matrimonyThe Sacrament of Matrimony

The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves partnership of the whole of life, is, by its nature, ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreating and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament.

Sacred scripture begins with the creation of a man and woman in the image and likeness of God and concludes with a vision of “the wedding-feast of the lamb.” Scripture speaks throughout of marriage and its “mystery,” its institution and the meaning God has given, its origin and its end, its various realizations throughout the history of salvation, the difficulties arising from sin and its renewal “in the Lord” in the New Covenant of Christ and the Church.

Scheduling

To get started on your wedding preparations, please contact the church office at 248-788-2460.

Marriage


 

Things to know as you prepare for your Wedding:

  • To schedule a date please contact the church office. You must complete a pre-registration form, which will be emailed to you or you can fill out at the office.
  • You are required to meet with a priest approximately 6 months before your wedding in order to open a file.
  • Please bring in your baptismal certificate and your driver license when you come to open your file. If you do not have your baptismal certificate, please contact the Church you were baptized at and request the certificate of baptism.
  • You are required to take Marriage prep classes. Please visit https://www.ecrc.us/marriage-prep/ for more information.
  • As you select the bride and bridesmaids’ dresses, please be aware that you will be in a Church. It is required that the bride and bridesmaids wear shawls, please note that sheer shawls are not acceptable. If the dresses or shawls are not appropriate, then shawls will be provided to wear during the Wedding Ceremony.
  • More information will be provided the day you come to open your file. Congratulations on your engagement and we looking forward to seeing you! God bless you, your family, and your future family.
GUIDELINES FOR MARRIAGE CELEBRATIONS
As you prepare for your wedding, there are some rules and regulations that our parish needs to bring to your attention. Please read below
  1. Your marriage will be performed in this Church only if you are eligible to celebrate a marriage according to the law of the Church and the state. First cousins are not licensed to get married in the state of Michigan. The sacrament of matrimony, however, will be given after obtaining the marriage certificate from a different state.
  2. You must apply for your MARRIAGE LICENSE at the county clerk at least three weeks before your wedding day OR ELSE YOU CANNOT GET MARRIED.
    • Oakland County: 1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Pontiac, MI 48341. (248) 858-1000 department 413.
    • Macomb County: 40 N Main St #5, Mt Clemens, MI 48043. (586) 469-5155.
    • Wayne County: 2 Woodward Ave # 201, Detroit, MI 48226. (313) 224-6262.
  • When getting your marriage license be aware of the following:
    • WE CANNOT PERFORM YOUR MARRIAGE CEREMONY WITHOUT IT!
    • Marriage License is valid for 30 days only.
    • The Church needs your marriage license at least 15 days before your wedding.
    • You do not need to get married in COURT.
    • The witnesses on your wedding day must be at least 18 years of age. It is customary to take the best man and the maid-of-honor as witnesses. If either/both are not 18, then an appropriate replacement must be made and mentioned when the license is brought to the Church.
  1. Due to the high expense that elaborate showers and bachelor parties can cause (not excluding the moral aspect), the Church suggests that you abstain from them. Instead, small family gatherings are preferred. The Church advises you not to put yourselves under debt just to satisfy other people.
  2. It is mandatory to complete marriage preparation classes and NFP (Natural Family Planning) classes. To register for Marriage Preparation Classes please visit: www.ecrc.us/marriage-prep.  To register for NFP Classes (Natural Family Planning) please visit: www.ecrc.us/nfp.
  3. The wedding ceremony is always celebrated outside of Mass. If the couple wishes to receive communion, then they would need to confess within a week of the marriage date. No confession will be celebrated on the same day as the ceremony.
  4. Couples are NOT allowed to write their own vows.
  5. Your wedding must begin ON TIME. If your service should begin more than 15 minutes late through your fault, then it will be simplified by having no procession. If 30 minutes late then you will be required to wait until the last wedding or celebration of the day to be completed before your service can begin. Please be at the Church at least 20 minutes before your wedding time.
  6. Since a Church is a place of glory and praise, think twice of the gowns that are picked. There must not be slits, low V neck, backless gowns, etc., it has unfortunately come to our attention that some dresses (worn by the bride, the bridesmaids, or even family members) are inappropriate in the Church. In order to maintain decency in the place of worship, we are enforcing that shawls become mandatory for the bride and the bridesmaids. As for any family member that is inappropriately exposed, we will do the same. If any of the above come without a shawl, we reserve the right to force them to wear a shawl regardless if it matches the color of the dress or we will not celebrate the wedding. Shawls must cover (no see-through) the shoulders and the front.
  7. Absolutely no flower throwing in the church is allowed.
  8. Absolutely no wagons, or other items with wheels or electronics, or any such thing be used for the ceremony. We want to focus on the marriage as a sacrament and not disrupt the ceremony.
  9. It is up to you to arrange for the flowers in the Church taking into consideration the following guidelines:
    • There will be no lit candles outside of the two on the altar and the unity candle (this includes but is not limited to candelabras, candles carried by children, etc.)
    • For easy movement down the aisle, flower vases, stands and other arrangements should not be placed so to obstruct easy passage.
    • Please do not make a mess in the Church (throwing rice, chocolates etc.). If a mess is made, then you will be required to have someone to clean it up immediately or charged appropriately for cleaning.
    • PLEASE DO NOT TAPE THE PEWS.
  1. After the religious celebration at the Church, the bride and the groom are allowed to take pictures in front of the Holy Altar. Before and during the ceremony, the photographers can take as many pictures as they want but outside of the altar area.
  2. The duty of the Church is to provide Her faithful - Her children - with the Sacraments. All Sacraments are graces from God and there is no price that can be placed upon these gifts of God.  Please take into consideration, however, that the church, your home, has needs and expenses. If you feel called to show your love and appreciation by making a donation to support the parish and its mission, a suggested donation of $300 can be made to the church. This donation is without any obligation.
  3. Please notify our Music Director Teresa Yousif at Musicdirector@stccc.org or (248) 762.9354 for scheduling your ceremonial music.
  4. You must do a wedding rehearsal keeping in mind that there will be no rehearsal on the day of the wedding. For rehearsals please contact Dalia Atisha a month in advance to schedule an appointment Coordinator@stccc.org