| Congratulations on your engagement!
The parish and staff of Mary, Seat of Wisdom joyfully welcome you into preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony. Your decision to enter into the relationship of married life is a sign of love, hope and strength for the entire community. You have prayed and discussed this decision on your own, and now you are ready to continue the process of beginning a successful marriage. The love you have privately come to realize and share will now be made public. Family, friends and the local Church are called upon to support, encourage and pray for you as you set out to formalize and bless your relationship in the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony.
We encourage you to make this important time of preparation an opportunity for you to question, pray, reflect and consider the many facets of the new life you will be sharing together. It is our hope that, while preparing for your wedding day, you will also be laying the foundation for a successful Christian marriage.
The purpose of this guide is to provide you with insights and information which will help to make your wedding day a happy and holy event for you and for the parish community. One of the priests will assist you in the preparatory steps which will lead to your wedding day. You will also meet with the music director to plan all of the music for your wedding.
We assure you of our continued support, help and prayers. If we may be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
THE PARISH STAFF
______________________________________________________
The rectory phone number is (847)825-3153
MARRIAGE PREPARATION
Engagement is a special time -- a time of love and preparation. This is a time of enjoyment, dialogue, and the sharing of the deepest and most personal values. This is a time of reflection and prayer. The Parish Staff seeks to do all it can in assisting couples to prepare for marriage.
Pre-Marriage Preparation is required. Three of the most popular options available are Pre-Cana, the Discovery Weekend and Parish Pre-Cana.
The Discovery Weekend is a weekend experience, usually held at a retreat house. Like the Pre-Cana Program, it is led by married couples and a priest. Because it is a full weekend, it affords a greater opportunity for sharing, reflecting and developing a view of married life that can extend beyond the wedding day.
The priest assisting you will provide the schedules for these programs. You may also find the schedule online at www.familyministries.org or call the Family Ministries Office at (312)751-8351
CHECKLIST OF DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
1. A Baptism certificate dated within six months of the wedding is to be submitted by each Catholic person. In a interfaith marriage, a baptized non-Catholic is also asked to present a record of Baptism, if that is possible.
2. A recently issued Confirmation certificate is requested, if available.
3. Two affidavits affirming each person’s freedom to marry may be required, in some cases. The consulting priest will advise.
4. A pre-marital questionnaire for both the bride and groom will be completed with the consulting priest or deacon.
5. The attendance certificate presented at the completion of the Pre-Marriage Preparation is to be kept on file at Mary, Seat of Wisdom with the other marriage documents.
6. A marriage license from Cook County, Illinois, is required and is to be presented to the priest or deacon at the time of the rehearsal. Currently a Cook County license is valid for sixty days from the date of issue, and must be obtained at least one day prior to the wedding. For information on obtaining a marriage license, including locations and hours, phone (312)603-5664.
7. Because every couple is unique, there are some cases where other documents may be required. The consulting priest will assist in this regard.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Our Parish policy is that the documents be presented and the nuptial questionnaire be completed at least six weeks before the wedding. It is the couple’s responsibility to schedule an appointment with the consulting priest to complete this questionnaire.
Wedding rehearsals are to be scheduled with the parish minister. It is recommended that they be no longer than ½ hour in duration. Brevity will be facilitated if all decisions have been made beforehand. In courtesy to all involved, we ask that the rehearsal and the wedding start and end on time.
An offering of $300 to Mary, Seat of Wisdom is expected. An offering for the priest/deacon is $200 minimum. Servers (2) gratuity is $10 each. Envelopes are provided and are to be given to the priest /deacon of the Parish at the time of the rehearsal.
All wedding music is planned in consultation with our Parish musicians. An envelope is provided for the musicians’ fees, the amount of which is determined in the music planning session and is to be given to the priest/deacon at the time of the rehearsal. Please refer to the WEDDING MUSIC SECTION of this booklet on page six for further information about the fees for the musicians.
Arrangements for flowers and runners are to be made by the bride and groom with the florist of your choice Please refer to and read the FLORIST sheet in this packet and present it to the florist. Runners, which are available from your florist, need to be 68 feet long for the aisle. A wedding Unity Candle (1- 3 inch & 2 tapers), if one is to be used, may be purchased at the florist shop or a religious good store.
Arrangements for photographers are to be made by the bride and groom with the studio of your choice. Please read the STILL PHOTOGRAPHY AND/OR VIDEO guideline sheet and present it to the photographer. Provided there is no other service in the Church, wedding pictures may be taken in the church for NO MORE THAN ONE HALF HOUR after the ceremony. Please maintain a spirit of reverence in the Church.
The bride and bridesmaids may use the Annex for 1/2 hour before the ceremony. Please note that it is a waiting room and time does not permit it to be a dressing room. We ask that you leave the room as you found it.
The mailing address for Mary, Seat of Wisdom is 920 West Granville, Park Ridge, Illinois, 60068. We ask that all correspondence be sent to this address.
Out of respect for the church building, which is sacred, and out of respect for others who will be using this space after the wedding, we ask that no rice, birdseed, flower petals, confetti or balloons be used inside or outside the Church. NO alcoholic beverages, champagne included, are to be brought onto the Church property.
If you choose to prepare a program booklet to be distributed to your guests, please consult the priest/deacon and ask him to proof read your program. The musician who helps plan your wedding music can also assist you with your program.
If a private Wedding Consultant is employed, please duplicate this booklet for that person’s information. It is good to keep in mind that the priest/deacon will be conducting the rehearsal and officiating at the ceremony with the advice of the bride and groom only.
Some Popular But Non-Essential Practices
Some practices or rituals, expressive of the bond of marriage have developed within the wedding ceremony. None of these is essential to the ceremony. One of these practices is the lighting of the unity candle and its side candles. Different ministers conduct this practice in different ways and will discuss it with you and practice it at the rehearsal, if you choose to participate in it.
Various cultures e.g. Greek Orthodox, Mexican, African American, Polish, Filipino (et al.?) have their own rituals, which highlight an aspect of the meaning of marriage. The parish minister will be happy to discuss one of these with you and practice it with you at the rehearsal.
Another popular but optional practice is the bringing of a bouquet of flowers to Mary’s Shrine just before the final blessings. Again, the minister will discuss this with you, and if you choose it, practice it with you at the rehearsal. Please decide ahead of time whether the bride will go alone to Mary’s shrine or will be accompanied by the groom.
MUSIC FOR YOUR WEDDING
INTRODUCTION
The Music Department will help make the liturgical celebration of your marriage a beautiful, prayerful and joyful event. We guide you in planning and we provide the musicians who will lead the singing and play instruments at your wedding. We look forward to meeting with you to assist in the selection of music appropriate to the sacramental nature of the liturgical celebration of marriage.
PLANNING
We ask that all couples being married at Mary, Seat of Wisdom call the Music Office (847)692-2705 at least six weeks before the wedding to schedule a wedding music consultation appointment. We will provide you with a suggested list of wedding music. Note selections which you like and bring the list to the planning meeting. It is also helpful if you have reviewed and chosen your scripture readings, especially the responsorial psalm. As musical advisor, your organist will guide you through the music selection process. Any questions regarding the suitability of wedding music selections will be decided by your organist.
VOCALISTS
It is the Church’s policy that a Cantor be engaged for each wedding. The cantor is the vocal soloist and leads the congregational singing. Your organist will secure the services of a Parish Cantor for your wedding. It is important that a Parish Cantor participate in your wedding because of their high level of skill, familiarity with liturgy, experience with space, and ongoing working relationship with Parish organists and clergy.
INSTRUMENTALISTS
Additional instrumentalists (trumpets, violins, etc) are often desired as part of the wedding music. Our Music Director knows instrumentalists who are superbly skilled and experienced. It is our Policy at MSW that the Music Director will engage these musicians for you after your music planning meeting.
CHOIR
A quartet, octet, large choir or other combination of Mary, Seat of Wisdom singers may be contracted for your wedding. Our Music Director can help you with this at the wedding music planning meeting.
FEES
Music Minister/Organist $150.00
Cantor $100.00
Instrumentalists (each) $
Choral singers (each) $
Extra rehearsal $
The Music Minister’s fees are always in effect, even when a visiting musician is engaged. This is because fees for weddings at Mary, Seat of Wisdom are calculated as part of the Music Minister’s salary. The present fee of $150 includes the consultation, preparation and performance of the wedding liturgy. When non-parish musicians or larger ensembles of musicians are requested, more rehearsal time and preparation are required. This additional time will be reflected in additional music fees.
Our Music Minister will inform you of the exact amount of music fees at your meeting. These fees should be given to the priest or deacon of MSW at the time of the wedding rehearsal.
PRE-RECORDED MUSIC
The use of pre-recorded music is never permitted in the Church.
GUIDELINES FOR THE
PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER
The following are the guidelines that all photo/video personnel are asked to follow at Mary, Seat of Wisdom.
Photographers and video personnel may take pictures in the gathering space before the wedding or in the church proper during the entrance procession. Arrival time is ½ hour prior to wedding.
Photographers are asked not to interfere with the movement of the procession or recession by having couples stop in the aisle. We ask that photographers refrain from walking in front of them during the processional and recessional.
Once the ceremony begins, photographers are asked to select one location (in back of the congregation) and take all photographs from that site.
For video camera, please consult with the priest or deacon prior to the ceremony. Videographers must remain at that chosen location throughout the ceremony.
Since the Church has sufficient lighting, bulbs and electronic flashes are not allowed during the wedding. Video cameras may not use spots as lighting aids.
Since our Church is open to visitors and parishioners for the opportunity for private prayer, a fitting reverence is expected at all times. If there is no other ceremony in the Church, photos may be taken for ½ hour after the ceremony.
Any chairs or furniture moved by the videographer must be returned to their original location immediately following the ceremony.
GUIDELINES FOR THE FLORIST
The following guidelines are to be followed by all florists who service Mary, Seat of Wisdom.
No floral arrangements, candles, hurricane lamps, trellises, canopies, ribbons or any other decorations are allowed in the aisles or on the pews. No rose petals may be thrown. Decorations should be focused in the sanctuary.
Floral arrangements in the sanctuary are not to block the liturgical movements. Also note that additional floral arrangements may interfere with videotaping.
Flowers are not to be placed on the altar (table).
The length of the Church aisle is 68 feet.
Florists should not arrive at the Church more than ½ hour before the scheduled wedding.
Notes
NO PARKING OR DRIVING
on sidewalk/brick area
in front of Church
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