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tel.
435-649-9676 |
fax
435-658-0067 |
effective November 14, 2005
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The
people of St. Mary's congratulate you on your decision to
enter into marriage. God has called you to live powerfully
a most beautiful sacrament. Married Christians, in virtue of
the sacrament of matrimony, signify and share in the mystery
of that unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ
and his Church.....Christ the Lord raised this union to the
dignity of a sacrament so that it might more clearly recall
and more easily reflect his own unbreakable union with his
Church. Rite of Marriage, 1,2
The churches and facilities of St. Mary's available to you
have been provided through the sacrifice and generosity of
deeply committed people of faith. The following information
is given you at this time not only to help you plan your wedding
day so that it will be a dignified and reverent expression
of your lifelong marriage commitment but also with a the expectation
that you will treat these holy places with the respect and
reverence which is due them and their benefactors. |
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| Baptized
Catholics weddings: All baptized Catholics residing
in Summit and Wasatch Counties in Utah may marry
at St. Mary's in accordance with Church law. St. Mary's
provides prenuptial preparation and the ceremony for
parishioners, as well as for the children of registered parishioners and
for non-registered Catholics who live within the boundaries of
the parish. |
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Catholic Residents of Summit and Wasatch Counties
Non-Residents |
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You
may reserve the date and time for your wedding by returning
the enclosed form and fee at least 4 months prior to the date
of the wedding.
St. Mary's Parish has available its two churches: The new
church is located in Park City's entry corridor in the meadow
on highway 224 and White Pine Canyon Road. The Old Town Chapel
is located at 121 Park Avenue in Park City.
Weddings may be celebrated in the new church on Saturdays
at 10:00 AM ; and 2:00 PM . Weddings may be celebrated
in the Old Town Chapel at 10:00 AM (Summers only), 12:30 PM,
3:00 PM , 5:30 PM. depending on availability and clergy schedules.
Weddings may also take place in either church on weekdays
(other than holy days) but are not permitted on Sundays.
Additionally, Church law discourages wedding ceremonies during
the season of Lent. When Lenten ceremonies are necessary
the rites are to be simple and unadorned.
The date and time for the rehearsal must also be scheduled.
Rehearsals usually occur the evening before the wedding.
One hour will be allocated for
the rehearsal, and no more than 2 1⁄2 hours
for the actual wedding including the ceremony, receiving line
and photography. Since other events are scheduled at
our churches please observe these time limits carefully. |
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Upon
receipt of the enclosed form you will be sent written confirmation
of your wedding date and rehearsal time. Please
check this form for accuracy. If there is any question
contact the parish secretary immediately. A parish
wedding coordinator will be given responsibility for assisting
you in your marriage plans. We wish to make every effort to
personalize your plans and make your wedding day as beautiful
as possible. Your parish wedding coordinator will contact
you to set up an initial appointment to meet you both and
discuss your wedding plans. Your parish wedding coordinator
will be available to you to respond to the many practical
details involved in planning a wedding. She will also conduct
your rehearsal and be present at the ceremony to ensure that
everything goes smoothly. Do not hesitate to call her if you
have questions.
Note: Many couples elect to hire a professional wedding
coordinator to attend to the many details involved in the
celebration of a wedding. These welcome professionals
can be of great assistance to you. If you hire a professional
wedding coordinator please advise her in advance that a parish
coordinator is assigned to you by the parish to oversee the
church-related details of your wedding. Professional
wedding coordinators have no responsibilities and no authority
in regard to your marriage preparation, planning your marriage
ceremony, or the rehearsal and ceremony itself. Further,
it is important that you give to your professional wedding
coordinator a copy of these guidelines and explain that they
are to be adhered to strictly. |
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The
fees established for church usage are approved by the
diocese.
Should a couple also wish to express appreciation to the priest
or deacon for his services a personal gift may be given him
at the time of the ceremony. |
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Marriage preparation
at S. Mary's is in accordance
with canon law and diocesan policy. While this preparation
varies it normally includes 1) the completion of church
documentation and canonical forms, 2) attendance at diocesan
programs, 3) parish mentoring and 4) the planning of the
ceremony.
1) Documents Needed
Church Documents
-A copy of baptismal certificates are required of all Catholic
and baptized non-Catholics. Catholics require an original
certificate issued by the church of baptism dated
within six months of the wedding date.
-An affidavit of Marriage Freedom (to be obtained from the
person conducting pre-nuptial preparation) is required of
both parties.
Civil Documents
-A civil marriage license must be obtained within 30 days
of the marriage date from the County Clerk of any county
in Utah. Offices are open from 8:00 - 4:00 Monday through
Friday. Fee is $40.00. Blood testing is no longer required.
Out-of-state licenses are not valid in Utah.
Civil marriage licenses may be obtained from the following
offices:
1.Salt Lake County - 2001 South State St. South Bldg. 2nd
floor
2. Summit County - 60 North Main, Coalville
3. Wasatch County - 25 North Main, Heber
2) Diocesan Programs
The Diocese of Salt Lake City offers two programs for those
preparing for marriage: Catholic
Engaged Encounter and Seminar
on Natural Family Planning. The latter is required of all
couples being married in a Catholic ceremony. For information
call: Office of Family Life Pastoral Center 27 C St. Salt
Lake City, UT 84111 Tel. 801-328-8641
3) Parish Mentoring
Most parishes offer additional sessions either with the
pastor or his delegates to focus on the marriage commitment.
These may include a mentor couple, the use of prenuptial
questionnaires, or professional counseling services.
4) Planning your ceremony at St.
Mary's
Weddings of Catholics will be celebrated according to the
rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Any additions to the
rite will be evaluated by the officiating priest/deacon
as to suitability and in light of cultural backgrounds of
the couple.
The wedding coordinator will assist you in planning your
ceremony. The readings, prayers, vows, music, flowers and
decorations, and photography require careful forethought
and planning. The following is meant to guide you in your
planning:
Readings: The Word of God always
takes precedence in all ceremonies with the Gospels in the
place of honor. Secular readings, poetry or personal prayers
should be used sparingly and never in place of the Scriptures.
A selection of readings from the scriptures appropriate
for wedding ceremonies will be made available to you by
the person doing your wedding preparation.
Prayers: A variety of prayers
are used in both the Nuptial Mass and Nuptial Ceremony.
Please select from the options available.
Vows: Two formats for consent
(vows) have been approved by the Church. Either may be used.
These vows should be memorized by the couple prior to the
rehearsal in preparation for their wedding. You will also
want to memorize the brief text used at the exchange of
rings.
Music: The principles guiding
music for weddings are the same as those which form the
basis for music in all liturgies. Your parish wedding coordinator
will assist you in the selection of attractive and appropriate
compositions. The following criteria should be kept in mind:
1. The musical judgment - Is the composition good and artistically
sound, whatever its style?
2. The liturgical judgment - Is the selection appropriate
to its place in the ceremony or the Mass? Has consideration
been given not only to musical selections requiring professional
musicians but also music appropriate for congregational
participation including hymns, chants and service music?
3. The pastoral judgment - At this religious service, will
the piece of music help people to pray and express their
spirit of joyous worship?
In general, the music of Broadway shows,
concert hall recitals, love songs or secular ballads are
best left to the wedding reception where another dimension
of the celebration of marriage prevails.
Ministries for your Wedding:
Organists and other musicians: Your wedding
coordinator can recommend potential organists or other musicians
including soloists or singing groups. The Old Town Chapel
has a Rodgers C220 keyboard. The organ in the new church
is a single manual tracker pipe organ. Pianos are in both
churches. It is strongly recommended that musicians unfamiliar
with the instruments in St. Mary's churches and the acoustics
of the buildings reserve in advance a time to practice prior
to your wedding.
Lectors: These readers of the Word should be chosen
well in advance and may be family members, friends or members
of the wedding party. One or more lectors should be chosen
to read the Old Testament reading, the Responsorial psalm
(unless sung), the New Testament reading and the intercessions
of the faithful. Lectors should plan to attend the rehearsal
and have their reading prepared. They should read
from the Lectionary rather than from xerox copies.
Altar Servers: The use of altar servers is optional.
One or more altar servers (girls or boys) may be present
to serve the ceremony or the nuptial mass. You may select
relatives or friends to fill this role if they are experienced.
Eucharistic Ministers: For a Nuptial Mass two Eucharistic
ministers are needed for the distribution of the cup. These
must be practicing Catholics in good standing, preferably
with experience in this ministry in their local parish.
The bride and groom may also be Eucharistic ministers. These
ministers are delegated by the priest celebrating the Nuptial
Mass for this specific occasion.
Ring Bearers and Flower Girls: Both ring bearers
and flower girls, though optional, can be used in the wedding
ceremony. There role is ceremonial. It is wise not
to use children under four years of age for these roles.
Flower petals may not be dropped during the procession.
It is also ill advised to have the ring bearer carry the
actual rings to be used during the ceremony.
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Altar:
The altar is sacred. No candles, flowers nor anything else
should ever be placed on it.
Liturgical seasons
Decorations regularly adorn the church, the sanctuary, reredos
and Gathering Space. These decorations are never to be moved
or rearranged to accommodate a wedding. Furniture, chairs,
and floral displays are not to be moved. Plan your wedding
colors to complement those already present in the church.
As a general guide:*
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Month |
Themes |
Colors |
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early
January |
Christmas |
red
and white |
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mid
January |
Ordinary
Time |
green |
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February |
Lent** |
purple |
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March |
Lent** |
purple |
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April
- May |
Easter |
white,
spring colors |
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June-September |
Ordinary
Time |
green |
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October-November |
Ordinary
Time |
harvest
themes |
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*Note:
the above are meant as a guide. The dates for most
seasons and feasts of the church calendar vary. If
this is important to you, be sure to check your wedding
date's placement in the liturgical year.
**The Season of Lent is a penitential season. Weddings
are discouraged. When weddings occur they should be
done simply. Flowers and decorations are to be minimized.
Flowers
While there is no limit regarding the number of floral bouquets
or arrangements for a wedding, in both churches, less is
more effective than more. Flowers and/or ribbons may
be attached to the pews if they can be easily removable
without damaging the pew finish. NO SCOTCH
TAPE AND NO NAILS MAY EVER BE USED ON ANY SURFACES.
If you are having decorations attached to the pews or elsewhere,
please be sure to have a designated person who will be responsible
for removing them immediately following the wedding.
No flower arrangements are permitted on the wooden sanctuary
platform in the new church. They may be placed on
the floor at pew level. Stands are to be provided
by the florist. Please insure that your designated
person assumes responsibility for their prompt removal and
return. St. Mary's is not responsible for returning
items supplied by florists.
Your wedding coordinator has been instructed to
remove any flowers or decorations deemed to be in violation
of these guidelines.
Suggestions for flowers in the new church:
No wedding flowers are permitted on the wooden dais and
reredos. Flowers may be placed on the concrete floor. Because
of the extreme height of the church arrangements less than
10' high with stand are of no effect. Flowers will already
be present on the reredos of the new church.
Small bouquets work well on the table for altar gifts at
the front of the aisle, at the shrine of the Blessed Virgin.
Large arrangements can be placed on stands at the entry
doors, both to the church proper and the gathering space.
Suggestions for flowers in the Old Town Chapel: Free
standing arrangements are permitted in the sanctuary. Since
the ambo is brought into the church for the wedding allow
space for it. Smaller arrangements work well in the
entry way. Bouquets can be placed in the window sills. Flowers
and/or ribbons on the pews are not recommended due to the
narrowness of the aisle.
The Unity Candle
Though not part of the rite it is permitted. A table will
be provided for it (17"l x 30"w x 26"h).
Couples need to purchase their own unity candle(s) and stand
or bring their baptismal candles to light the paschal candle.
Balloons
The use of balloons or other helium-filled devices is prohibited.
Runners
Runners are unnecessary and dangerous, especially in the
new church. No runners are permitted in either
church.
Photographers
Your wedding photos are important and precious. Time
should be given to planning them carefully with your photographer
prior to your wedding day. A poorly informed photographer
can ruin your wedding. Inform your photographer of
the 2 1/2 hour time constraint on your use of the church.
Flash photography is permitted during the procession into
the church at the bride's discretion. Only
non-flash photographs may be taken during the wedding ceremony.
The photographer must be discreet and not distract from
the ceremony. The photographer should be well versed
about Catholic sacred space and the reverence expected in
our churches. In particular, the Blessed Sacrament
chapel behind the reredos is not to be entered for photo
purposes. A list of suggested photographers is available
from your wedding coordinator. You are not limited
to this list. However, photographers not on the list
are asked to meet with the wedding coordinator prior to
the wedding to clarify our expectations. Video cameras
may also be used, but must be placed unobtrusively in a
stationary position. No cameras or videos are ever
permitted on the sanctuary platform. Photos may be
taken in the church and on the church grounds before or
after the ceremony.
Please inform your photographer and wedding party that the
church is not a studio
but a house of worship demanding due proper reverence and
respect. A photographer’s formal portrait session
can be quite time consuming. Since only 2 1/2 hours are
allocated for each wedding, and to prevent conflict with
events scheduled after your wedding, consider taking your
formal portraits before
the ceremony. Your photographer will appreciate it, and
it will also help you begin your ceremony on time and arrive
at your reception in a timely fashion. Please remember to
observe proper reverence whenever you are in the church.
Dressing for the ceremony
The bride and her party may dress and prepare for the wedding
at the church. The groom and his party should arrive at
the church dressed and prepared.
Old Town Chapel: the bride and her party may dress in
the catechetical center attached to the church.
St. Mary's Church: the bride and her party may dress
in the parish meeting room adjacent to the gathering space.
Church Etiquette
Courtesy and respect should characterize your wedding day.
The church in particular is to be honored as a place of
quiet reverence. It is a place of prayer. Conduct
conducive to prayer is expected. The following is a brief
list of things to keep in mind:
1) Please designate a friend or member of your family to
be oversee cleanup of the church and bridal areas after
the ceremony. This includes removal of personal belongings
of the wedding party; attachments to pews, cleanup
of the bridal preparation area and returning all spaces
to their original setup. This important person is also asked
to return all areas to the cleanliness and the orderliness
in which you found them by removing all boxes and hangers,
make-up kits and spray bottles.
2) In the Catholic Church it is proper that your guests
be invited to the Nuptial Mass or the Wedding Ceremony.
The physical addresses are provided below. An invitation
to attend just the reception with passing mention (or inserted
card) that the marriage will take place in a church is inappropriate.
Old Town Chapel physical address:
St. Mary of the Assumption Church
121 Park Avenue
Park City, UT
St. Mary's Church physical address:
St. Mary of the Assumption Church
1505 W. White Pine Canyon Road
Park City, UT
3) No rice or bird seed is to be thrown inside or outside
the church. They are not only messy but dangerous. Approved
wild flower mixes used as a sign of life may be thrown outside
the new church, or a tree may be planted as a perpetual
memorial of your marriage.
4) Rehearsal Information: The church is the House of God
and the same quiet reverence that is normally displayed
will be expected at the rehearsal and before the ceremony
begins. Please dress appropriately. Extremely casual attire
is both disrespectful and distracting. Please meet your
wedding coordinator in the catechetical center (Old Town
Chapel) or gathering space (St. Mary's Church) to begin
the rehearsal. After all have gathered and been welcomed
a brief introduction to the ceremony will be given and then
you will proceed to enter the church. Bring your Marriage
License so that it may be completed during the rehearsal.
5) Other events are often scheduled in our churches on the
day of the wedding. Therefore to avoid being rushed and
to make the greatest use of the limited time in which you
have reserved the church, please have all the members of
the wedding party be prompt for both the rehearsal and the
wedding.
6) The presence of alcoholic beverages during the rehearsal
and prior to the wedding is inappropriate. Food or beverages
of any kind are never to be brought into the church.
Note: Since alcohol may impair a
person’s freedom and consent it may also adversely
affect the validity of marriage. Accordingly, should
a wedding coordinator notify the minister of the ceremony
of the presence of alcohol among the members of the wedding
party, the minister at his discretion may cancel the wedding
immediately.
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