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Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament

Apostolic Center of Arts and Culture

Home Weddings Marriage Prep

Marriage Prep

A small bouquet of white flowers, greenery, and beaded ribbon.

MARRIAGE PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS 

In order to get married in a Catholic Church you must complete a marriage preparation program.  You have two options:

Option #1: Completing marriage preparation with your home parish.  You would have to fulfill the marriage prep requirements of your home parish and arrange for the parish to send a letter to the wedding coordinator at the Cathedral stating you’ve completed marriage preparation according to their requirements.  This letter must be sent at least 90 days before the wedding.

  • This is an option even if one of our priests/deacons is presiding at the ceremony.  You would still be required to meet with this priest/deacon prior to the ceremony.

Option #2: Going through marriage preparation at the Cathedral will consist of four parts; they are not in a specific order, please see below:

  • Meet with the priest or deacon who is presiding at the wedding and complete the A-Form.
    • This should be completed by the priest or deacon who is presiding at your wedding.
    • The A-Form is essentially a prenuptial form that the Catholic Church requires for all couples who are getting married in the Catholic Church.  It contains information about you and the questions of consent.  This form is required to confirm your freedom to marry in the Catholic Church.
  • Complete the PREPARE assessment and meet with a counselor to go over the results.  More details are available here: PREPARE-ENRICH.pdf
  • Attend one of our marriage preparation workshops. Please contact the wedding coordinator for upcoming dates.
  • Complete a Natural Family Planning course.  There are many options in person and online; please check with wedding coordinator to confirm that the course you plan to sign up for is sufficient. (She is currently researching for the best options available.)

Please note you are responsible for signing up /contacting people, etc., to complete your marriage preparation.  All steps must be completed for the Sacrament of Marriage to take place.  We suggest you start this process at least one year before your ceremony.