Matrimony

For those who are seeking matrimony, your first point of contact is Kathy Skinner, whose contact information is at the bottom of this page. Kathy will explain the process and assist you in setting up your prenuptial interview with a member of clergy. 

PLEASE NOTE: In order to reserve Christ the King Church for those active members who support our many ministries and our facilities, we can only accept weddings for our parishioners (or their immediate families - children or parents) who live within the geographical boundaries of Christ the King Parish OR who have been officially registered in the parish for at least twelve (12) months when the wedding is booked.  

For reference, we only book weddings on Saturdays. We recommend that you not sign any contract or pay any fees and deposits with venues and vendors before your prenuptial interview and the booking of the ceremony. We will not change our practices to meet venue and vendor arrangements.

If you are a registered member (for at least six (6) months) and are having your ceremony in another city, we are still responsible for and happy to assist with your marriage preparation.  We need a minimum of six months preparation time from your initial meeting with clergy until your marriage celebration. Please note that we will not change our preparation timeline to meet your date if you contact us less than six months from your ceremony date.

When couples plan on being married in the Catholic Church, they are asking the local community, the Church throughout the world, and God to be involved in their lives together. Their relationship becomes a sacrament, an embodied and life-giving sign of the love shared between Christ and his followers, the Church. The sacrament of marriage is not only the couple's wedding ceremony, but is the life that they share together, in its joys and its trials, its successes and its failures. Every time one does something for the other they are living out the Sacrament of Matrimony. And that taps into God’s infinite Grace--an Ode to Joy!

These are the steps for Marriage Preparation and Weddings in the order listed:

1. Complete the Pre-Nuptial Questionnaire with a member of our Clergy. Kathy coordinates the scheduling of these meetings, so please contact her to arrange for that meeting.

2. Contact the priest or deacon you wish to celebrate your wedding with you and secure their commitment. A wedding may be celebrated within the context of a Mass or without it. If you choose not to have the Nuptial Mass, you will first need to contact one of our deacons to officiate. Many priests will only celebrate weddings if both parties are Catholic and are scheduling a mass.

3. Once you have completed steps 1 and 2, you may call the church office to schedule the date and time of the wedding.  A contract will be sent to you for completion. (NOTE: Christ the King cannot schedule a wedding, or even discuss possible dates, until the pre-nuptial interview is completed.)

4. Once the contract is returned, you may contact our wedding coordinator, Lori Ogden, to begin planning your ceremony.  (If you engage a private wedding planner, we ask that you inform him or her that our wedding coordinator will be in charge of the rehearsal and ceremony logistics. Therefore, outside wedding planners are not necessary for the rehearsal.

5. We will send you the log-in information to complete the PREPARE assessment online. This tool is now used in twenty-three countries around the world and has proven to be a very effective instrument in preparing couples for marriage.  The bride and groom must complete it separately.

6. Once you have completed the questionnaire, we will assign you to meet with one of our team (mentor) couples several times to discuss the PREPARE assessment.

7. We will also assist you in arranging to meet with a local psychologist, nationally known in marriage counseling, for an hour, just to tap into her wisdom.

8. Your wedding officiant will usually require one or two additional meetings for final preparations as needed.  

     9. While our diocese offers a one-day retreat for engaged couples, we do not require it as a part of your preparation. Even if you choose to                       attend the retreat, you will still need to complete all of our process. For more information and registration CLICK HERE.

The Church requires some proof for all who are baptized Christians. For Protestants, we need some proof of your baptism--a certificate, personal testimony, or the testimony of a witness. For Catholics, we need a NEW certificate from your parish of baptism showing all sacraments you have received that they have on record, and dated within six months of your pre-nuptial questionnaire. 

BAPTISMAL CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

All couples are responsible for following our wedding guidelines. If you did not receive a copy at your initial meeting, please contact Kathy for a copy. Before signing your contract, you are expected to read them thoroughly and to refer back to them often as you plan. Most questions can be answered by reviewing the guidelines.

 If you would like to inquire about getting married at Christ the King, please complete the form below.