Holy Matrimony
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! Holy Matrimony is a sacrament that permanently binds two people together to grow in holiness and help each other Heaven, so the Catholic Church takes marriage preparation very seriously. In the section below, we explain the steps that couples need to take during the marriage preparation process. Please take some time to read through the information, and don't hesitate to contact our parish staff with any questions you may have. We're excited to accompany you as you take this important step!
Before we begin:
Please note the requirements to marry in the Catholic Church:
1) At least one member of the couple is Catholic
2) Both parties are free to marry (if you were previously married to a partner who is still living, we need to seek an annulment before you can re-marry, even if it was not a Catholic wedding)
3) The couple participates in a marriage preparation course.
4) The couple completes a workshop on Natural Family Planning.
If you want more information on what a Catholic Wedding is and what the ceremony might look like, visit this link. The suggested donation for a wedding is $500, but please let us know if this poses an obstacle.
A note about jurisdiction: St. Ann Parish serves those resident in our parish boundaries. If you are interested in getting married in the Catholic Church but are resident in the geographic boundaries of another parish, please contact that parish to prepare for the sacrament.
Getting Married at St. Ann Catholic Church
Here is a detailed explanation of the steps you will need to take before your wedding:
Step #1: Ensure that you are registered in the parish
If you are not registered in our parish, you can register here. You can register with your future spouse and use the comments box to indicate that you will be getting married at St. Ann soon.
Step #2: Set up an appointment with our pastor
To schedule a meeting and begin the wedding scheduling process with Fr. Dominic, email the parish secretary and she will find a time that will work. Before your appointment, fill out this form.
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Step #3: Schedule your wedding
Weddings at St. Ann occur on Saturdays at 11am or 1pm, and rehearsals typically occur the day before at 6 or 7pm. You can view our parish calendar here to see whether the church is available on your desired date. We need to schedule your wedding at least two months beforehand to ensure that we have time to complete all the required paperwork.
Please note that the availability of the church building is not the only factor in scheduling a wedding, so we ask that you do not make plans until we have confirmed your chosen date. Also, if you have a pending annulment or any other obstacle to marriage, we urge you to be cautious about announcing your wedding date before the annulment has been approved--if you do not meet the requirements to marry by 30 days before the wedding (our deadline for submitting your paperwork to the diocese), Canon Law prevents us from proceeding with the wedding.
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Step #4: Complete the pre-marriage requirements and send us the following documentation
AT LEAST 6 WEEKS before your wedding:
a) Proof of Baptism - Those baptized in the Catholic Church can call the parish or diocese where they were
baptized to obtain a notated copy of their baptismal certificate. If you were baptized in another Christian
denomination, you may have a harder time getting a certificate. If a baptismal certificate does not exist
because the baptism occurred under emergency circumstances or for any other extraordinary reason, you
will need to complete this Testimonial Letter form.
b) Marriage Preparation and NFP Certificates - Visit the diocesan page to find a marriage preparation course
that will work for you. If the program you choose does not include NFP, you will need to complete a separate
course. Once you have completed the course(s), download your certificate(s) and send it/them to us by email
or drop it/them off at the office. The marriage prep program must be completed at least 14 days (but not
more than a year) before the marriage license is issued.
c) Freedom of Marriage Affidavits - This document provides sworn testimony of your freedom to marry. One
will need to be completed for each party. Give the blank, unanswered form to any friend or family member
who has known you for a significant period of time and can testify that you are free to marry. They should
take it to any priest or notary public, who will record their verbal answers on the form. Your witness then
signs the form, and the priest or notary public applies the parish seal or notary stamp. You then return the
affidavits to St. Ann to include in your marriage file.
d) Any necessary dispensations - If your marriage will be celebrated outside of the diocese, you will need to
download, fill out, and submit this Petition for Testimonial Letter with your documentation. If we have
advised you that you need any other type of dispensation, complete this Petition for Dispensation.
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Step #5: Obtain Your Marriage License
For weddings in Utah, a marriage license is required unless the couple is already civilly married. The marriage license must be obtained from the County Clerk* within 30 days of the marriage. A license from any county in Utah is usable; no license from outside of Utah is valid. The marriage license should be presented at the wedding rehearsal.
*The Salt Lake County Clerk is located at 2001 S State St (South building, second floor).
For weddings occurring in another state, you will need a marriage license from the place you wish to get married (obtained up to 30 days before the wedding). For weddings occurring in another country, you will need to investigate the civil law in the place you wish to get married.
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Step #6: Making Your Donation
While we do not ever want this to be an obstacle to a marriage, preparing for a wedding takes many staff hours, and we ask that you help us offset the associated costs. The suggested donation amount for a wedding is $500. You can make that donation online or by check - either way, please be sure to note that it is a wedding donation in the memo line so that we know where to apply the funds.
Questions about Sacraments?
Contact Elise Flick to get started! She can help you with sacrament paperwork and connect you with the appropriate parish leader for the Sacrament you need.