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Marriage

Suevan Resendiz


Director of Sacraments


(512) 261-8500 X 207


office@emmausparish.org


Heather Sheek


Director of Liturgy and Music


512-261-8500 X 405


liturgy@emmausparish.org


Emmaus Catholic Parish Wedding Requirements

Church of the Resurrection of the Lord (Emmaus Catholic Parish)
Queen of Angels Chapel
office@emmausparish.org



God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
God blessed them, and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.
Genesis 1:27-28


In order to receive any information including date availability, you must complete the Intake Form with a date and time.


The Intake Form must be emailed to office@emmausparish.org


Once the parish office receives the Intake Form, the Director of Sacraments will contact you.



GETTING STARTED IN YOUR MARRIAGE PREPARATION
 
Bride or Groom must schedule a phone appointment to go over the Marriage Requirements. However well-intentioned this may be, parents, assistants or wedding planners of the bride & groom may not arrange appointments, make changes for them or request information about the wedding.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

Ministers and staff members who will be involved with your preparation and the wedding itself will be the following:

  • Director of Sacraments: The Director of Sacraments will go over our church guidelines and the items needed to plan your wedding. She will be your point of contact through most of the preparation process.
  • Deacon: For a wedding in the context of a Liturgy of the Word (without the Liturgy of the Eucharist) you may ask a deacon from your parish to preside or you may ask a deacon from Emmaus to preside. 
  • Priest: If you wish to have a wedding in the context of a mass, you are welcome to invite a priest from your parish to preside or request a presider from Emmaus. 
  • Contact Person for Music and Readings:  All music must be coordinated through and under the direction of Heather Sheek. You should contact her three months prior to your wedding.
  • Wedding Coordinators: Our parish wedding coordinators will contact you to coordinate both the rehearsal and the wedding. They do not assist in the logistics in planning the wedding. 


Items Required BEFORE Your Wedding Can Be Scheduled
Preparation at Emmaus:

  • The bride & groom must meet with the Director of Sacraments to review guidelines
  • Checklist for wedding deposit
  • Guidelines agreement sheet
  • A recently dated copy of your Baptismal Certificate with Sacramental notations
  • Birth Certificates
  • A photo of the happy couple
  • A written agreement from the officiating priest or deacon
  • Pre-nuptial questionnaire – to be completed with presider
  • Affidavits of Free Status
  • Dispensation remitted to Diocese of Austin, if necessary
  • Annulment papers of all previous marriages, if required
  • A signed delegation form if a guest priest or deacon is presiding
  • Wedding fee
  • Diocesan Marriage Classes/Retreat
  • Prepare Enrich Assessment
  • Texas Marriage License

 
Preparation at another Church or Non-Registered Members That Live Outside Emmaus Boundaries:
 

  • The bride & groom must meet with the Director of Sacraments to review guidelines
  • Completed Wedding Preparation Form
  • Checklist for wedding deposit
  • Guidelines agreement sheet
  • A photo of the happy couple
  • Presider's written agreement
  • Wedding fee 
  • A signed delegation form if a guest priest or deacon is presiding
  • Texas Marriage License


Once all required items are received, you may request your rehearsal and wedding dates and times. If the dates and times are available, you will receive a confirmation from the parish office. If the dates and times are not available, you will be contacted so that an alternate date and/or time may be reserved.

Please note: Do not make reservations for receptions or any other events until you have received a confirmation letter. Until you receive this letter, we cannot guarantee your wedding date. If you make reservations before receiving this letter and we find that we cannot reserve your requested date, Emmaus will not be responsible for solving resultant problems and issues that this may cause for you.

Baptismal Certificates:

  • Baptized Catholic(s): A copy of a currently dated Baptismal Certificate, with notations, is required for those Catholics who wish to marry. This certificate copy must be taken from the original records of the Church in which you were baptized and cannot be more than six months old. When requesting your certificate, give your name, date of birth, parents' names and approximate date of your baptism. Let them know that it is for a Catholic wedding and must include notations.
  • Baptized Non-Catholic: For a non-Catholic, baptized Christian, a certificate of Baptism or letter from a family member stating that person was baptized and the approximate date of the Baptism is also requested. If you have questions about this requirement, the priest or deacon handling your marriage preparation can assist you. 


Dispensation
To be married in the Catholic Church, either the bride or groom must be a baptized Catholic. For couples in which one is not Catholic, a dispensation from the Diocese of Austin will be required. This is dispensation or permission from the bishop for the Catholic to marry a non-Catholic. The Catholic member of the couple is to agree by signature that he/she intends to continue practicing the Catholic faith and, also, intends to have the couple’s children both baptized and raised Catholic. 

Annulments: Have Either of You Been Married Before?
If either party, whether Catholic or non-Catholic, has been in a previous marriage (civil, Catholic, Protestant) that ended in divorce, this must be brought to the attention of the Director of Sacraments, the deacon or the priest immediately to determine, not if an annulment is needed, but, what sort of an annulment is needed. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of your wedding. If necessary, an annulment by the Catholic Church must be obtained in order to be married in the Catholic Church.
This slows down the marriage preparation process since we cannot schedule a wedding or proceed with the marriage preparation until any needed annulments have been received. 
 

Presider

Please remember that if you are arranging for a wedding within the context of a Liturgy of the Word (without the Liturgy of the Eucharist), you may invite a priest or deacon from your parish to preside or you may ask a deacon from Emmaus to preside.

  • Contact the priest or deacon whom you wish to preside at your wedding at Emmaus parish. You should check on possible wedding dates at Emmaus before contacting him.
  • Secure his agreement to preside on requested date and time.


Ask the Director of Sacraments to send him a delegation form. The priest or deacon who will be presiding must sign the delegation form and return it to Emmaus. Our pastor must also sign it before we can schedule your wedding. Guest priests and deacons must be delegated with the authority to preside.
 

  • If the priest or deacon is from outside the Diocese of Austin, his bishop or religious superior must complete a testimonial of suitability. Ask the Director of Sacraments to mail the testimonial.
  • Please keep in mind that the priest/deacon presiding at your wedding is responsible for your marriage preparation.
  • If you wish to have a wedding in the context of a mass, you are welcome to invite a priest from your parish to preside. Otherwise, a priest or deacon of Emmaus will preside.


Fees and Stipends for either Emmaus Catholic Parish or Queen of Angels Chapel


Active Contributing Registered Parishioners:                                    $1,500 + $500 refundable deposit = $2,000

Convalidation for Active Contributing Registered Parishioners:      $1,500 + $500 refundable deposit = $2,000

Non-parishioners:                                                                                 $2,500 + $500 refundable deposit = $3,000

Convalidation for Non-parishioners:                                                   $2,500 + $500 refundable deposit = $3,000

Marriage file only:                                                                                  $200

Marriage Retreat:                                                                                  Contact your local diocese for registration and fees.


Included in the above fees:

  • Building usage:
  • 1 hour pre wedding meeting with Wedding Coordinator
  • 1 hour scheduled rehearsal
  • 1 ½ hour before wedding ceremony
  • 1 hour wedding ceremony
  • 20 minutes photography after the ceremony
  • Wedding Coordinators (Present at rehearsal and wedding)
  • Utilities and custodial services


STIPEND FOR PRIEST OR DEACON -The stipend for the priest or deacon is a a free will offering, and is NOT included in the above cost, but is suggested.
It is customary to give a stipend to the priest or deacon who presides at your wedding. Please keep in mind that he is pivotal in making your wedding the day of beauty and blessing that it is meant to be. This requires of him a significant amount of work and effort apart from his other duties.
 

An Active Contributing Registered Parishioner of Emmaus Parish is defined as
one who has been registered for a minimum of one year before contacting the parish about setting a wedding date and has been actively financially contributing to the Parish.


If the wedding needs to be cancelled for any reason, after 60 days of it being scheduled, all but the deposit,

marriage file and electronic processing fee will be refunded.


Times, Dates and Venue


Weddings may not be scheduled on Fridays, Sundays, during Lent or Holy Days of Obligation. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Lent is a season of reconciliation and reflection; thus, festive celebrations are not consistent with the spirit of the season. Please consult with the parish office on what is available before deciding on your wedding date.
Also, if a holy day of obligation falls on a Saturday, there will be no weddings scheduled on that day.
 
Emmaus Catholic Parish

  • Weddings at Emmaus may be scheduled at 10:00 AM, 2:00 PM or 7:00 PM on Saturdays.
  • The Wedding Party must arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled times. 
  • 10:00 AM weddings must be cleared out completely by 11:30 AM
  •  2:00 PM weddings must be cleared out completely by  3:30 PM
  •  7:00 PM weddings must be cleared out completely by  8:30 PM
  • Rehearsals are scheduled on the Friday prior to the wedding at 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM .
  • Rehearsals are one hour in length. 
  • The wedding party may consist of no more than 8 couples in addition to the bride and groom.


Queen of Angels Chapel

Due to the size of the chapel, there may be no more than 150 in attendance including the wedding party. NO EXCEPTIONS

  • Weddings at Queen of Angels may be scheduled at 2:00 PM
  • The wedding party must arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled times. 
  • Rehearsals may be scheduled on the Friday before the wedding no later than 4:00 PM
  • Only one wedding will be scheduled on any given Saturday.
  • The wedding party may consist of no more than 4 couples in addition to the bride and groom

 
 
Marriage Preparation Programs
Each couple will participate in at least one of the following marriage preparation programs:

 

A. Sponsor Couple: A specially trained married couple, the Sponsor Couple, meets with the engaged couple on four or five occasions. The workbook, Together in God’s Love is used as guide in the discussions.

                       

B. Retreat weekend -OR- 4-class series: The Austin Diocese offers Together in God’s Love marriage preparation in a weekend retreat -OR- at the Pastoral Center. Current dates, fees and registration information may be found on the Diocesan website:

https://austindiocese.org/marriage-preparation


C. Online marriage preparation: The Austin Diocese has approved the online marriage preparation course provided by Agape Catholic Ministries: https://www.catholicmarriageprep.com/

 

Introduction to Natural Family Planning

Each couple will take a Natural Family Planning (NFP) Introductory Course. Although an introductory course is required, a full course is preferred as couples find it more beneficial. You can learn more about NFP at https://austindiocese.org/natural-family-planning -OR- Austin Fertility Care https://www.austinfcc.org/registration/

 

PREPARE-ENRICH assessment with one of the above programs: The Director of Sacraments will assist you with this relationship assessment. There is a $35 processing fee for the assessment.
 
Marriage License
The couple is responsible for obtaining a marriage license from a Texas county courthouse. You may obtain a license between 89 days and 72 hours prior to the wedding. Please note that the only way to obtain a license after the 72 hour limit has passed is by obtaining a judge’s permission and this is very difficult to obtain. Do not procrastinate! We ask that you deliver the license to the office once it is obtained so it is on file for your wedding day one month prior to your wedding date.


PLANNING YOUR CEREMONY
 
Dress Code
Please keep in mind the virtue of modesty when choosing your dress and the dresses of your bridesmaids, attendants, those in the procession, and lectors.
You will be worshipping in a sacred place, therefore strapless, spaghetti straps, low-cut, and bare back dresses are inappropriate and NOT ALLOWED for this occasion. If you come dressed inappropriately, you will be required to wear a shawl from the church. You may bring your own shawl or jacket. Dresses must also be at least knee length.
 
Dresses with bare midriffs, short dresses/skirts, high slits, skin-tight outfits, plunging necklines, or backless gowns are not dignified or appropriate for the wedding rehearsal, Marriage Rites or Mass.


Liturgy and Wedding Music

Music fee is NOT included in the fee above

All wedding music and liturgy, both at the main church and the chapel is under the direction of Heather Sheek, Director of Liturgy and Music.

She must be contacted for an in-person appointment, once your wedding is scheduled at liturgy@emmausparish.org,  for your music and reading selections.

All music for weddings in the context of Mass or Liturgy of the Word must be sacred music or approved classical music. Recorded & iPhone music is not permitted.
 
Flowers
No decorations, but three altar floral arrangements are permitted in the church.

Two arrangements can be placed at either side of the altar and the other in front of the ambo/pulpit.

Flowers offered for the Marion devotion are allowed.

 
Hired Wedding Consultants
If you hire a wedding consultant, please make sure the consultant understands that he/she has no role in the rehearsal or the actual wedding and cannot contact the church for information about your wedding. Information about your wedding will not be released to them, family members, nor the wedding party. These are under the guidance of the priest or deacon presiding and the Emmaus Wedding Coordinator Ministry. The planner need not be present at the rehearsal or may sit with the congregation during the wedding if they like.

Outside wedding consultants, employed by the bride or groom, have NO AUTHORITY to plan any part of the liturgy or to decorate, arrange or re-arrange the Church. The parish guidelines under the authority of the Pastor are to be followed. Please inform your Wedding Consultant of these instructions.

Photography and Videography
Photographs may be taken in the church before the ceremony and MUST BE finished at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of the ceremony. You have 20 minutes for photographs to be taken in the Church after the end of the ceremony; however, because there may be additional weddings and other services scheduled in the church, the church must be cleared 30 minutes after the wedding. The wedding party, guests and photographer must be out of the church by 3:30 PM if your scheduled time is at 2:00 PM.
Bride, Groom and Photographers and Videographers will receive a contract for them to read, sign and return both to the Wedding Coordinator and the Director of Sacraments one month prior to the wedding.


REMINDERS

  • The Church is the House of God. Therefore, everyone is asked to demonstrate respect for where they are. Please ask parents of young children to monitor them closely and to keep them seated.
  • Attire. Because weddings take place in the church we require that brides and their attendants dress accordingly and modestly. Sleeveless and strapless dresses are allowed with shawls or a light jacket; however, low cut necklines, short lengths (anything above the fingertips), tight fitting, bare midriffs, high slits, or backless gowns ARE NOT allowed. This is not appropriate for the presence of Christ or a sacred celebration. Provide these requirements to your wedding party.
    Because the rehearsal is also held in the house of God, these guidelines pertain to the rehearsal as well. 
  • Alcohol is not permitted. Our policy at both Emmaus and Queen of Angels is if any member of the wedding party consumes alcohol prior to the wedding, they will not be able to participate in the wedding.  For the bride and groom, consumption of alcohol prior to the wedding liturgy may be cause for cancelling the wedding. Bride & groom must be in full consent of their vows.
  • Children of members of the wedding party: Members of the wedding party must make arrangements with other family members or friends to take care of their children. Our parish wedding coordinators cannot do this for you.
  • Children’s safety issues: For the sake of the security and safety of children they are never to be apart from direct adult supervision while on church property. This means that children may not wander the parish property unattended. Also, children who need to leave the pews during the liturgy to go to the bathroom must be accompanied by an adult. Please include that as a notation in your program.
  • Rehearsals must begin on time because there are often other events in the church after the scheduled end of the rehearsal time. Please make sure that all members of the wedding party arrive thirty minutes prior to the scheduled rehearsal time.
  • The rehearsal may be conducted by the priest or deacon presiding, by the parish wedding coordinators or by a combination of the two. The priest or deacon presiding will let you know how that will work. 
  • All who are in the wedding are required to be at the rehearsal. This includes the best man and the maid/matron of honor, all groomsmen and bridesmaids, lectors, ring bearers, flower girls, Eucharistic ministers, padrinos, parents of the bride and groom and ushers. If members of the wedding party are not at the rehearsal, this can lead to mistakes being made at the actual wedding. Our goal is to assure that the bride and groom feel confident about the liturgy when they leave the rehearsal. This requires the presence of everyone who will have a part in the wedding liturgy.
  • Rehearsals will be on Fridays, therefore timing your arrival is crucial.
  • The bride’s room is available 1½ hours before the wedding and it must be cleared out within 20 minutes at the conclusion of the ceremony. We recommend that someone is designated to be responsible for this. On Saturday afternoons, the bride’s room becomes the confessional at 4:00 p.m. at Emmaus.
  • There is to be no food or drink, tobacco or gum (except water) anywhere in the church!
  • Ring bearers and flower girls: Long experience has taught us that ring bearers and flower girls must be no younger than six years of age. NO EXCEPTIONS. Flower girls may not throw petals down the aisle. Wagons are not allowed in the aisle for the procession or recession of the ceremony, for flower girls and ring bearers. They may carry a basket of flowers or a bouquet. 
  • Items not permitted inside or outside Church grounds: rice, birdseed, flower petals, aisle runners, unity candles, bubbles, confetti, butterflies, sparklers or doves. Only service animals are allowed on campus.
  • Photographs during the liturgy: We gather for weddings in the context of sacred ceremony. For that reason only the professional photographer functioning under strict guidelines is permitted to take photographs during the wedding liturgy. Please inform family members and friends of this restriction prior to the wedding. It is also a good idea to include this restriction as a notation in your program.
  • Church Circle Drive: Limousines and all party buses must park outside the circle drive.
  • Special Traditions: If you would like to incorporate special traditions to your ceremony the wedding coordinators and wedding administrator should be notified before your wedding is scheduled and approved by the Pastor.


PLEASE PROVIDE THESE REMINDERS TO YOUR WEDDING PARTY.

Couples must sign a form attesting that they understand and agree to these Emmaus Parish Wedding Requirements upon their initial visit with the Director of Sacraments.



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