Preparing for your Wedding Day at St. Wenceslaus
*Call the parish office to schedule a wedding date before any other planning mentioned here.
Wedding Policy and Arrangements at St. Wenceslaus Parish
We are excited to work with you to make your wedding ceremony memorable.
Following is information that will help in planning your unforgettable day.
Specifics for (pdf files)
Bride and Groom
Personal Attendants and Ushers
Info for Bride and Groom to fill out before practice
Before the Wedding Day:
• Contact the Parish Office and inquire who has been designated as your “Parish Wedding Coordinator”. Contact this person weeks in advance to arrange rehearsal date and time.
• Eucharistic Ministers to assist the Priest: Discuss well before the wedding day how many Eucharistic Ministers are needed. They are not needed if the wedding is without Holy Communion.
• In addition to your appointments for PREPARE and the Pre-marriage Weekend Workshop, contact the following person at least two months before your wedding date: o Parish Liturgy/Music Director: 952-758-4207
• Choose and inform your wedding lectors. Provide them with texts of the scriptures readings and petitions.
Wedding Music Policy:
• Before your selection of music is finalized, please contact the parish Liturgy/Music Director (952-758-4207) for assistance with and approval of your wedding music. We ask that your music be approved at least two months before your wedding as a courtesy to the musicians.
• Vocal and instrumental music during the wedding (between the Processional and the Recessional) should enhance and compliment the experience of prayer and the worship of God.
• If secular ‘pop’ music is used, it must be approved by the Music Director and may be used only as Prelude music.
• Although it is largely a matter of musical taste, we recommend that Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” (Here Comes the Bride…) not be used as a Processional. There are many other appropriate selections.
• Pre-recorded music is prohibited.
• Congregational singing is encouraged by use of a Gathering Hymn immediately following the Processional.
• The Responsorial Psalm and Acclamations (the Gospel Acclamation, the Holy, the Memorial Acclamation, and the Amen) are to be sung.
• The “Lord’s Prayer” should not be sung as a solo unless it is sung at a time other than when it is sung or spoken by the assembly.
• We ask that musicians and Parish Wedding Coordinators be paid prior to the ceremony. Fees will vary, so check with your musicians.
• A list of musicians is available upon request.
• Wedding music may not be practiced or used during the rehearsal.
Candles- We ask that candles be restricted to the altar area. Use of a Unity Candle is optional. If a Unity Candle is used, couples must provide it. No aisle candles are allowed, and no candelabra. Slow burning tapers are recommended.
Floral decorations and aisle runners – are provided by the couple. The length of the aisle is one hundred twelve feet- (112)- (main aisle). 124 feet with (including) the entry. Thee are 31 rows of pews. Please do not tape anything to the pew. Tape removes the varnish, so use rubber bands, plastic hooks or tie bows. Flowers moved from the altar area are to be put back in their original places.
Pictures- In conformity with Archdiocesan policy, we ask that no flash pictures be taken during the Wedding Liturgy, except during the procession and the recession of the wedding party. The official photographer may take a non-flash exposure of the wedding party during the ceremony. Video taping is allowed when videographer is not intrusive to the wedding liturgy.
Wedding Program- Some couple’s print a “program” for their wedding liturgy. Sample programs from previous weddings are available upon request. You may also wish to use the suggestions below:
Request of the congregation- you may choose to include one or two (or none) of the following requests in your program:
• “Given the acoustics of St. Wenceslaus Church, parents with small children may be seated in the rear of church; that way they can easily step outside if a child should become uncomfortable.”
• Flash pictures may be taken when the wedding party comes into and goes out of church. Flash pictures may not be taken between those times.”
• We ask our guests to not throw anything either inside or outside the church.”
• Please turn off cell phones.
Program Outline Wedding With Mass
Prelude: Introductory Rite: Processional: Greeting Opening Prayer Liturgy of the Word: First Reading: Responsorial Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Homily Rite of Marriage: Exchange of Vows Exchange of Rings Prayer of the Faithful Lighting of Unity Candle (optional) Preparation of the Gifts Eucharistic Prayer Communion Rite Lord’s Prayer Nuptial Blessing Sign of Peace Lamb of God Communion Final Blessing Presentation of the Couple Recessional Wedding Without Mass Prelude: Introductory Rite: Processional: Greeting Opening Prayer Liturgy of the Word: First Reading: Responsorial Psalm: Second Reading: Gospel: Homily Rite of Marriage: Exchange of Vows Exchange of Rings Prayer of the Faithful (optional) Lighting of Unity Candle (optional) Nuptial Blessing Lord’s Prayer Final Blessing Presentation of the Couple Recessional
Time of arrival- inform the Parish Wedding Coordinator as to your arrival time, and the time the florist will arrive to decorate the church.
Rice throwing, etc- We do not allow anything to be thrown inside or outside the church.
Protect your valuables- St. Wenceslaus Church and bride’s room are located in a building with free access to outsiders. For this reason we cannot accept responsibility for any personal possessions left unattended by member of your wedding party, relatives, and friends. During your wedding day lock valuables in the bride’s room.
Food Policy
• Food is restricted to the North end of the Church basement.
• No food or beverages are allowed in the Church, Bride’s room, play area or hallways.
• Water bottles are OK
• Ushers and bridal attendants are responsible for clean up. Ushers duties We ask the ushers to help with a number of things besides seating the guests:
Before the Wedding:
• Ask the Wedding Coordinator if help is needed to set up for the wedding- e.g., kneelers, lighting candles, etc.
• When necessary, inform wedding guests with cameras about the policy of no pictures during the wedding, except for the Processional and Recessional.
• Enforce ban on use of alcoholic beverages and smoking on church premises before, during and after the wedding. During the Wedding:
• Stay toward the back of the church to direct latecomers to go down the side aisles to their seat.
• Assist anyone during the service, e.g.- directing someone to rest room, caring for someone who is ill, etc. (Rest rooms are located in the church basement.)
• There is a phone for emergency use in the west sacristy. After the Wedding:
• Ushers are asked not to leave for the reception until they check with the wedding coordinator or priest concerning cleanup from the wedding.
• Discarded wedding materials, such as aisle runner, wedding programs, bows from pews, thrown flower petals and large floral boxes may be disposed of after the wedding in the parish dumpster outside between Church and Parish Activity Center on the west side of the building. • If there is a Wedding Unity Candle, the Wedding Coordinator will present it to the wedding family after the ceremony.
• Put chairs and kneelers in Sacristy as directed by Wedding Coordinator.
• Check to see that pews and bride’s room and other used areas have been cleaned up (programs, Kleenexes, water bottles, bags, purses, cameras, etc).
Cleanup- please assign your personal attendant to clean up the bride’s room before the wedding party goes to the church and to return the bride’s room key promptly to the Wedding Coordinator following the ceremony.
Monetary offering to the parish – it is customary for the bride and groom to give a monetary gift to St. Wenceslaus Church on the occasion of their wedding. For the services of the parish wedding coordinator- a $150 fee should be prepared and presented to the Coordinator no later than the beginning of rehearsal. Payment to musicians- Musicians should receive their fee no later than 15 minutes before the wedding. An option exists for the Wedding Coordinator to receive musician payments the night of the rehearsal and then the Coordinator presents payments to musicians the next day.
Marriage license- the marriage license should be brought to the rehearsal and present to the Wedding Coordinator. At a later time the Best Man & Maid of Honor will be asked to sign.
Thank you for your cooperation, Father Kevin Clinton Revised August 2006
