Your choice of St Peter's / St Paul's for your wedding indicates your desire to enter into a Sacramental Marriage and your willingness to embrace the Church's vision of Christian Marriage.  This time of preparation for a wedding is important and is an opportunity for your to reflect on what it means to enter into the Catholic Churches understanding of marriage.  This is to be seen in the context of being an active participant in a parish community. 

The website www.gettingmarried.ie in its 'Faith and Knowledge' section contains useful articles and lists other resources that you may find helpful.

Pre-Marriage Course

Having set a date for your wedding, you may consider registering for a pre-marriage course.  This can be done by contacting Accord at either Newry (028) 3026 3577, Portadown (028) 3833 4781 or Belfast (028) 9033 9944.

This pre-marriage course offers an opportunity for couples to reflect on and deepen their appreciation of Christian marriage and should be completed well in advance of the hustle and bustle of other wedding preparations.  More information about ACCORD (Catholic Marriage Care Service) and the courses can be found at www.accord.ie

Weddings in St Peter's / St Paul's (and in other parishes) require three months notice and should be booked at the Parish office during office hours.  Normally, one of the priests of the parish will be assigned to officiate at the Ceremony. 

Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Forms

Pre-Nuptial Enquiry Forms which are filled in by a priest, need to be completed three months before the wedding.  In St Peter's / St Paul's couples should make an appointment with a priest to have these papers completed in good time.  When both partners are Catholic, a priest in the parish where each partner lives will complete these papers. If a partner is non-Catholic the pre-nuptial papers should be completed in the parish of the Catholic party. 

If baptism and/or confirmation took place outside the parish where the papers are being completed, certificiates must be obtained from the parish or parishes where these sacraments took place.  A 'letter of freedom' (a certificate stating that, according to the baptism register, the person was not married before) should also be obtained from the parish or parishes in which a person lived for a period of six months or more since reaching the age of 16 years.  The certificates need to be dated within six months of the wedding. 

If the wedding is to be celebrated abroad, arrangements to have the pre-marriage forms completed should be made three months before the wedding.  The names and address of the priest officiating at the wedding, and the name and address of the Bishop of the Diocese where the wedding is to take place are required.

For weddings abroad contact should be made with the appropriate Embassy or Consultant to ensure any necessary paperwork is completed.

Weddings in the Craigavon Area

For weddings in the Craigavon area it is necessary to contact the Registrar's Office at Craigavon Borough Council at least 6 weeks beforehand.  Details of the Registrar's Office are:  Craigavon Civic Centre, Lake Road, Craigavon BT64 1AL  Tel: (028) 3831 2400 and website www.groni.gov.uk.  The office will issue Marriage Notice Forms which will need the signature of the Officiant (priest) celebrating the wedding; a long birth certificate and photographic identification are required.  The Registrar will advise you when to collect a Marriage Schedule from the Registrar's office; this must be delivered to the Officiant a few days before the wedding.  It is the responsibility of the couple to return the completed Schedule to the Registrar within 3 days of the wedding taking palce.

Wedding Liturgy

The priest celebrating the wedding will discuss the form of liturgy with the couple beforehand.  A Wedding Mass and a Wedding Service are both available.  More information about the liturgy and about putting together a wedding booklet can be found at www.gettingmarried.ie

Suitable music, i.e. church music, which is appropriate to the occasion, must be used.  The priest will advise in this regard.  It is the responsibility of couples to arrange singers, organist and musicians.

In the past it was customary to leave flowers in the church after the wedding. Nowadays most couples bring these flowers to the reception.  It would be appreciated if one arrangment could be left in the Church.  Arrangements for floritsts to have access to the Church should be made with the Sacristan.  The can be done by contacting the Parish Office (028) 3832 3161.

A rehearsal can be arranged with the priest celebrating the wedding.  This is usually held a few days beforehand and is intened to make the bride and groom more familiar with the Ceremony.  The wedding party, readers and others involved in the ceremony may attend.

Respect for the Church and its enviornment should be upheld at all times and it is hoped that guests will uphold the sacred character of the wedding Ceremony.  Confetti is not permitted in St Peter's / St Paul's Church or grounds.  Photographs must not be taken during the priest's homily nor of the bride and groom or others receiving Holy Communion.  The same applies to video recordings.  Also, video recordings must not be taken from within the Sanctuary of St Peter's. 

Weddings have become very expensive in recent times. Thankfully the church service has always been kept within reason.  As well as the stipend for the preist, it is customary to tip the altar servers and the sacristan.  The sacristan has a very important, and at times unseen role, in the making of a successful day.  The sacristan will liaise with florists and musicians and be available  to open the church for the rehearsals.  Some churches require a donation for the use of the church; we do not.  However, any voluntary donations will contribute to the upkeep of our parish church.

Marriage is a sacrament and the wedding day is one of the most important and sacred days in a persons life.  We wish you God's blessing. We ask God to bless you in your preparation for, and your celebration of your marriage.

A Prayer for Engaged Couples

O Lord, we thank you for the wonderful gift of our love which You have generously granted us and which allows us to build a true communion of persons between us. 

May we remain ever open to You, the source of all love.  Help use to continue to love each other and accept each other conditionally, as we get to know each other better.  Make us generous in giving and humble in receiving.  Enable us to communicate to one another all our joys, sufferings and desires and all our hopes, sorrows and difficulties.

May we imitate Your son in forgetting self and living for each other so that we may have truly one spirit and be witnesses to Your love in the world.  Be with us as we prepare for marriage and bless our families and friends who have helped form us into the people we are today.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.  Amen