Catholic Weddings

We are often asked a number of questions regarding weddings by a Catholic priest, in a Catholic Church, at non-religious venues, etc. Below is some helpful information to assist in answering these questions. 

General information:
Weddings at The Catholic Center are directed by the celebrant and the Wedding Guild. You’re welcome to hire your own wedding consultant, but they are required to abide by our policies and operate only under the direction of the officiant and representatives of the Wedding Guild.

Marriage preparation:
Marriage preparation is the process leading up to the wedding ceremony when a priest or a designated couple meets with the engaged couple for a number of sessions in order to discuss topics of faith, relationship, and marriage.

Can we do our marriage preparation elsewhere, yet get married at The Catholic Center? Yes, however, paperwork must be done by the parish doing the marriage prep.

Catholics marrying another Catholic:
Please see information below about reserving the date and beginning marriage preparation. There is some paperwork to fill out by the couple.  

Catholics marrying a non-Catholic:
Can a Catholic marry a non-Catholic? Yes.
Can a Catholic marry a non-Christian? Yes.
Can a Priest marry a Catholic and a non-Catholic? Yes.
Can a Priest marry a Catholic and a non-Christian? Yes. 

In an interfaith marriage, the Catholic party is required to “make a sincere promise to do all in his or her power so that all offspring are baptized and brought up in the Catholic Church” (Code of Canon Law 1125). The spouse of a different faith needs to be clearly informed about that promise. In addition, a “dispensation” is required from the archdiocese. The priest facilitating your marriage preparation/documentation will help you obtain this permission.

Guest priests or ministers:
Priests from other Catholic parishes are welcome to celebrate your wedding. We’ll need their name and contact information to send them their required paperwork ahead of the wedding. If they are from a parish outside of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, they have to apply to the archdiocese for permission to celebrate the wedding within six months of the wedding date and provide us a copy of the letter from their diocese granting those faculties. 

In an interfaith marriage, the minister of the non-Catholic party may participate in the ceremony, either in the readings and/or giving a blessing. Church law does not permit the priest and minister jointly to ask for and receive the vows, nor does it permit a double recitation of the vows.

Rite of marriage within Mass:
All sacraments, including marriage, are connected to the Paschal Mystery we see in Mass — Christ uniting Himself to His Church as a groom to His bride. In a wedding Mass, the couple are the ministers of the sacrament. The priest assists, witnesses, and blesses the marriage.

Rite of marriage outside of Mass:
This Liturgy is shorter. It includes a Liturgy of the Word and homily, but omits Holy Communion.

Weddings for alumni at The Catholic Center:
Reach out to your local parish to do the paperwork. If you are not a part of a parish, then you should go to your local parish, register, and complete the paperwork there. Upon completion and approval of the paperwork, the couple would begin marriage preparation at their local parish.

Sacramental wedding not within the Catholic church physical building:
Can a priest perform a wedding ceremony outside the Catholic church? The priest needs to get permission to do this from archdiocesan headquarters and submit legitimate reasoning. If there is a non-Catholic or non-Christian involved, and the priest has been granted permission, the priest can do the wedding ceremony. A Catholic marrying another Catholic ought to be married in a Catholic church.

Church forms:

FORM	GET IT FROM	SUBMIT IT TO	DUE DATE	NOTES
Baptismal Certificate	The church of your baptism within six months of your wedding date	The priest directing your marriage preparation	Within six months before your wedding date	Catholics need a new copy of their baptismal certificate from the parish of their baptism, noting all Sacraments received. If the Bride or Groom was baptized in another faith, and later was received into the Catholic Church, we need a copy of his/her Profession of Faith, with notations. Non-Catholics must provide evidence of baptism (e.g, a certificate/letter from the church’s secretary, or a signed affidavit by a witness to the baptism).
Affidavit for Freedom to Marry	Your first meeting with priest	The priest celebrating your wedding	As soon as possible	The bride and groom each need two affidavits completed on their behalf. Affidavits are completed by relatives or friends who attest that each of the espoused is free to marry. These forms must be either notarized by a Notary Public, signed in the presence of a clergy member of the pastoral staff, or in the presence of their own priest or deacon. Please do not turn in Affidavits without one of these forms of witness.
Bride and Groom Questionnaires	Your first meeting with priest	Completed at a marriage prep meeting	As soon as possible	These forms are signed and witnessed to certify that the information is correct.
Forms for Specific Occasions
Dispensation Form				This form is required for weddings between a Catholic or a non-Catholic, or if the ceremony is conducted by a non-Catholic minister or civil official. This form is obtained by the clergy directing your marriage preparation.
Letter of Permission from Pastor				This form is required if either party is a Catholic registered at another parish. Their pastor will provide a letter approving the marriage outside the registered party’s home parish.
Final Decree of Annulment		Prior to scheduling your wedding
Civil Forms
Civil Marriage License	Your county probate court: Cherokee Cobb Dekalb Fulton Gwinnett Out-of-state residents	The priest celebrating your wedding	At least one week before your wedding	The Wedding cannot be conducted without the marriage license! It is illegal in Georgia for a clergy member to officiate at a marriage unless the license is in hand. Assurances that the license has been issued are not sufficient. The Center staff will mail the certificate to the county the Monday after your wedding. To obtain an official copy of your marriage license, please contact the county of issuance (the county may require a fee)
Death Certificate				If either party has been married before and the marriage ended due to the death of a spouse, a copy of the death certificate will be required.

Fees:
The Catholic Center charges a fee of $500 to use the chapel for the wedding for members of The Catholic Center. 
For non-members of The Catholic Center, the fee is $750.
To reserve your time and date, please deposit at least half of this amount.

The Catholic Center charges an additional mandatory fee for music at the wedding ceremony at the church. Catholic Center musicians must be utilized to ensure the song selections and mass acclamations are done well, at the correct time, and appropriate for liturgy.
(Please download the “Wedding Music & Liturgy Guidebook” found below on this page for more information about guest musicians and fees.)

A fee of $250–$350 is also encouraged as a stipend for the presiding priest.

Streaming (optional):
If you would like the wedding streamed, a fee of $100 is required as a stipend for the AV technician to run the cameras and the stream.
This will be collected by the Director of Liturgy of Music who will assign an A/V tech.

FEE	COST	DUE DATE	NOTES
Catholic Center	$500 (members) $750 (non-members)	50% to reserve the date, 50% 30 days prior to wedding	This fee covers the use of the Chapel for the ceremony and for the rehearsal, as well as the Bride’s Room, the Groom’s Waiting Area, the Program, and the services of the Wedding Guild.
Officiant	$250-350 (encouraged)	Wedding Day or earlier	It is customary for the couple to provide an honorarium to the priest officiating. The amount is a matter of personal discretion and should reflect your sincere appreciation.
Organist/Pianist	$350	No later than two weeks prior to wedding	A bench fee of $200 is paid to the Director of Music and Liturgy if outside musicians are exclusively used, and other additional fees may arise, depending on the number of musicians included in your wedding, the number of rehearsals required, and other factors. Musicians usually do not attend the rehearsal.
Cantor (Optional)	$250	No later than two weeks prior to wedding	A staff cantor other than the Director of Music is optional at a nuptial ceremony.  The Director of Music typically can sing and play most selections without the use of an additional cantor.
Streaming	$100	No later than two weeks prior to wedding	Streaming is optional. No fee is required unless you want the ceremony streamed on YouTube and/or Facebook.

For more information:
Please contact our Director of Music & Liturgy, Dan Marcacci, and Fr. Michael or Fr. Brian for more information!