and strengthen marriages, and in order to promote meaningful, attractive, and prayerful liturgies, it is imperative for the Church to require a program of preparation prior to celebrating the sacrament.

There are two major phases of this preparation:

     Phase I: The Assessment & Instructional Phase

     Phase II: The Liturgy Planning Phase

Both of these phases are explained in the booklet below. Click on the link to download the document. It is a Portable Document File (.pdf) and requires an Adobe Reader to view. If you do not have this reader, it may be downloaded free by accessing the link noted below.

After you have read this document, We invite you to use this "Wedding Preparation" section of our website to assist you in the Liturgy Planning Phase. Links to important information and resources are available on the left side of this page.

We at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist look forward to assisting you at this most important time. We hope and pray that this period of preparation for your marriage will be blessed in every way. May God bless you in your love for one another.

Sincerely,

Very Reverend Jeff Haines           Michael J. Batcho             Scott W. Eakins
Rector & Pastor                           Director of Music              Director of Liturgy

 

All forms for the preparation of your wedding may be found by following this link: FORMS.