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Sacraments
Weddings

St. Pius X Community
Marriage Guidelines
Weddings
are special and joyful times for brides and grooms, for their
families and friends and for the parish community. The new
beginning, the love, the promise and hope that weddings are for
us make of their celebration a special and grace-filled time in
our lives. The church welcomes its members to celebrate and
solemnize their weddings in the context of our prayer as
Christians. Indeed. So important is marriage in Christian life
that it is called a sacrament.
Great care is taken to see that the
prayer for this special moment is reverent, graceful, beautiful
and open to the movement of God’s Spirit among us. Our
celebrations of the sacraments, marriage included, are always
rooted in listening to the scriptures so that we can be
nourished and strengthened by God’s word. Always, we celebrate
the sacraments as a community. We gather our brothers and
sisters in faith and ask for their prayerful support. These
celebrations are incomplete unless they are filled with song,
with prayerful gestures and with silence in which we hear the
voice of God in our lives.
In this spirit, St. Pius X provides the
attached guidelines for celebrating weddings in the building
that shelters the prayer of our community.
(Revised 1/30/2006)
I.
Marriage is a lifetime work, one that requires some special
training and preparation. For this reason, certain policies and
guidelines have been developed on the diocesan and parish level
to facilitate the preparation process:
a)
A couple
may call the parish office and inquire whether a certain date is
available for a wedding. However, the date can only
be made firm after the couple has talked with one of the priests
at St. Pius X., or if a *priest from outside St. Pius X
parish will be performing the wedding celebration.
*An
outside priest must call the St. Pius X secretary to
confirm they will be the celebrant.
·
A one
hundred and twenty-five ($125.00) check made out payable to St.
Pius X Church must be received within seven (7) days to confirm
your date.
·
If a
priest from outside the parish is performing the ceremony, a
check for one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) must be
received within seven days. * The fees quoted in this document
will be used as a stipend to the priest and to reimburse someone
to open and close the church for the rehearsal and liturgy
itself; as well as to cover the cost to the parish.
·
The
charge for an “Inactive Parishioner” is $300 (unless the St.
Pius X Parish Pastor approves otherwise).
If
the retaining fee is not received within the allotted time, the
date will once again be considered an open date and made
available to others.
b)
This first contact with the priest should be as soon as
possible. A meeting with the priest is necessary at least six
months prior to the wedding.
NOTE:
After
talking with the priest, the couple should call the parish hall
manager, Mr. Rusty Collinsworth @ 859-341-7175 between the
hours 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. to reserve the hall for the reception if
they desire to rent it.
c)
Weddings take place on Friday or Saturday evenings at 7:00p.m.
or on Saturdays prior to 2:00p.m.
No one
is to be in church or leave anything in the church for the
wedding until after the 5:00 p.m. Mass on Saturdays
(approximately 6:00p.m.).
II. At
least one of the parties must be a registered member of the St.
Pius Community. If you will be residing within our parish
boundaries after the wedding, please remember to register at the
rectory.
III. All
events occurring inside the church are subject to the approval
of the parish priest.
This
includes music, decorations, servers, florists, photographers,
and other matters. The following important areas deserve
particular concern:
a)
DECORUM – the church is the house of God. A prayerful
attitude should be observed at the time of the rehearsal, as
well as before, during, and after the ceremony (including
picture-taking.) Food and drinks are NOT permitted in the
church gathering space, or in the room where the bride waits.
No beer and/or alcoholic beverages are to be brought into the
church area.
b)
PHOTOGRAPHERS – you are welcome to bring in a
photographer to help provide special memories of your day,
however, the photographer is to be reminded that he is a guest
in our church; the church is not to be used as a studio. The
photographer is not allowed in the front of church after the
Mass or ceremony begins. Picture taking after the ceremony may
not exceed 9:00p.m.
c) ATTITUDE – as stated above, a reverent attitude must
prevail. The altar is not to be used as a utility table for
cameras or other paraphernalia. No furnishing (i.e. fern
stands, chairs, etc.) or seasonal decorations (i.e. Advent
Wreath, Christmas Circle, Lenten Cross, etc.) may be rearranged
or removed without the permission of the pastor or sacristan.
d) MUSIC---the parish has a music
director, Rebecca Slater, at 859-341-4900 ext. 196 or
bslater@stpius-x.com. She can supply organ, piano and/or
vocal music as needed for the celebration of your marriage. Her
normal fee is $200.00, which includes up to two one-hour
consultation/planning meetings. Any additional rehearsals,
including the dress rehearsal, may be scheduled for a fee of $50
per hour. The music director can also assist you in arranging
for additional professional cantors and instrumentalists as
needed. If you intend to use musicians outside the parish to
provide wedding music, a telephone consultation is required in
order to receive rules and guidelines for outside musicians. The
music director must approve all music, and only appropriate
music will be permitted. Outside musicians must be familiar with
the Catholic liturgy and be able to lead the appropriate
liturgical responses. All musicians and music must be
approved by the music director. This fee is due on or before the
date of the wedding.
e)
FLORIST DECORATIONS – in addition to corsages,
boutonnieres and bouquets, you may desire to place floral
arrangements in church. Ordinarily bridal couples order two
floral displays for either side of the sanctuary platform. No
flowers are to be placed on the altar. The parish can supply a
“unity candelabra.” Flowers for the bridal party (boutonnieres,
bouquets, corsages, etc.) are to be delivered to the bench in
the church foyer, not placed inside the church room. Flowers
for the sanctuary are to be placed there by the florist or
family member. If you are ordering special candelabras from the
florist, the candles must be dripless. Any wax dripped onto the
sanctuary carpet will be professionally removed and charged to
the couple. The florist or family member MUST remove from the
premises all their equipment, boxes and materials within
one-half hour after the wedding, including aisle candles. (This
is necessary so that the church is ready for the early morning
mass the next day.) Nothing may be affixed to the pews with
tape. Only padded clamps may be used to fasten candles or other
items to the pews. Any damage done to the finish of the pews
will be charged to the couple.
f)
RESPONSIBILITY – it is up to the couple to inform
photographers, musicians and florists of these guidelines. The
name of your florist and photographer must be included on your
liturgy-planning sheet.
g)
RICE – no rice, confetti, birdseed or other throwables
may be used under any circumstances (safety and janitorial
reasons.)
h)
RUNNER – a runner may be used. If fixed to the floor,
only masking tape or pins may be used. It must be removed after
the ceremony. Our aisle is 75 feet long.
i)
BRIDE & BRIDESMAIDS – may use the choir room. Please
refer to Section III, article (a) regarding regulations for use
of this room.
The wedding party may not use the
downstairs hall before the ceremony unless they have rented it
for the reception that evening.
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