Six Steps to a Rewarding Marriage Preparation Experience

Step 1 – Meet with your Pastor 

When: Before Setting a Wedding Date

After you become engaged, you should contact your parish as soon as possible to set up a meeting with Father Higuera to assist you in your marriage preparation. The priest will determine if you and your fiancé(e) are free to marry in the Church (i.e., confirm no canonical impediments exist). He will also provide you with the information needed to complete Steps 2 - 6 of the marriage preparation process. At this time, your priest will also discuss the required documents, which are outlined below the 6 Steps.

Step 2 – Marriage Preparation Inventory

When: After meeting with your Pastor 

The inventory is a series of questions, usually taken individually, designed to assess each of your habits, expectations and values, providing a personalized profile that will be reviewed with you by your Pastor.

Step 3 – The Marriage Preparation Course

When: Ideally, 6-10 months before your wedding

We offer Formed to provide an excellent educational component designed to introduce you to the rich teachings on the sacrament of matrimony, as well as important life skills. For more information see "Marriage Preparation through Formed" below.

Step 4 – Fertility Awareness / Natural Family Planning 

When: 6-8 months before the wedding

When you begin to start a family, you may have difficulties in trying to conceive or may want to learn how to space your children naturally. Fertility Awareness is not only effective for postponing pregnancy organically, it also is highly effective in overcoming obstacles that inhibit becoming parents. Contact our Parish office for more details. 

Step 5 – Sacrament of Reconciliation

When: Before the wedding, as necessary

The Church invites all Catholics to prepare themselves spiritually prior to marriage by celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation. Non-Catholics will benefit from spiritual direction from a Priest.

Step 6 – Final Meeting with your Pastor 

When: Before the wedding, as necessary

Regularly communicate with your Priest, and meet with him just prior to your wedding.

Required Documents for Marriage in the Catholic Church

Various documents are required. It may take a few weeks or even months to acquire these, which makes planning ahead important. Depending on the local parish or diocese customs, all or some of the following list may be needed:

1. Baptismal certificates of both parties (even non-Catholics) issued no earlier than six months prior to the wedding. (If these are absolutely not available, due to a fire or other viable reasons, a sworn statement may suffice.)

2. Marriage license from the civil registrar's office, which includes the application of the two parties (sometimes called the “long form”). This is obtainable from your local government; visit your county website under "marriage licenses."

3. Letter of freedom of pastors and parents.

4. Permission of parents if a party is under eighteen years of age.

5. Certificate of completion of a marriage preparation process.

6. For widows and widowers, an authentic certificate of death of their departed spouses with whom they were married and a marriage certificate of the previous wedding.

7. Declaration of Nullity, if previously married.