Preparing for Marriage
Marriage Preparation at St. Francis provides an opportunity for reflection and discernment on the sacramental and vocational nature of the life-long commitment to marriage. Our preparation program fulfills the standard marriage preparation requirements for the Archdiocese of Louisville.
St. Francis is committed to doing all we can to make sure that couples are prepared for this important, holy and life-long commitment and not just prepared for the wedding day.
Our preparation program is designed to make sure that couples have discussed all aspects of marriage; spiritual, relational and practical. We expect couples to have been members at St. Francis for at least a year before their wedding and to begin their marriage preparation at least 10 months to one year before their wedding. Our preparation includes:
- Welcome meeting
- Administration of a pre-marriage inventory called "FOCUS"
- Meetings to review results of the FOCUS inventory (with a mentor couple from the parish)
- Participation in an archdiocesan marriage preparation workshop or retreat (separate fee)
- Individual meeting(s) with a wedding liturgy planner
- Wedding rehearsal
- Parish Wedding Coordinator on day of wedding
Preparation Timeline
Couples are given a timeline to follow as they move through their preparation process. The timeline is specifically designed to make sure that the couple has enough time to truly benefit from each step and have started early enough to allow time to work on relationship issues that may surface. We have also discovered that if a couple is too close to their wedding day, they have a hard time giving adequate energy to the relationship aspects of the preparation and tend to get caught up in the wedding day preparation only. The following is a quick overall of the timeline.
- 12 Months Out: Secure the wedding date, Welcome meeting (specifics of requirements explained and paperwork begun)
- 11-12 Months Out: Schedule the FOCUS inventory
- 7-10 Months Out: Meeting to review results of FOCUS inventory with Mentor Couple
- 6-8 Months Out: Attend an archdiocesan marriage preparation workshop or retreat
- 2 Months to 6 Weeks Out: Music and Readings should be discussed with the organist and the wedding coordinator.
- Wedding Rehearsal
- Wedding Day: Relax and celebrate
Marriage Fee
St. Francis charges a fee of $940 for marriage, which includes preparation, musicians and a wedding coordinator. At least $100 of this fee is due to secure the wedding date with the balance due two weeks prior to the wedding. The $100 deposit is refundable if the wedding is canceled.
Most Common Questions
Q: If my fiancée/fiancé is not Catholic, can we still be marriage at St. Francis?
A: Yes, only one of you needs to be Catholic.
Q: If my fiancée/fiancé is not Catholic, can we be married at her/his church or synagogue.
A: Yes, you would still do preparation through St. Francis and the marriage would be considered a sacrament by the church, but the ceremony can take place at either persons place of worship.
Q: We don’t want to wait 10 months to a year. Can we book a sooner date?
A: On rare occasions, if a couple has already done some marriage preparation elsewhere we may be willing to book a sooner date. Or, if the couple is willing to begin our preparation, at least completing the premarriage inventory and a review meeting so that we can get a good sense of the strength of their relationship, we may consider a sooner date.
Q: My fiancée/fiancé does not live in Louisville. How can we do the preparation?
A: We can often be quite creative about how to accomplish the preparation when couples or one of the two do not live locally.
Q: One of us has been married before. Will that prevent us from booking a wedding date?
A: In the Catholic Church, all previous marriages must be dealt with before a wedding date can be booked. Fr. Lou can determine what will need to be done about the previous marriage. If an annulment is needed, he can explain that process and help you begin.
Q: Can we have our own musicians?
A: St. Francis has a wedding policy booklet that each couple will receive with answers to all questions related to the wedding ceremony and wedding day.
To Begin Preparation
For any unanswered questions or to discuss a wedding at St. Francis, you can contact the parish office at 456-6394.