How to Start the Marriage Process

You decide to marry in the Catholic Church. How do you start the process to marry in the Catholic Church?

1. This process is known as Marriage Preparation
2. Go to the parish where you or your significant other are registered.
3. If you or your significant other are not registered at a Catholic Church, then, look for the parish that is canonically responsible for you, based on where you live. You cannot randomly choose a Catholic Church to marry at.
4. Catholic Churches differ in the marriage process. However, for the most part, the couples will need:

• Certificate of Baptism for groom and bride [This document needs to be updated within the last 6 months]
• Certificate of First Holy Communion for groom and bride
• Certificate of Confirmation for groom and bride
• Affidavit Documents: 2 for the groom & 2 for the bride
• If the couple is married civilly, they will need to bring in their marriage license.

4. Then, the parish assigns a person to help you with the marriage process. The person can be a priest, a deacon, or a designated lay person.
5. The process will consist of meetings, filling out a prenuptial questionnaire, and marriage retreat. Reminder: The Churches differ in the number of meetings or how they structure their meetings.
6. If you have previous marriages, it is important to inform the marriage prep person about any previous marriages.
7. The process takes about 6 months.