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Married
Christians, in virtue of the sacrament of Matrimony, signify and
share in the mystery of that unity and fruitful love which exists
between Christ and his Church; they help each other to attain
holiness in their married life and in the rearing and education of
their children; and they have their own special gift among the people
of God.” —Introduction to the Rite of
Marriage. #1
Welcome
We welcome you to St, Athanasius for your wedding, and we congratulate
you on your decision to marry. When lived with respect and fidelity
and with faith in Christ’s sustaining presence, marriage can be
an extraordinary blessing throughout all of life’s moments. To
make possible the best beginning for your married life, the staff at
St. Athanasius is happy to share in this time of preparation. This
preparation will be spiritual and personal, but practical as well.
With that in mind we offer this brochure containing important
policies and procedures, which will help direct your planning. We
will make every effort to consider your personal wishes but we ask
you to respect our guidelines.
Scheduling
your Wedding
Set a firm date at least six months in advance of your wedding by meeting
with the priest or deacon who is to officiate at the marriage. A
wedding is not officially scheduled at St. Athanasius until you have
met with the priest or deacon. So please do not make any other
arrangements until the meeting takes place, since it is only then
that the date is officially yours.
The times for weddings at St. Athanasius are Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. –
1:00 p.m. A Friday evening wedding can be negotiated based on
availability.
Photography/Videography
Photographs
and/or video may be taken during the marriage ceremony, but always
inconspicuously and from outside the sanctuary area. Only the
official photographer and/or videographer may take pictures at the
ceremony. The photographer/videographer must always keep in mind
that this is a Sacrament and a Sacred Moment in the life of the
couple.
Flowers
All
floral arrangements should be delivered to the Church at least two
hours prior to the start of the ceremony. Flowers should be given as
memorials on the occasion of a wedding, and remain in place in the
sanctuary for the entire weekend of your wedding.
Our
property insurance policy prohibits the use of rice, confetti,
birdseed, flower petals, etc., inside and outside the Church.
The re–arrangement of the sanctuary furnishings is not
permitted. Aisle runners are not permitted because they pose a safety
hazard.
The seasonal church
decorations and may not be moved or re-arranged. Please keep this in
mind when talking to your florist. Pew candles, or candles in the
aisles are not allowed because of the possibility for accidents.
Wedding
Coordinators
Some
couples choose to hire a wedding coordinator to assist with planning
the wedding. While such persons may be helpful in organizing some
aspects of the wedding, wedding coordinators are not permitted to
assume any role or authority in the planning or execution of the
wedding ceremony/liturgy.
Punctuality
Out
of consideration for other weddings and the various parish services,
it is very important that all weddings begin on time. If a wedding
starts late, the opportunity for photos will be forfeited.
Lectors
It
is proper for a lay person to proclaim the First and Second Readings
from scripture and to announce the intentions of the Prayer of the
Faithful. Couples should invite members of the family or the bridal
party or other close friends to serve in this capacity. The nature of
the Word of God requires that such persons be persons of faith and
effective public speakers. They should be given copies of the
readings in advance and be present at the rehearsal. The Responsorial
Psalm after the First Reading is always sung by the cantor.
Alcohol
Since
this is a Sacrament taking place in a Sacred Place use of any
alcoholic beverages before, during or after the wedding rehearsal or
wedding are prohibited. Please make sure everyone understands and is
in compliance with this requirement.
Altar
Servers
Couples
are encouraged to seek altar servers from their own family and
friends who will be at the wedding. If the couple desires altar
servers please speak to the priest or deacon who is arranging the
wedding, because of the limited number of altar servers at the parish
this is not always possible.
Official
Witnesses
The
official witnesses (best man and maid or matron of honor) may be of
any faith. Their names must be given to the officiating priest or
deacon for inclusion in the marriage records.
Ring
Bearers and Flower Girls
In
order for the marriage ceremony to retain its dignity and sense of
the sacred, we recommend that only children five (5) years and older
are permitted to serve as ring bearers or flower girls.
Music
for the Wedding
Couples
should contact the Director of Music, as soon as
possible by way of the parish office at 410-355-5740. The Director of Music is the only person permitted to provide music for your
wedding. Please do not make any arrangements for outside musicians until you have discussed this with the Director of Music, who will help you arrange for excellent singers and
instrumentalists as well as assist you in selecting music that
reflects your personal preferences and conforms to liturgical
guidelines.
All
musical selections and musicians must be approved by the Director of
Music. You will also need a cantor/soloist to lead the liturgical
portions of your wedding. Since St. Athanasius has cantors for weekly liturgies, these cantors have the right of first refusal for weddings. A list of parish cantors will be given to you at your first meeting with the priest and/or deacon. If these cantors are unavailable, then the Director of Music will assist you in scheduling
an excellent singer/soloist for your wedding. Fees for musicians are
in addition to the fee for the church. Fees should be paid one month
prior to the wedding date.
Fee for
Organist $200
Fee for
Soloist $100
These
fees are for standard wedding music. Additional musical selections or
rehearsals will incur additional fees.
Other
Officiating Clergy
Couples
whose wedding is to be witnessed by a priest or deacon who is not on
staff at St. Athanasius must request permission from the pastor:
After
the above has been completed, all remaining paperwork and other
requirements are the responsibility of the priest or deacon who will
witness the marriage, unless other arrangements have been made.
Fees
The
fee for weddings at the St. Athanasius is $300 for parishioners and
$500 for non–parishioners. This fee includes an offering for
the church. A deposit of $100 to be given to the priest or deacon at
the time of the first meeting. This fee does not include any
offering you should make for the officiating priest or deacon. The
couple should make a personal offering to the priest or deacon in
light of the large amount of time and effort that planning a wedding
requires on the part of the priest or deacon.
Who
is a parishioner?
For
purposes here, a person is considered to be a parishioner if he/she
or their parents have been registered for at least six (6) months
prior to the initial meeting with the priest or deacon and have been
active users of offertory envelopes for at least 6 months prior to
scheduling the wedding.
Marriage
Preparation Program
All
couples preparing for marriage in the Catholic Church are required to
participate in a church–sponsored Marriage Preparation program.
The Engaged Encounter retreat weekend and the Pre–Cana
Class series are both sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Information about these programs is available from a priest or
deacon. Marriage preparation should be complete at least three months
prior to the wedding date.
Required
Documentation and Paperwork
Baptismal
certificates of both parties must be obtained. For Catholics, new
copies (issued from the church of baptism) are necessary and must be
issued within six months of the wedding date.
Marriage
License
A
civil marriage license must be obtained for Baltimore City from
the Clarence Mitchell Courthouse, Room 628, 100 N. Calvert Street. At
the time of printing, the license fee is $35 and must be paid in
cash. One of the parties must appear in person to apply for the
license. The license is good from 2 days after the application is
made until six months from the date of issue. For more information
please call the Marriage License Bureau at (410) 333–3780.
Planning
the Wedding Ceremony
Since
the bride and the groom are the ministers of the Sacrament of
Marriage, they should have a prominent role in the planning of their
wedding liturgy. The officiating priest or deacon will work with the
couple to prepare the wedding liturgy. Copies of the marriage
planning workbook, Together for Life, are available from the
officiating priest or deacon. When both parties are of the Catholic
faith, the celebration of the marriage should take place within a
Mass. If one of the parties is not Catholic, the celebration usually
takes place at a ceremony outside Mass.
The normal structure of the wedding is as follows:
Entrance
Procession of ministers and bridal party
Gathering
Hymn (optional)
Opening Prayer
Liturgy of the Word:
–Old Testament Reading
–Responsorial Psalm (sung)
–New Testament Reading
–Gospel Acclamation (sung)
–Gospel Reading
–Homily
Rite of Marriage:
–Introductory Address and Statement of Intentions
–Exchange of Consent (vows)
–Blessing and Exchange of Rings
–Unity Candle (optional)
If the wedding is celebrated at a Nuptial Mass, then it continues as
follows:
Prayer of the Faithful
Liturgy of the Eucharist:
–Presentation of the Gifts
–Eucharistic Prayer (with sung acclamations)
–Nuptial Blessing
–Communion
–Prayer after Communion
–Dedication to Mary (optional)
–Final Blessing
–Recessional
If the wedding is celebrated outside Mass, then it continues as follows:
–Prayer of the Faithful
–Nuptial Blessing
–The Lord’s Prayer
–Final Blessing
–Recessional
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