Wedding Guidelines of
Saint Victor Parish
Diocese of
(330) 659-6591
Eligibility for Marriage at Saint Victor: Our policy of eligibility for marriage is one
of hospitality, within the existing boundaries provided by the universal law of
the church. In other words, any couple
who qualifies for marriage according to Canon Law (the code of law for the
Catholic Church) is welcome to celebrate marriage at Saint Victor. Ordinarily this means that at least one party
is Catholic, and that neither party has been previously married. Also, this ordinarily means that at least one
party resides within the geographical boundaries of the parish. However, the universal law of the church provides
for certain exceptions which must be discussed with the parish priest. For example, sometimes a party has been
previously married, and has received an annulment (or the previous spouse has
passed away). Or, perhaps neither party resides
within the parish boundaries, yet the Chancery Office has issued a “Nihil Obstat” allowing the
marriage to take place. In general, if a
couple meets the requirements for marriage in accord with church law, Saint
Victor Church is pleased to welcome them for the celebration of marriage.
Setting a Wedding Date and Time: Please contact the parish as soon as possible
in order to discuss your choice of a wedding date and time. Within the Diocese of Cleveland it is
necessary to contact the parish at least six months prior to the proposed
marriage date. It is advisable to
contact the parish prior to finalizing arrangements for the wedding
reception. Upon contacting the parish, an
appointment will be made for a personal meeting during which both parties meet
with the parish priest in order to discuss the date and time of their wedding. Wedding dates and times are made in person,
and are not arranged over the telephone.
If wedding dates and times are to be changed, this also must be done in
person, and not over the phone.
The Officiant of Marriage: Ordinarily the pastor will preside at all
weddings at St. Victor Church.
Exceptions will be made for priests or deacons who are family members or
friends. If the presider for the wedding
is someone other than the parish priest, the expectation is that the visiting
priest or deacon will be responsible for the premarital pastoral counseling,
all permissions and dispensations, all necessary paperwork and personally
conducting the wedding rehearsal. In
order to be permitted to be a visiting presider for the sacrament of marriage,
the visiting priest or deacon must state his commitment to the time and date in
writing, including accepting the responsibility for the premarital pastoral
counseling, all permissions and dispensations, all necessary paperwork and
personally conducting the wedding rehearsal.
The wedding practice is at 4 PM on the Friday afternoon before the
wedding. There is a $300.00 fee, due at the time the wedding is scheduled, for weddings
being conducted with a visiting presider.
(See “Offering and Payments, Plan B” below.)
Preparation for Marriage:
In consultation with the parish priest, or visiting priest or deacon,
the procedure for marriage preparation will be determined. At Saint Victor, marriage preparation is
tailored to the specific needs and requests of the couple. Ordinarily the Prepare-Enrich inventory will
be utilized (www.prepare-enrich.com).
The couple profile is discussed in conference with the priest and the
engaged couple. Also, a pre-Cana day,
which is a one-day retreat or workshop for engaged couples, is strongly
recommended.
Documents Needed:
Minimally, a baptismal certificate for all baptized parties is required,
and the baptismal certificate for the Catholic party must be a recent, original
document (no more then six months old).
Further, documentary evidence of First Communion and Confirmation should
be included. Catholic parties should be
confirmed prior to marriage. If there
has been a previous marriage, either a Decree of Nullity of the previous
marriage or a Certified Death Certificate of the previous spouse must be
presented. All such documents must be
original, i.e., not photocopied, documents.
Marriage License: The
couple must obtain a Marriage License from any county in the State of
The Wedding Rehearsal:
The wedding rehearsal will be at 4 PM on Friday afternoon before the
wedding. And additional fee of $25.00 is
required for the Wedding Facilitator if the rehearsal is at some other
time. Wedding rehearsals begin at the
appointed time, and end exactly one hour later.
It is necessary to be on time for the wedding rehearsal. Wedding rehearsals will end one hour after
they are scheduled to begin, regardless of late arrivals. Persons arriving late for a rehearsal are to
enter quietly and not interrupt the rehearsal that is already in process.
Please bring to the REHEARSAL;
(a) the Wedding License,
(b) Offerings for the Church, Priest, Wedding Coordinator and
Two Servers,
(c) The worksheet from the “Catholic Wedding Planner” website.
The Wedding Liturgy
Planning the Service (The “Liturgy”): The priest or deacon who is presiding at the
wedding will assist in the preparation for the wedding liturgy. The website “Catholic Wedding Planner”
(www.catholicweddingplanner.com) will be used for this purpose. The “Catholic Wedding Planner” website will,
for a small fee, help the couple plan the wedding liturgy. After the wedding is planned, if the couple
wishes, the “Catholic Wedding Planner” website will also generate an attractive
wedding booklet for an additional charge.
“Wedding Mass” vs. “Word Service”: Ordinarily the marriage of two Catholics takes
place during a “Mass,” which is the celebration of the Eucharist, including the
consecration of bread and wine which, having become the Body and Blood of
Christ, are consumed by the Faithful during the communion procession. Ordinarily, an interfaith marriage (when a Catholic
marries a baptized person of some other Christian denomination) takes place
during a “Word Service,” which is a true celebration of the Sacrament of
Marriage, although the Eucharistic Prayer, with the consecration of the bread
and wine, and communion, do not take place.
In all cases weddings which take place between a Catholic and a person who
has not been baptized will take place at a “Word Service.” Special arrangements are possible when a
non-baptized party is of such a religious background that a quasi-secular
service is pastorally indicated. Please
inform the priest or deacon presider of any such circumstance.
The Music at the Wedding Liturgy: The Director of Liturgical Music of Saint Victor
Parish, and he alone, is responsible for all music at
all weddings at Saint Victor Church.
Please contact him at least six months prior to your proposed wedding
date. Guest vocalists and musicians are
not encouraged. Guest vocalists and
musicians lacking several years of formal training and recent experience are
strongly discouraged. It is the policy
of Saint Victor Church that all guest musicians require the supervision of the
Director of Liturgical Music, who will be present at the wedding. It is
expected that the musical selections will be appropriate to the liturgical
worship of the Church, in the sole judgment of the Director of Liturgical
Music. Christian-Pop, Broadway, and all
musical selections that are not published in a Catholic liturgical music anthology
are not permitted.
Music Fees are arranged directly between the couple and the
Director of Liturgical Music and will vary with respect to the amount of
practice that is required particularly if additional musicians are serving at
the wedding. The Director of Liturgical
Music will be compensated at his stated rate even when serving only as a
supervisor for visiting musicians. There
are additional fees if rehearsals with guest musicians are required. The fees listed below do not include the
musician.
Various Non-Liturgical Matters
Flowers for the Church:
In general, since wedding couples have paid for the floral arrangements
for the church, and may wish to utilize them at the wedding reception, Saint
Victor Church does not expect that the flowers for the wedding remain in the
church following the wedding. On the
other hand, if couples wish to leave the floral arrangements in the church for
the weekend masses, it is very much appreciated. If the floral arrangements are to remain
after the wedding, our church can provide two beautiful brass urns that the
florist can utilize in creating the floral arrangements. Please contact the rectory for further
information. If pew bows are to be used,
they must not be attached with adhesive tape.
Aisle Torches, Arches and Trellises: Ostentatious displays such as aisle torches,
arches, trellises and the like are a distraction from the liturgy and are not
permitted. Aisle candles are not
permitted.
Birdseed, Rice, Flower Petals:
Birdseed, rice, flower petals, potpourri, and other similar items are
not to be strewn inside or outside the church.
The Church Offering (see below) covers many things, including ordinary
clean-up and refuse removal. This does
not include the removal of birdseed, rice, confetti, flower petals, potpourri,
or other materials. Please do not throw
anything on the floor or the ground inside or outside of the church. If an extraordinary amount of cleanup is
required after the wedding, an additional fee of $50.00 will be assessed. The marriage license and other pertinent
documents will not be processed until all fees are paid. A marriage certificate will not be produced
until this additional fee is paid.
“The Unity Candle”: The
wedding florist may encourage the couple to purchase a “Unity Candle.” Please note that the “Unity Candle” is NOT a
part of the Catholic Rite of Marriage, nor is it an appropriate addition to the
wedding. It is recommended that if a
“Unity Candle” is purchased by the couple, that its use be reserved to the
wedding reception hall.
“Floral Offering to Mary”:
The wedding florist may encourage the couple to purchase extra “flowers
for Mary.” Please note that a “floral
offering to Mary” is NOT a part of the Catholic Rite of Marriage, nor is it an
appropriate addition to the wedding.
Moreover, since the statue of Mary at Saint Victor Church is very
distant from the sanctuary, it would be impractical for the couple to go there
during the wedding ceremony.
The Wedding Photographer:
Wedding photographers are professionals who provide their services in
ways that are dignified and unobtrusive.
The policy of Saint Victor Church is to be hospitable to your wedding photographer. The parish priest will wish to speak to the
photographer for a few minutes before the ceremony to review the plan for the
wedding.
Offerings and Payments:
See Plan “A” if the pastor is the presider for the wedding. See Plan “B” if you intend to involve a
visiting priest or deacon. NOTE: These figures do not include music which is
arranged directly with the Director of Liturgical Music.
PLAN “A” FOR WEDDINGS AT WHICH THE PASTOR IS PRESIDING:
1.
2. St. Victor Clergy Offering $ 100.00 (Cash or Check made out
to the priest)
3.
4. Servers (2)$ 20.00(Cash, $10 in each
envelope)
TOTAL: $ 295.00 (All items brought
to the rehearsal)
PLAN “B” FOR WEDDINGS AT WHICH A VISITING PRIEST OR DEACON IS
PRESIDING: $300.00 payable at the time
the wedding is booked.
NOTE: A written statement
from the visiting priest or deacon taking responsibility for the premarital
pastoral counseling, all permissions and dispensations, all necessary paperwork
and personally conducting the wedding rehearsal is required at the
time the wedding is scheduled.
Under no circumstances should the provision of these suggested
fees and stipends be construed as a requirement for marriage. Catholic parties who meet requirements for
marriage have the canonical right to celebrate this sacrament.
The celebration of this sacrament is not dependant on the
ability to provide these fees. If
special needs exist, please call this to the attention of the parish priest.
The arrangements for the Liturgical Musician, Photographer and
Florist are made with the couple directly.
Therefore, the couple provides them with payments separately.
CHECKLIST FOR REHEARSAL:
The Offerings and
Payments listed above,
The Marriage
License,
The Printout from the “Catholic Wedding Planner” website.
A written list of the wedding party, including the order of
procession.