Catholic Church Since 1927
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Sacrament of Marriage
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Congratulations!
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Thank you for considering Cathedral Chapel for your special occasion.
If you wish to get married in our church, here are the steps to help you plan your special Catholic wedding.
Call us anytime! Our office is always ready to help with any questions you may have.
To begin the process of the Sacrament of Marriage in the Catholic church, please contact us six months to one year prior to your planned date.
1) Call us in the parish office six months to one year prior to your planned date. If you wish to get married in our church, or prepared here for a wedding elsewhere, please call or visit us in the parish office. In this first visit with us, you will be given an overview of the marriage preparation process as well as a marriage paper work checklist and forms that you need to complete.
Marriage Paperwork Checklist: {First step documentations required before meeting with the pastor}- Most recent copies of Certificates of Baptism (for Catholics)
- First Communion Certificate/s - Catholics only
- Certificate of Confirmation (with the parish seal)
- Catholics only Parish Marriage Registration Form
Download Marriage Registration Forms.
{Final step documentations required - these are submitted at a later time or during the months leading up to and before the wedding}
- Affidavit of Freedom to MarryThese forms will be provided by the parish. This is a document stating that you are free to marry. It is a sworn statement witnessed by a priest, a minister or a notary attesting that you have never been married before, in either a church or civil ceremony. Parents or others who have known you all your life may fill out this form. Two letters are required for each applicant (four total).
Download Freedom to Marry Form.- Pre-Nuptial Questionnaire: This form is filled out with the priest. The purpose is to assist the priest preparing the engaged couple for marriage and assist in the determination of the readiness of the couple to marry and to assure that all canonical requirements of the Church are met.
- Engaged Encounter Completion Certificate: The Archdiocese of Los Angeles requires that couples who have never been married attend the Engaged Encounter Weekend. It is a two-day retreat to help couples prepare for marraige. Couples will be given a Certificate of completion for Pre-Marriage Class or Pre-Marriage Retreat. You may contact the Archdiocese Office of Family Life for Pre-Marriage classes and retreats at 213-637-7250. You may also visit the website below
- Decree of Nullity or Death Certificate: Applicable if one or both applicant/s have been married before and marriage was annulled by church; or present a death certificate of former spouse.
- For inter-religious Marriage (marriage of a Catholic and a person that has not been baptized in another religion), a Dispensation for Disparity of Worship must be completed by a priest and either signed or witnessed by the parties.
- For Ecumenical Marriage (marriage of a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic), a letter of permission from bride's or groom's (whoever is the Catholic party), is required and either signed or witnessed by the parties.
- Civil License: The County provides marriage licenses to couples getting married in the near future. Licenses are valid for 90 days from the date they are issued. Information on obtaining a marriage license will be given by the priest on the day of your appointment. Marriage license must be given to the wedding coordinator on rehearsal day.
2) Submit the necessary (first step) documents and marriage paperwork
Once you have completed the registration forms and have acquired the necessary first-steps documentation, you may call the parish office to submit the necessary documents. A non-refundable deposit of $100 is required. At this time, a schedule to meet with our pastor is arranged.
3) Meeting with Pastor
Before anything else can happen-including setting the wedding date, you will have an interview with our pastor. This is your first interview as a couple and will give you the opportunity to get to know him and for the pastor to get to know you as individuals and as a couple. This informal 'getting to know you' questions will help determine wether there are impediments to your marriage, that is an issue (such as previous marriage) that must be resolved before you can be married in the church. He will also discuss with you any special circumstances (such as mental illness, lack of financial support, or pregnancy) that might require additional pastoral care, and possibly professional counseling.
4) Setting the Date of your Wedding
We require at least six months in advance of your desired wedding date in order to allow time for marriage preparation. Your chosen date is tentative until your required preparation acitivites have been completed.
5) Fees
After your first meeting with the pastor and you have made a final decision to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony in our parish, full payment of fees is required before your desired date is recorded in our main calendar.
At this stage, the pastor will prepare the couples for marriage (Marriage Preparation).
Download Order of Sacrament of Marriage Liturgy Planning Form.
For any questions, please call the parish office.
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