General Considerations:

Finding a Date: A period of time from six months to a year is required to prepare prospective spouses for sacramental marriage. Church requirements do not permit us to confirm a marriage date prior to completing canonical procedures, including paperwork. This in itself can require a month or more. A date for your wedding can only be established in the parish calendar after this canonical paperwork is complete.

Freedom to Marry: The capacity to enter the married state requires the freedom to give a complete and unconditional “yes” to another person. Personal maturity and discipline are prerequisite to making such a radical commitment. Psychological troubles and/or addictive behaviors must be addressed in assessing the freedom to marry. The ability to give yourself totally in marriage presupposes that every effort is made to grow in personal chastity and to maintain prudent boundaries in your relationship with each other.

Freedom from other binding life commitments is also required. If there are any previous attempts at marriage in your history, these must be brought forward and examined carefully before taking any further steps.

Couples seeking “convalidation”: If the couple was not married by a Catholic priest (e.g. civil ceremony, judge, non-Catholic ceremony, independent chapels, etc.), they can speak with the pastor about having their marriage “blessed” or convalidated.

It is all too common in society today for couples to live together before marriage. This arrangement, commonly known as cohabitation, can obscure the capacity to discern marriage in freedom and eliminates many opportunities to grow in the virtues necessary to live the total self-gift required in marriage. If you find yourself in the arrangement of cohabitation, it is essential that you remove yourself from it as soon as possible.
 

Basic Requirements:

Once you have reveiewed all the guidelines please fill out the “Marriage Request” form. After receiving the form, the sacramental coordinator will reach out to schedule an initial meeting for both of you with the pastor.

The following documents need to be obtained and/or filled out in order to fulfill initial canonical requirements:

• Baptismal Certificates: If you were baptized in another location, documentation must be recently issued from the place of your baptism, not more than six months old.)
• Confirmation Certificates: If you were baptized in another location, documentation must be recently issued from the place of your baptism, not more than six months old)
• ​Witness Affidavits: Two witnesses are required for each potential spouse. Usually these are parents or close family members who know you well. Witnesses arrange a time to meet face-to-face with a priest to give their testimony.
• Prenuptial Investigations: These will be filled out during one of the visits with the pastor arranging the wedding.
• ​Canonical Questionnaire: Each potential spouse is interviewed individually by the priest.

After completing the above steps, it may be possible for a wedding date to be booked in the parish calendar. Fees for the Parish (see below) should be submitted at the time of this booking. The final decision to book your wedding is made by the pastor of St. Peter’s.

Couples who have completed these preliminary requirements will begin the process of marriage formation. This process includes:

• Pre-Cana classes (as required by the Archdiocese of Chicago). We recommend the One in Christ Marriage Class at oneinchristmarriage.com
• Regular meetings with the pastor (3-5 meetings)

By the time of your wedding rehearsal, you must present a Civil Marriage license. This license, from Lake County in Illinois, must be obtained not more than sixty (60) days nor less than 24 hours before the wedding.

Dates & Times: The following restrictions will apply to the selection of a wedding date:

• Normally the parish does not conduct weddings during the Advent or Lenten Seasons (e.g. 4 weeks before Christmas and 6 weeks before Easter).
• ​​Weddings are typically scheduled on available Saturdays, either late morning or early afternoon and are not to be scheduled past 2:00 PM.
• The parish does not conduct weddings on Sundays.

Practical Considerations:

Wedding Music:

St. Peter Church considers quality sacred music to be an important part of every liturgy and expects the choice of music for weddings to reflect this principle. The parish choirs have a number of fine musicians and vocalists, whom we can recommend to you. If you wish to use outside musicians and vocalists, they must be approved by the pastor.

• Musical selections must be approved by the pastor as fitting for a Sacred occasion.  No music from popular shows or of a secular nature will be permitted.

Bridal Party, Decorations, etc.:

• A maximum of five couples are permitted (not including bride & groom).
• ​Videographers and photographers are not permitted on the communion rail steps, behind the communion rail in the sanctuary, or in the sacristies.  
• A priest will conduct the wedding rehearsal (regardless of wedding planner).
• ​Arrangements for flowers and runners (if used) are the responsibility of the bride and groom. The florist should speak to the priest on placement of flowers before making plans. The parish can recommend florists who are familiar with our space requirements.

Not Permitted:

• No rice, confetti, noodles, bird seed, balloons, or flower petals allowed.
• No floral arrangements, candles with hurricane lamps, trellises, or canopies are allowed in the aisles or on the pews.  If decorations are to be placed on the pews, (e.g. bows) they are to be secured with rubber bands or string.  No tape is to be used.
• It is important that on the day of the wedding, the ceremony begins on time. The Mass will begin on time, regardless if someone is late.
• ​Prayers of the priests and brothers of the Canons Regular begin at 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays, therefore no photographs are permitted past this time.
• ​The rehearsal is generally scheduled at 7:00 p.m. on the Friday before the wedding.
• Please remember that you are receiving a Sacrament. Therefore, it is important that part of your preparation is to receive the Sacrament of Confession. Please plan ahead to make a good confession prior to your wedding so that you may reap the full sacramental benefits of Holy Matrimony.

Fees:

• $500 ($100 down payment is required to hold the date, $400 balance is due two weeks before the date)
• Music fees are determined during your meeting with the Music Director.

Updated November 17, 2020