Preparation for Marriage Checklist

God’s blessing upon your engagement!  Just as you have a checklist of items needed to plan your wedding and receptions, you will also need a checklist of items to properly prepare for the Sacrament of Marriage within the Catholic Church.  Please take the time to complete each of these steps.  Doing so will ensure complete and meaningful formation. 

• Give gratitude to God for the love that He has given to you as a couple. Pray together for His mercy and grace throughout your engagement.  Attend Mass regularly. 

• Either the bride or groom must be a registered, practicing member of St. Margaret Mary parish. If you are a member of another Catholic parish, a letter of parish membership and permission from your pastor is required. 

• Please call the parish office at least six months in advance to schedule a meeting with our parish priest to complete the pre-nuptial questionnaire and reserve the wedding date on our church calendar. 

• Please provide a copy of your Baptism certificate. Simply call the church where you were baptized and ask them to send the certificate to our Parish Office (439 Washington Ave, Neenah, WI 54956). 

• Register to attend Part 1 and Part 11 of “A Marriage in the Lord” retreat. Please visit the website at marriageinthelord.org to register. 

• Contact and meet with a married couple from the parish to complete your FOCCUS pre-marriage inventory. The parish office will assign a FOCCUS couple to you and provide you their contact information. 

• Meet with our Director of Liturgy & Worship to discuss scripture readings, petitions and music for your wedding. 

• Continue to grow in your faith, as a married couple, by being active members of your parish. 

Additional Information:

• The fee for the Sacrament of Marriage and the use of the church is $100, due upon confirmation of the wedding date. The fees for the music are separate and can be discussed with the Director of Liturgy & Worship.
• Weddings are scheduled on Saturdays at 1:30pm.
• Rehearsals are scheduled for the Friday before the wedding date starting at 5:00pm.
• Please bring your marriage license to the rehearsal. The wedding cannot take place without it!

MARRIAGE REGISTRATION FORM

To being the marriage preparation process, please fill out the form below:

FOCCUS Marriage Preparation Ministry

Are you looking to become  involved in a church ministry as a couple, but don’t have a lot of time to commit?  How about setting aside a few hours per year and helping our parish’s engaged couples prepare for marriage by becoming a FOCCUS Facilitator?  FOCCUS stands for Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding & Study and works by having the engaged couple separately answer a series of questions designed to help them learn more about themselves and their relationship.  Your role is to reveal their answers and encourage dialog as needed.  Perhaps you remember doing something similar during your own marriage preparation?  You can meet with the couples in your own home and during a time that is convenient for all parties.  Your commitment would be to meet with 2 or 3 couples a year.  Training will be provided by St. Margaret Mary.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Beckett Mathews at the parish center (920) 729-4560 or email bmathews@smcatholicschools.org.  Beckett and her husband, Jon, have been FOCCUS Facilitators for 10 years and would be happy to answer any questions you may have.