Read through the following Procedures and/or Guidelines or select one of the links below for specific information:

• Cannon Law & Diocesan Regulations
• Parish Regulations
• Special Items
• Flowers
• Music
• Photography

Canon Law and Diocesan Regulations.
Canon Law is the law of the universal Catholic Church. It contains a number of regulations for the marriage of members of the Church.

1. At least four (4) months notice of a proposed marriage is required.
2. If both parties are Catholic, they must be practicing Catholics and one of them must be registered in this parish. Minimum requirements for being registered and active are, a) attendance at Sunday Mass, b) supporting your parish through the use of your envelopes, c) participating in a ministry in the parish. (See added guidelines under parish regulations). You will be required to present a current baptismal certificate (i.e., one issued in the previous six months). This certificate should also include information about your First Communion and Confirmation.
3. If one of the parties is not Catholic, then a dispensation is needed. The priest helping you with your arrangements will organize this for you. If the person is a baptized member of another Christian Church, then a copy of this baptismal certificate is also required.
4. Ordinarily the marriage is celebrated in the parish church of the bride. An interfaith marriage is usually in the parish of the Catholic Party. Permission of the Bishop is required for a wedding in a non-Catholic Church.
5. You will need two (2) notarized statements for each party from witnesses attesting to your freedom to marry. These witnesses may be anyone who knows you sufficiently well to state that you are free to marry -- we would suggest parents or close relatives. The priest will give you the necessary forms for this.
6. The couple must participate in either the Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekend or the Diocesan Pre-Cana Program. Schedules for these are distributed at the initial interview.
7. A date and time for the Sacrament is penciled in the Mass Book after an initial interview with one of the parish priests.
8. You are required to complete a FOCCUS INVENTORY. Only when the FOCCUS has been completed will a tentative date be set and this will be confirmed only when all the other necessary preparations have been completed - a kind of personality profile/communication survey designed to pinpoint areas of agreement and disagreement between a couple proposing to get married. Administered by the priest or a parishioner couple, this is not a marriage compatibility test, but a tool to assist the couple preparing for marriage in knowing the strengths and weaknesses in their relationship.
   NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING - is a part of the preparation requirements. At the time of your first appointment, you will receive a tape entitled "Contraception - Why Not" and a questionnaire. Listen to the tape, complete the questionnaire and bring it to your Natural Family Planning session. The dates are on the tape package, generally held the third Thursday of the month. Call the parish office to schedule your date.
9. NO plans should be made with a hall, musicians, cameraman, etc., until marriage preparation requirements have been completed.

Parish Regulations.
As well as the Diocesan and Church rules outlined, we also have a number of guidelines in the parish:

1. In line with #2 of the Canon Law and Diocesan Regulations set out previously, one of the parties to the marriage must be participating and a registered member of Holy Redeemer. Together with being a registered member, there is a four (4) month preparation period required before the marriage. If you are not registered with us, please obtain one of the registration forms from the Office or from the lobbies of the church and return it either directly to the Office or by putting it in one of the collection baskets at Sunday Mass.
2. The sacramental marriage of two practicing Catholics is normally celebrated during a Mass in a community of believers, with those in good standing sharing in communion. Your request presumes basic and honest Catholic faith and practice. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available on Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. or 3:00 p.m./4:00 p.m. depending on the season of the year. Please plan on including the celebration of this sacrament prior to the rehearsal.
3. Schedule of Fees:
   
   These fees will cover the following: FOCCUS program, Natural Family Planning Program, general document preparations, use of Church for rehearsal and wedding and diocese dispensation if needed.
4. Proper etiquette indicates that all wedding expenses related to the preparation of marriage are presented on the day you reserve the church. This offering includes the facilities fee, Natural Family Planning Seminar, all necessary materials and processing fee for the FOCCUS. The offering for the priest is a personal decision, however, $100.00 is a usually accepted offering. This offering does not include musicians, soloists, altar servers, florists or photographers.
5. It is not permissible in this diocese for a marriage to take place outside a church building.
6. It is not the responsibility of the church to take care of any civil arrangements for a marriage. Please make sure that you have contacted the county courthouse in plenty of time to obtain the necessary marriage license which should be handed to the priest at the rehearsal.
7. All dates are tentative until all requirements are completed.

NO MARRIAGE CAN TAKE PLACE WITHOUT A CURRENT CIVIL LICENSE!

Special Items to Note.

1. Flowers in church can add dignity to a wedding but are not required. However, they can also overwhelm, so not more than two arrangements should be planned . In our tradition, no flowers are to be placed on the surface of the altar nor at the ambo (pulpit). Obviously, they should not obstruct the priest or the ceremony, if placed in the sanctuary. We do have dedicated arrangements available, which will then be announced in the Bulletin and remain in the church for the weekend Masses. Please contact the Office if you would like to avail yourselves of this service.
2. Pew bows are allowed, but not provided. These should be attached by rubber bands, wire strands or ribbons.
3. NO AISLE RUNNERS ARE PERMITTED.
4. The candles used for Mass are sufficient to signify the solemnity of a Catholic wedding. (While the unity candle has become a popular secular symbol, its use is more proper at your rehearsal dinner or as a fitting beginning of your wedding reception, not during the marriage ceremony.)
5. Absolutely No rice, birdseed, confetti, etc., is to be thrown on any of the church property. Flower petals - not encouraged, but if desired, must be cleaned up.
6. If you require altar servers for your wedding ceremony, the parish office will be happy to contact them for you. A donation of $20.00 for each server is suggested.
7. Because of the limited space in the church, the bridal party should arrive at Church already dressed in their wedding garments.
8. The rehearsal time is scheduled by the priest, usually the evening before the wedding. You are expected to observe the proper reverence for the Church building prior to and during the rehearsal. It is important to have your bridal party at the church on time and organized. We often have three (3) rehearsals scheduled for an evening.
9. NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES SHOULD BE BROUGHT ON TO THE PREMISES OR INTO THE CHURCH.
10. The bridal party should be dressed in suitable attire that speaks to the holiness of the marriage.

Music
Musicians/Organists are available only by request. Holy Redeemer has an excellent Music Director, Janice Leach. She may be contacted by calling the parish office. Your music interview should take place at least one month before your wedding. A Christian marriage in the presence of a priest of the Church and a community of relatives and friends is a Sacrament which reaches far deeper into the human spirit than a civil marriage before a State authority.

The Sacrament of Matrimony not only celebrates the love of husband and wife, but also the love of almighty God for His people. It is not only a pledge of fidelity made by the bride and groom to each other, but also a sacred time when they are reminded of God's pledge of total and faithful love for them as they begin their new life together. The Sacrament is rightly called PUBLIC PRAYER. It is reasonable, therefore, that any music used at the celebration should have a relationship to prayer itself. It is with these thoughts in mind that the following policy is in effect here at Holy Redeemer.

• The choice of music is to be made in consultation with the Director of Music. She is qualified to help you select appropriate instrumental and vocal music for your wedding. Only appropriate sacred music is proper for the celebration of Marriage. Please do not expect the musician to play "your favorites" or other popular music.
• It is expected that the parish music director will be employed for weddings in Holy Redeemer. If you wish to have other musicians, who will use the church equipment, they must be approved and proper use of church equipment established by the Parish Music Director.
• Click here to E-mail the Director of Music to set a time and the professional fee for services.

Photography.
Only one official photographer and/or videographer should operate during the ceremony. Others will be asked to put their cameras away during the ceremony. LIGHT BARS ARE NOT TO BE USED AT ANY TIME DURING THE SERVICE. Above all, no photos, especially flash, should be taken during the Eucharistic Prayer or Communion.

All preparation and regulations have the flow of your special day in mind and your life-long commitment. It is important that your Sacramental Preparations remain the priority.