NUPTIAL GUIDELINES

Updated 10/11/2023

BEFORE YOU GET TOO FAR INTO THE PROCESS OF SECURING A WEDDING DATE WITH US, BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS IN PLACE OR IN PROCESS TO ENSURE A VALID SACRAMENT AT OUR CHURCH!

  • At least one of the parties (bride or groom) must be a Baptized, Confirmed practicing Catholic  and registered at a Catholic Parish. 

  • Any previous marriage by either 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 (6) months minimum requirement for marriage preparation. No weddings can be scheduled with less than a six-month notice; this preparation must be completed in your own  parish. (If less than six (6) months, your Parish must first approve.) 

  1. Completion of Wedding Registration Form 

  2. Priest Permission Letter. Only one permission letter is required and can be obtained by  the Catholic party (bride or groom) from your Parish priest.  You can download that letter HERE

  3. Newly issued Baptismal Records are required. These records must be dated within six  (6) months of your ceremony. If the church of Baptism is now closed, you may need to  contact the Archdiocesan/Diocesan Archives Office. The Archdiocese of Detroit Archives  can be reached at 313-237-5846. Baptized non-Catholic parties will submit a copy of  their Baptismal certificate. 

  4. If both the bride and groom are Catholic, and free to marry in the Catholic Church, no dispensation is  needed unless your home Parish is in another Diocese. If your home Parish is outside the Archdiocese of  Detroit, ample time MUST be considered for Dispensation Approval. 

The Catholic Church recognizes marriages between Catholics and non-Catholics; however, ample time  MUST be allowed to obtain the appropriate dispensation. Contact your priest if you have any questions about this! 

FEES 

SECURITY DEPOSIT ~ $500 – This is refunded approximately two weeks after the wedding, provided the church is  left neat & tidy as found, nothing has been broken or tampered with, and ALL rules have been followed. Under no circumstances is tossing, throwing, or releasing of anything on church property allowed. This  includes rice, birdseed, bubbles, confetti, etc.

CHURCH ~ $2,000 – During holiday weekends & New Year’s Eve the fee is  $2,500  *DEPOSIT IS NOT INCLUDED AS PART OF THE CHURCH FEE**     DEPOSIT IS NOT REFUNDED IF WEDDING IS CANCELED WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF WEDDING DATE

MUSIC COORDINATION ~ $300 – During holiday weekends and New Year’s Eve the fee is $350 (this is separate from the church fee and is paid directly to the Director of Music. Be sure to connect as soon as possible to begin that process.

VIDEOGRAPHY - Custom videography and live streaming for your wedding ceremony is available through our Music Director. There are limitations on areas of the church accessible to videographers that this can overcome, ensuring you still can get the highest quality and up close video of your wedding, including the best quality audio of your wonderful music, readings and vows.. It is a wonderful supplement to the “wedding day highlight” videos provided by most wedding videographers. Contact our music director with questions.

PHOTOGRAPHY - We welcome photographers into our church to help you capture the beauty of this special moment! There are some guidelines that we have in place, and those will be communicated through our director of music and media. We also have a list of preferred vendors to guide you toward people we have found success with in our church in the past and know how to get the best results!

REHEARSAL AND WEDDING ALLOWABLE TIMING 

• You should plan on your rehearsal taking no more than one (1) hour.  The purpose of this rehearsal is to review the liturgy. We encourage the priest to attend, in addition to all involved in the ceremony including the wedding party. Musicians do not attend unless pre-arranged with the music director.

• You are allowed one (1) hour prior to the ceremony, one (1) hour for your ceremony, and 30 minutes for pictures following the ceremony at which time you are expected to vacate the  premises. There will be no exceptions. 

NO DRONES - This is self explanatory. For the safety of the millions of dollars in stained glass alone, drones are prohibited both inside and outside the church.

Please call the Parish Office at 313-831-6659 to obtain availability during regular business hours,  which are Tuesday – Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.