Marriage in the Catholic
Archdiocese of Brisbane
Guidelines for Parishes
A Sacred Moment
For many engaged couples, seeking a Catholic wedding may be one of the few times they connect with the church between finishing high school and baptising their children. This presents us with an extraordinary opportunity! Every encounter they have with us (priests, parish office personnel and other Catholic representatives) during this time is a chance to joyfully witness to the gospel through our welcome and support. At the very least, this will help to make their wedding day a joyful experience. At best, it will open the door for couples to encounter Christ Jesus and make the Catholic Church their home of faith as their family grows.
The purpose of this resource is to offer suggestions for how to practically embody this. It makes suggestions for how to extend hospitality and care to wedding couples, as well as tips and tools for navigating behind-the-scenes aspects of marriages in the Catholic Church. This information is accompanied by 'Marriage in the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane: A Guide to Planning your Wedding and Preparing for Marriage' for couples with wishing to marry in the Catholic Church. This resource us available for download as a PDF or by following the link provided below. Parishes may wish to print these 'welcome' brochures to give couples which provide a direct link to 'Marriage in the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane: A guide to Planning Your Wedding and Preparing for Marriage.'Wedding Inquires
When an engaged couple contacts your parish, what should you do?
1. Congratulate them! Let them know that the Church is there for them in this moment of their life and wish them the best as they begin to prepare for the sacrament.
2. Make ‘Marriage in the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane: A Guide to Planning your Wedding and Preparing for Marriage’ available to them, either in hard copy form or digital, as well as any documents your parish provided couples who are preparing to marry. Depending on the couple, you may invite them to take some time to peruse these resources in case any questions arise for them.
3. Discuss the basic requirements for marrying in the Catholic Church: freedom from any impediment (i.e. previous marriage that has not been granted annulment, at least one person is a baptised Catholic).
4. Check the availability of the couples preferred Church for their requested date, and make a tentative booking in the parish calendar and the celebrants diary, if relevant. Discuss donation cost and the timeline for payment.
5. Make a booking for the couple to meet with their celebrant as soon as possible, and ask them to bring along necessary documentation to this meeting.
6. Refer the couple to a pre-marriage education course (options available in ‘Marriage in the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane: A Guide to Planning Your Wedding and Preparing for Marriage’).
7. If possible, offer assistance and/or recommendations for musicians, booklet printing, floral arrangements and liturgy planning.
8. Communicate any necessary parish matters (e.g. renovations, time restrictions, etc.) with the couple as soon as you are aware of them.
9. Ensure the couple are aware of arrangement for accessing the church for their rehearsal and on the day of their wedding, as well as any sound set up information, and appoint a representative from the parish to assist on the wedding day.
Remember to follow up with the couple once they are married to congratulate them and invite them to be part of the parish community.
Legal and Canonical Requirements
As detailed in the Archdiocesan Marriage booklet for couples, the following forms must be completed by couples for the wedding to be valid in the eyes of the State of Queensland:
- Notice of Intended Marriage (signed no later than one month before the wedding)
- Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage
- Official Certificate of Marriage
In addition, the following Church documents must be completed:
- Pre-Marriage Inquiry Form
- Permission for Mixed Marriage or Dispensation from Disparity of Worship (when one partner is not a Catholic)
- In the instance of previous marriage, proof of nullity
- Permission for marriage outside a church if necessary (such as in the case of a garden wedding).
Parish priests and parish office personnel can work together to create drafts of these forms for wedding couples to review at an appointment, before printing the final copies for the wedding day. Parishes may wish to create an online celebrant portal with Births, Deaths and Marriages to minimise administration. These portals pre-populate all government forms with the couples’ wedding details, and can easily be edited to include updates.
Wedding couples should ideally meet with their celebrant three times to complete paperwork, discuss the meaning and liturgy of their nuptial celebration, and become familiar with any details they need to be aware of. A minimum of six months preparation time is recommended for all couples wishing to marry in the Church.
Logistics and Details
Many couples will ask for help with one or more of the following:
- Music and musicians (e.g. organist, choir, digital setup)
- Liturgy booklet printing
- Flowers
- Additional access to the church
These moments of interaction can be more than juts business transactions. They are opportunities to share God’s love with the couple, and to bring peace and support into these often stressful moment of their lives.
The Archdiocese of Brisbane asks all its parish priests and parish office personal to attend to logistical details with a spirit of hospitality, flexibility, and pastoral support. If a wedding couple has a bad experience in this time, it may become a prohibitive factor for them pursuing a life of faith or wanting to raise their children in the Church.
It may be helpful for your parish to create an index of suppliers (e.g. musicians, local florists, etc.) whom you can refer couple to should they need assistance in this area.
It is also desirable to have a main contact person at the parish office who will guide couples through each step of the process unlock the Church for their rehearsal, and be there on their wedding day in case of any last minute glitches. This gives couples a sense of confidence and ease in their arrangements. It can be frustrating for couples to experience a lack of continuity in their dealings with a parish, and not to know whom to contact in unforeseen circumstances.
Pre-Education Courses in the Archdiocese of Brisbane
“Love needs time and space; everything else is secondary”
Pope Francis, Amoris Laetitia 224
Within the Archdiocese of Brisbane, there are several options for Pre-Marriage Education. These vary from one-day group sessions to weekend retreats to private courses with a mentor couple or counsellor. Please explore the different options that are on offer and pick one that suits your budget, schedule and faith experience.
Many of these also offer marriage enrichment opportunities for further down the track. However you choose to continue to nurture your relationship, being intentional about your marriage will result in you celebrating many, many anniversaries to come.
Centrecare
Centacare offers two different options: a group course, usually run on a Saturday. And FOCCUS, a questionnaire-based program with a trained facilitator (as an individual couple).
Lighthouse Relationships
Lighthouse Relationships are based in New Farm, Brisbane and offer pre-marriage education as well as a range of marriage enrichment offerings both online and in-person and for a range of time-frames and budgets.
Prepare Enrich
Prepare Enrich offers online assessments and follow up with facilitators in-person. As well as pre-marriage support Prepare Enrich has assessments for ongoing marriage enrichment and parenting.
Smart Loving
Smart Loving is an Australia-based program for engaged couples with both online and in-person options. Smart Loving also provides resources for marriage enrichment for newlyweds and beyond.
Following Up with Married Couples
In his Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, Pope Francis stresses the importance of ongoing pastoral accompaniment of married couples, particularly in the first few years of marriage. As an Archdiocese we are committed to supporting couples beyond their wedding day and into their years of marriage. The following ideas are wonderful ways to re-connect with couples after their wedding to offer them congratulations and ongoing pastoral care:
- An email of congratulations with a request for a photo to include in the parish newsletter.
- A phone call from the wedding celebrant with one month into marriage to check in.
- A care package in the mail with information about parish events and support groups.
- An anniversary card one year into marriage to let them know we still care.
- Adding the couple to the parish database so they receive email newsletters.
- Connecting newlywed couples with an older couple in the parish who can offer practical wisdom and pastoral support in the early years of marriage.
- Forming a newlywed network at your parish to give recently married couples a chance to connect with others in the same stage of life.
- Giving couples information on how to obtain a papal blessing for their marriage.
- Providing newlywed couples information about events and support groups around the Archdiocese such as ministries to the newly married, mums groups and conferences.
- Forming a parish library with books about marriage and family life, including Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia, resources on Natural Family Planning, and manuals on communication, conflict resolution, and faith in the family.
We’d love to hear about nay other ideas your parish has for connecting with newlywed couples as they begin married life together!
Contact The Team
We’d love to talk to you more about how to engage Children and Families through ministry in your local context
Chantelle Wilson
Associate Director
Lorraine Wynne
Project Officer
Charlotte Pitot
Project Officer
childrenandfamilies@bne.catholic.net.au
Phone
07 3324 3440