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Celebrating the Sacrament of Matrimony at St. Paul VI Parish

Please carefully read the information on this page; it contains important and helpful information you will need to be married at St. Paul VI Parish. For more information or to set up an initial meeting please contact the Parish Office at 708-447-1020.

Celebrating a Wedding Liturgy at St. Paul VI Parish requires:
  • Participation in a Catholic marriage preparation program (more information below)
  • Appropriate documents (both civil and church; more information below)
  • Registered membership at St. Paul VI's (either one of the engaged couple or a parent; more information below)

Initial Contact
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  • Each couple must meet with a parish priest, deacon, or pastoral associate at least six months before any possible marriage date. No date for marriage will be considered firm until this meeting has taken place. To set up an initial meeting please contact the Parish Office at 708-447-1020.
  • Pre-Marriage Preparation Programs are designed to put you in touch with trained and competent people who can help you think through the sacramental and practical aspects of marriage. Your priest or parish minister will assist you in choosing a program.
  • The engaged couple will complete a Marriage Preparation Survey in order to assist them in further reflection on their upcoming vocation as husband and wife.

Required Documents

In case of previous marriage by either party, additional documents will be required, where applicable:
  • A record of Baptism (baptismal certificate) in any Christian Church, if baptized (issued within last six months).
  • A record of Confirmation, if Catholic (issued within last six months).
  • Affidavits
  • A marriage contract
  • A civil marriage license for Cook County

Wedding Times

Wedding Liturgies at St. Paul VI's are celebrated on Fridays, Saturday and, when necessary, Sundays. The following is a list of wedding start times for each day:
  • Friday Start Times — 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • Saturday Start Times — 2:00 p.m.
  • Sunday Start Times — By Request Only

Parish Membership

At least one partner of the engaged couple, or the parent(s) of at least one partner, must be registered parishioners of St. Paul VI Parish for at least three months before beginning marriage preparation.

Parish Wedding Coordinator

  • To support the marrying couple, their families, and guests, St. Paul VI Parish offers the services of a wedding coordinator who will assist with the planning of the Liturgy, the rehearsal, and the Wedding Liturgy itself.
  • The first contact with the parish wedding coordinator should be a month or so prior to the wedding date. At that time, all questions regarding fees, parish requirements, documents and preparation instruction should have been answered. Also, arrangements should have been made for music, photography, florist services, readers and readings, ministers and altar servers.
  • It is the job of the wedding coordinator to accumulate all of this information, consult with the bride and groom as to their desires for the kind of ceremony they want, make suggestions based on his or her experience and parish requirements, and put it all together to assure a happy and trouble-free experience. This can be done in person or by phone, and worksheets and forms should have been given to the parties so that all this information can be documented and agreed upon.

Wedding Rehearsal

  • The wedding rehearsal is usually conducted by the priest and wedding coordinator based on the plans already discussed and every effort is made to accommodate the wishes of the couple and their respective families. Sometimes a visiting priest or a paid wedding consultant will want to conduct the rehearsal, and the parish wedding coordinator will cooperate with them by being available to answer any questions they may have.
  • Rehearsals are usually scheduled on an evening just prior to the wedding date and take from 45 minutes to an hour. (THERE ARE NO REHEARSALS ON THURSDAYS AT ST. MARY.) It is imperative that participants in the wedding be on time so that interference with other church functions can be avoided. It is at this time that all fees and gratuities that have not already been paid, as well as documents required, are given to the wedding coordinator for distribution on the day of the ceremony.
  • Items needed on the wedding day, such as programs, unity candles and after-wedding celebratory items (bubbles, etc.), should be brought and given to the wedding coordinator for storage until needed. This eliminates the worry and responsibility of providing them on the day of the wedding.

The Wedding Day

  • The wedding coordinator will open the church in enough time to greet the other service providers (i.e. the florist, photographers and any guest musicians, altar servers or communion ministers) and help them decide on locations, remind them of the parish requirements regarding the maintenance of the solemnity and religious nature of the ceremony, and make them aware of where they can find the things they need to do their jobs and be as unobtrusive as possible.
  • The coordinator will greet the members of the wedding party, their families and guests, direct them to their respective staging areas, line them up and send them down the aisle as rehearsed.
  • In general, the wedding coordinator will be there for the bride, the groom, the celebrant and anyone else who needs assistance.