Marriage

Procedures For Weddings At Saint Joseph Parish

1. Before making any arrangements for your wedding be sure to make arrangements with a parish priest to check on availability. Weekend wedding times at Saint Joseph are Saturdays at 10:00 A.M., 12:00 Noon and 2:00 P.M. No Sunday weddings. Weeknight or Friday evenings weddings can be scheduled as possible.
2. All engaged couples are required by diocesan policy to participate in a marriage preparation workshop. If possible this should be done at least six months prior to the wedding. Schedules are available at www.bridgeportdiocese.com for Engaged Encounter Weekend and Pre-cana Programs sponsored by our Diocese.
3. After you have been to a marriage preparation workshop you should make an appointment with the priest who will be handling your wedding to further discuss your forthcoming marriage. If you have not done so already, please bring to this meeting a certified copy of your baptismal certificate and the dates and places of your First Communion and Confirmation, if these sacraments were not received at Saint Joseph. For non-Catholics only a baptismal certificate is necessary. Please note: for Catholics, a baptismal certificate issued in the last six months is required.
4. Apply for your marriage license at City Hall in Danbury about one month before your marriage date. This license would be obtained in Danbury and can be left with the clergyman witnessing your marriage as soon as you receive it. We must, however, have the license by the time of your rehearsal. This is most important because without the license the marriage cannot happen.
5. If you will be having a nuptial Mass, we encourage all Catholics in the bridal party to receive Holy Communion. While the Sacrament of Reconciliation can be made available on the night of your rehearsal we encourage all to receive the Sacrament before this time.
6. Please advise the bridal party that confetti, rice, birdseed, etc., are not allowed on the front steps of the church. We are aware of the difficulty in controlling your guests, but you can make this request known in advance to the bridal party and to your families.
7. Flowers should be taken care of by you and the florist of your choice. Ordinarily, two bouquets are placed in the sanctuary, one on either side of the reredose or on either side of the tabernacle. More, however, are acceptable. If there is another wedding on the same day, you may wish to share the cost of the flowers for the church Please note that during the Christmas and Easter Seasons the sanctuary may already have flowers so additional bouquets may not be necessary. Because the sanctuary cannot be rearranged after every wedding and prior to regular weekend liturgies, we ask that all wedding flowers be left in the church after the ceremony. No artificial flowers are allowed.
8. Runners are not allowed in the church. Flowers may not be strewn in the main isle.
9. Music is a very important and integral part of every wedding. We encourage you to carefully select music that will be fitting for a religious ceremony The Parish Music Director, is normally to be used for a wedding. Exceptions to this should be discussed with the clergyman handling your wedding. Our policy is to use liturgically appropriate music at your ceremony. If there is any question in this regard, please discuss it with the clergyman celebrating your wedding.
10. Please inform your photographer and/or videographer that it is his/her obligation to check with the celebrant concerning policies. No bright lights shall be used and very little movement should take place in Church.
11. The parish has a $300.00 fee for weddings. This should be paid prior to or at the rehearsal. We would also ask you to make a small remuneration, perhaps $10.00 each to the alter servers who will be assisting at your wedding. You may also wish to make a gift to the priest since the parish fee does not go to him.
12. Weekend wedding times at Saint Joseph are Saturdays at 10:00 A.M., 12:00 Noon and 2:00 P.M. No Sunday weddings. Weeknight or Friday evenings weddings can be scheduled as possible. Be on time for your rehearsal and wedding. There are often multiple events going on the same day and if one runs late, it will impact other liturgies or cause the clergyman to rush your ceremony. This is especially true on Saturday afternoons' when confessions begin at 3:30 P.M. and Mass is celebrated at 4:00 P.M. Therefore, all photographs, receiving lines, etc. must be completed by 3:30 P.M. For the rehearsal please remember to wear attire proper for Church.
13. In preparing for your wedding; we would encourage you to realize the centality of spiritual preparation. It is very important that you do not let the material preparations for your wedding overshadow the religious so that you are able to begin marriage in a spiritual way. Spend some time in planning your marriage ceremony, selecting the readings, etc. We clergy are more than willing to help.

A marriage preparation form is now available online at bridgeportdiocese.com