Congratulations!
Congratulations on your engagement! May God Bless you during this time of anticipation and preparation! We are blessed that you are interested in celebrating your wedding at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. The Cathedral is a local parish community of faith, as well as the home of the Archdiocese of Detroit. As such, many Catholic weddings are celebrated here every year – including weddings for couples who live outside of the Metro Detroit area.
We have ample guarded parking, a long aisle, air conditioning, padded pews, outstanding music, and a beautiful Church! We also offer a beautiful, meaningful marriage preparation program to help get you ready for the wonderful sacrament of matrimony. Here’s what you need to know:
Process for Getting Married at the Cathedral:
Step #1 – Meet the Requirements
- At least one of the parties (the bride or groom) requesting a wedding must be a baptized practicing Roman Catholic and currently registered in a parish.
- Any previous marriages by either the Catholic or Non-Catholic party must already be annulled, or the proper paperwork finalized. This includes weddings that took place outside of a Catholic church.
- There is a six-month minimum requirement for marriage preparation. Marriage preparation may be completed in your own parish or at the Cathedral as described on our Marriage Preparation page.
Step #2 – Check Availability
- Your first-choice date availability is checked when you submit this Wedding Inquiry Form. Please use legal names when filling out the information on the form.
- You can check our already-scheduled weddings, linked here, to see if your desired date(s) are available. The status of each wedding is also listed and updated dynamically as changes are made. Check back frequently for changes that may occur with weddings in the “Inquiry”, “Tentative” and “Pending” status. Dates of availability can change often.
- Our parish calendar, linked here, may also provide a helpful – though not guaranteed – view of other scheduled events at the Cathedral.
- Please note that the Cathedral does not book weddings during some weekends in Lent, the Easter Octave, the weekend of Pentecost, and during the first weekend of October. Once we receive your Wedding Inquiry Form, we will check availability on our master calendar.
- Wedding dates are scheduled in the order that the Wedding Inquiry Forms are received.
- If the date is available, an automated email will be generated requesting additional information.
- If the date is not available, you will receive a notification. You may then complete a new Wedding Inquiry Form for a different date if desired.
Please send us an email should you need additional information.
Step #3 – Preliminary Information
- Once a wedding date is set, an email will be generated requesting more information. It is important to provide all the information that is requested in a timely fashion. It is imperative that you monitor your email, as the system will keep you apprised as to your status and the next steps.
Step #4 – Monitor Email for Next Steps
- You will receive automated emails that document the steps and documents needed for the process to continue. Links to the necessary documents will be included in the emails. It is imperative that all documents be completed and submitted. YOU CAN ONLY HAVE A WEDDING AT THE CATHEDRAL IF ALL THE ITEMS ARE COMPLETED. These items are set forth below.
- Wedding Agreement – The wedding agreement will be sent electronically via PDF. Both the bride and the groom must sign and agree to the conditions.
- Newly issued baptismal records (1 or 2) – newly issued records are required for each Catholic member of the couple and must be obtained from the church where the baptism took place. A hard copy must be dropped off or mailed to the Cathedral. These records need to be dated within the last six months at the time of submission. If a parish is now merged or closed, you may need to contact the local Archdiocesan or the Diocesan Archives Office. (Detroit’s Archives Office can be reached at 313-237-5846.) For baptized Non-Catholic parties, a copy of their original baptismal record will also need to be submitted in hard copy to the Cathedral office.
- Priest Permission Letter- If the bride and the groom are both Catholic, only one permission letter is required and can be obtained from either the bride’s or groom’s parish priest.
- “A” Form – The “A” form or preliminary marriage form must be completed. Your presider will complete this form. For those who do not reside in the Detroit area, the preliminary marriage form must be completed in the archdiocese/diocese of your residence. In the event dispensation is required, please allow for the time that it takes to obtain dispensation. Your presider will complete the process to obtain dispensation.
- Presider eligibility – If your presider is not in the Cathedral’s Family of Parishes, we need to verify his eligibility to perform a wedding at the Cathedral. Your presider must submit a letter from his order/diocese affirming his eligibility.
- Vendor Letters – If you plan on having a videographer, photographer, florist, or any other vendor, vendor contracts must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the ceremony.
- Complete marriage prep – This can be done at your home parish or at the Cathedral. The process can take up to six months.
Step #5 – Marriage Prep
- Please read the details here.
Step #6 – Plan ceremony details
- You will be prompted six months prior to the wedding date to schedule the rehearsal. Rehearsals are typically held on the Wednesday, Thursday, or (possibly) Friday before the wedding day. We are not able to schedule rehearsals before this time as we are still reserving the Cathedral for other functions.
- Select music – Music selections are due 90 days prior to the wedding. Select your music using the link embedded in the emails you receive. Information regarding music can be found here: Choose Our Music.
- Plan the liturgy – The liturgy plan is due 90 days prior to the wedding. Use the link that will be provided via email.
- Obtain marriage license – Bring your marriage license to the Cathedral office soon after receiving it, and at least one week prior to the wedding. Check the county’s website as to the lead time and availability of appointments to get the license. Plan accordingly as availability can be a challenge. The county provides you with 2 or 3 copies. Bring all copies to the Cathedral and the envelope that will be used to return the license to the county. You will receive one signed copy after your ceremony. The other copies will be mailed to the county by the Cathedral staff.
Step #7 – Enjoy!
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers that may help you enjoy your big day!
Fee Schedule
A deposit of 50% is due within 30 days after signing the Wedding Agreement.
Payment in full is due no later than 90 days prior to the wedding. Please make a check payable to ‘Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament’ and mail it or drop it off at 9844 Woodward Avenue Detroit, MI 48202. Office hours posted on our website may change on holidays. We ask that you kindly note the wedding couple’s last names as well as the date of your ceremony on the check. For your convenience, we offer an electronic payment option. Simply click on the DONATE tab on our website and then click on the tab GIVE TO THE CATHEDRAL. That will take you to a page where you will find a subheading for “Wedding Deposit/Payment.” A transaction fee does apply for this method of payment.
Please see our prices below.
- $2100: For dates other than those below.
- $2500: Weddings on Holiday and Holiday Weekends: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day Weekend, Thanksgiving Weekend, and Memorial Day Weekend.
What’s Included:
The fee includes the use of the church for both the rehearsal and ceremony, organist, cantor, staff wedding coordinator, coordination of all required and legal paperwork, wedding assistants, all post-wedding required notifications to the county and affiliated churches, and security – including a large, guarded parking lot for guests.
Please note: Priests/Deacons do not receive any payment from elsewhere for weddings; thus, an honorarium of $250 for the presiding priest or deacon would be appropriate. If you have questions about the honorarium, please contact our Wedding Coordinator.