Marriage preparation is designed to strengthen your marriage and your connection to the parish. At least one of you must be a registered, parishioner, practicing your faith with regular attendance at Mass, for three months before you may begin marriage preparation.  The first step is to meet with one of the Parish Priests.  Call the Parish Office at 407-657-6114 to set up this appointment.

MARRIAGE PREPARATION

Paperwork

• Form “A” is completed at your first meeting. 
• Form “B” (Freedom to Marry witness forms), two per person.  (Click here to print out a blank form)  Have your parents or someone who has known you all your life fill them out.  The witness forms should be notarized or signed in the presence of a priest.  Return the Witness Forms to the Parish Office.
• Baptismal certificate (not birth certificate).  Catholics must get a recent (within 6 months of the wedding) certificate by calling or writing your church of baptism.  It takes a couple of weeks and is usually free. Baptized non-Catholics will need to provide some type of baptismal certificate also.  Return them to the Parish Office.
• Dispensation.  A Catholic must obtain permission from the Bishop to marry a non-Catholic.  This paperwork is handled by the Parish Office Staff and takes about 6 weeks.  There is a fee of $25.  This  check made out to the "Diocese of Orlando" and turned into the Parish Office at least six weeks before the wedding..

Special Circumstances

• Prior Marriage  A couple cannot be married in the Catholic Church if one or both has a previous marriage.  This applies to non-Catholics and Catholics alike.  The divorced person has to petition for an annulment, which takes about a year, if it is granted.  Marriage preparation may not begin nor may a date for a Catholic wedding be set until the annulment is granted.  Call Lorayne Stelling for more information (407-830-1971).
• Convalidation of a marriage  If you have been married outside of the Church and now wish to have your marriage blessed in the Church (convalidation), your marriage preparation may be adapted to include Marriage Encounter or other steps to best strengthen your marriage in the Church.  You will need a copy of your marriage certificate.
• Death Certificate  If a former spouse of either of you is deceased, please provide a copy of the death certificate.
• Youthful Marriage  When either of you are under age 19, you will be referred to a Catholic Charities counselor (407-658-1818) for a pre-marital evaluation.  Both sets of your parents will be interviewed by the priest.
• Pregnancy  The Church seeks the best for both you and the expected child.  Pregnancy of itself is not reason enough to be married or to omit the usual 6-month preparation process. Every effort is made to insure that you are truly ready for marriage. You will be referred to a Catholic Charities counselor (407-658-1818) for a pre-marital evaluation.

PLANNING YOUR WEDDING

Wedding Preparation Guide

Setting the date

The wedding date may usually be set when you first meet with the Priest, provided there are no special circumstances that prevent this. You can set the wedding date for any time available at least six months from that meeting.

Fees

The fee for marriage preparation and your wedding in the chapel includes:  All marriage preparation materials; the services of the marriage preparation team, priest, musician, cantor, wedding coordinator at the rehearsal and wedding; and use of the bride’s room and the chapel for the rehearsal and wedding.  The fee is $500.  If you will be married at another church and are only completing your marriage preparation here at Sts. Peter & Paul, the fee will be $100.  Questions about fees can be referred to Pat Nunes, parish business manager, at 407-657-6114, x225.  All fees are due one month before the wedding date.

FOCCUS

Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study is a self-diagnostic inventory to help you target and work through issues important to marriage like dual career marriages, lifestyle expectations, parenting, extended family, and values.  You will be assigned to a FOCCUS couple.  Please call them to set up a meeting.  The first time you meet with your FOCCUS couple, you will fill out the FOCCUS inventory.  You will discuss your responses at a separate meeting.

_____ Meet with the priest or deacon

_____ Turn in Witness Forms

_____ Complete FOCCUS

_____ Complete The G.I.F.T.

_____ Submit Baptismal Certificates (dated up to 6 months
           before wedding)

_____ Send in check for $25 for dispensation paperwork if needed

_____ Meet with parish musician 4-6 weeks before wedding

_____ Meet with priest or deacon again 4-6 weeks before wedding
           to discuss "Wedding Selections" from the "Together for
           Life Book"

_____ Pay wedding fee one month before wedding

THE WEDDING CEREMONY

Purposes

Why do we bother with weddings in the first place?  Wedding preparation and the ceremony are intended to seal and strengthen your love, to signify and share in the union between Christ and us, his Church, and to celebrate your union before God and the Church.  Everything about the wedding ceremony is designed to promote these three purposes. Call the priest or deacon 4-6 weeks before the wedding to meet about the following:

Wedding Program

Make a wedding program.  The best weddings invite the full and active participation of the assembly singing and praying together. 

 Rehearsal

• Lectors practice their entire scripture reading from the pulpit during the rehearsal. 
• Bring your marriage license to the rehearsal.

GUIDELINES FOR USE OF THE CHURCH

Flowers

Aisle runners

No aisle runners or aisle cloths are allowed.

Rings

The Best Man holds the both rings.  They should be removed from any box before the ceremony.  If there is a Ring Bearer, he should be provided with fake rings.

Dressing rooms

The bride may dress in the choir room. The other bridal parties and parishioners are grateful that you leave the chapel, bathrooms, choir room and gathering space in better condition than you found them.

Photography

• Photographs and videotapes are great reminders of your wedding, but you don’t want the taking of pictures to get in the way of the wedding itself.  
• Photographers and videographers should set up in one place in the back of the chapel.  Before and after the ceremony, they may move about and use a flash.  No flash photography is permitted during the ceremony.
• Out of respect for others using the chapel, photographs after the wedding must be completed by (respectively):  11:20 a.m., 1:20 p.m. and 3:20 p.m.

“Get me to the church on time”

• Arrive on time for the rehearsal. 
• Plan on arriving about an hour before the wedding, unless there is a wedding scheduled before yours.  In that case, you may arrive up to 40 minutes ahead of time.  Give yourselves time to relax at the church, and in fairness to others, start the wedding on time.

Food and drink

• No food or drink is allowed anywhere in the church building. 
• Water bottles are permitted.

Music 

• Call the parish musician 4-6 weeks before the wedding to choose the music (407-657-6114 x232).
• At the discretion of the parish musician, depending on their proficiency and preparation, other musicians and singers may be considered.

Phone numbers

407-657-8198             Cindy Levesque, FOCCUS Assignments

407-830-1971             Lorayne Stelling, Annulments

407-657-6114, x235  Aaron Kohl, Parish Musician

407-657-6114, x260  Denise Locetta-Farrington, Sacramental

                                     Coordinator

407-671-3208            Michael Arthur-Wong, Wedding Rehearsal

                                     Coordinator

407-658-1818            Catholic Charities

407-657-6114            Saints Peter and Paul Parish Office and

                                      Priests

407-657-6114, x225  Pat Nunes, Parish Hall Reservations