The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament."

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1601

STEPS FOR GETTING MARRIED
These steps are a general guide and not an complete list of everything you need to do in the Diocese of St. Augustine to prepare for your marriage.
 

1. Notify the Parish

To schedule a wedding, the Diocese of St. Augustine requires at least 8 months of marriage preparation before the actual wedding. This means that an engaged couple must meet with their parish priest or deacon at least 8 months prior to their proposed wedding date. We suggest to always check with the priest you want to perform the ceremony first to see if they are available for the wedding date you want.

Next, call the parish office to see if the date you want is available for the ceremony. If the date is available, complete a Wedding Date Deposit Agreement and email it to the parish office at dcook@sjdrparish.org . A $100 deposit is required. This deposit will be returned if there is a cancellation within 30 days of receipt of deposit. If there is no cancellation, the $100 deposit will be applied to the Church fee.

2. Take a Relationship Inventory 

There are 2 relationship inventories available to help engaged couples identify and address key issues which may need to be worked through prior to marriage. These are tools designed to strengthen your relationship by promoting discussions regarding important aspects of married life.

It is highly recommended that you take FOCCUS or PREPARE/ENRICH as soon as possible. The results will be sent to your Priest, Deacon, or another qualified facilitator for discussion.

Click here for more information about FOCCUS.
Click here for more information about PREPARE/ENRICH.

3. Attend a Marriage Preparation Course

There are 2 primary marriage preparation courses in the Diocese of St. Augustine: Pre Cana and Engaged Encounter. These courses differ in format but are each designed to help engaged couples grow in their understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage by covering topics such as sexuality, family, and their role in the Church.

Click here for more information about Pre Cana.
Click here for more information about Engaged Encounter.
 

4. Attend a Course in Natural Family Planning (Recommended)

There is one thing that Natural Family Planning (NFP) is, and two things it is not.

IT IS: It is a low cost, modern method of achieving or avoiding pregnancy in which the couple learns to observe and chart the woman's naturally-occurring, biological indicators of fertility.

IT IS NOT: 

1) It is not the much-criticized "rhythm" method of yesteryear. NFP is at least as effective in avoiding pregnancy as the most effective modern methods of contraception. 

2) It is not contraception. In using NFP, a couple works with the sacredness, beauty, and goodness of their fertility.

Couples who use NFP tend to have healthier, stronger, and happier marriages than those who use contraception.

This NFP course requires meetings spread over several months; therefore, couples are urged to sign up as soon as possible.

Click here to locate an instructor.

5. Plan the Liturgy/Wedding

Your decision to be married within the Church is a serious one. Marriage is one of the seven Sacraments and is a visible manifestation of an invisible grace that transforms you – it is the beginning of your life together as one. Your wedding within the Church is a very sacred event and so the planning of the liturgical celebration should reflect this.

The Priest or Deacon will provide you the resources you need to prepare for your wedding celebration and will guide you according to the norms of the Church.

6. Become One!

Profess your vows to one another before the altar of God and, with the exchange of the rings, unite yourselves as husband and wife, to have and to hold until death do you part.

For more information contact the parish office at (904) 287-0519