Weddings

The following documents will be required both for the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne as well as Births, Deaths and Marriages. Please bring the following documents to expedite the paperwork:

• Birth Certificates

• Baptism Certificates (for the bride, groom or both who are Catholic)

• Any divorce, annulment papers if there has been a previous marriage.

• Letter fo Freedom is required for all Catholics not residing in this Parish. This can be obtained from the Parish of residence.

Information also required:

• Occupations and current address of Bride and Groom

• Full names of both parents (including Mother's maiden name) and their places of birth.

Please ensure when wanting Fr Brian to celebrate your wedding that you come with a few alternate dates, as he may not be available for your first preference. With this in mind, it is best to organise the celebrant first before sourcing venues for your wedding party afterwards.

Should Fr Brian not be available, he can recommend other priests to officiate at your wedding. Fr Brian only celebrates weddings at Resurrection and St Anthonys, Noble Park, unless there are special circumstances which can be negotiated with him. Please contact the Parish Centre.

This is the decision for the couple to make. A service is generally mostly the same as a Mass without the Offertory, Eucharistic Prayer and distribution of Communion. You can discuss this at your first meeting with the celebrant.

You will be required to:

• Complete a Catholic marriage preparation course. The parish based program is called FOCCUS

• Write a letter to each other to be read at your wedding that gives insight into why you have chosen each other in marriage.

This requires permission from the Archdiocese of Melbourne for a catholic partner to marry outside the Church.

An Order of Service or Wedding Booklet is optional. Simple is better. Do not include the celebrant's parts in your booklet as Fr Brian uses his own prayers and blessings.

You can make a selection from appropriate contemporary and religious music. If you are having a Mass with Eucharist, then the Communion song needs to be a religious one.

The parish can organise flowers for the Church if required. The cost would be dependent upon your request. You will need to contact the Parish Centre to organise this. Alternatively, you may organise to bring your own flowers. However, please organise an appropriate day and time you propose to set up the flowers for the church.

This is not necessary - however, if you need access to the Church prior to the wedding, you will need to contact the Parish office to organise a suitable time.

We do not encourage this as the items are often blown back into the Church and create a slipping hazard for others accessing the outside and inside of the Church after your wedding.