Getting
Married at Sacred Heart Parish
Before you can schedule a wedding at Sacred Heart Parish,
you must talk to the
parish priest, Fr. Bruce Brown.
Please contact the parish office (503) 231-9639 for his telephone number.
Time of the Wedding:
Weddings can be scheduled on Saturday between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Fees:
Before we can confirm your wedding date on our calendar we need to receive the following:
-
The rental agreement and insurance form with applicable insurance fee and other fees listed below.
- If the presider at your wedding is not Fr. Bruce Brown, we will send a letter to your celebrant asking to sign a letter assuring us if he is unable to fulfill his commitment to witness your wedding ceremony that he will supply a priest as his substitute.
| Church Rental Fee | $400 |
| Fee for wedding contact person | $100 (4 hours: 1 hour rehearsal & 3 hours wedding. If longer, an additional $25 per hour will be charged) |
| Cleaning deposit (refundable) | $50 |
| Total | $550 made payable to Sacred Heart Parish |
Please let us know where to return the cleaning deposit refund.
Marriage Preparation
- The normal period for marriage preparation is six months. If you or your fiancé have been married previously and that marriage ended in divorce, the time for preparation for marriage may be 12 to 24 months depending on the situation. In that case, your wedding date cannot be determined until the Chancery gives permission.
- We will need a copy of your baptismal certificate if you are a Catholic. This cannot be dated later than six months before your wedding date.
- Your parents or other witness will be asked to sign papers of your "Freedom to Marry".
- The priest will have three counseling sessions with the couple
- One of the following
is required:
Engaged Encounter (503) 267-3605
Northeast Catholic Counseling (Grotto) (503) 253-0964
It is important to get this scheduled as soon as possible because sessions may fill up quickly.
Time Schedule
- Rehearsal - 1 hour
- Decorating - 1 hour
- Photographs - 1 hour
- Wedding - 1 hour maximum
Punctuality is good etiquette, extra time requires extra costs. If additional time is needed, the wedding contact person is paid $25 for any part of an additional hour.
Wedding Contact Person
Couples getting married at Sacred Heart are required to use Mary Miller, who is our wedding contact person and familiar with the parish procedures, physical structures, etc. Mary will respond to pre-ceremony inquiries. At the rehearsal and the day of the wedding she will be present to assist with photographs, unlocking doors, lights and heat, cueing of music with the musicians and the bridal procession. She will also make sure the bride's room, groom's room and church are left in good order.Wedding Rehearsal
It is important to
schedule your wedding rehearsal as soon as possible so we can get it on
the calendar. Rehearsal time is one hour. It behooves participants to
be on time. Since the bride and groom and priest have prepared the ceremony
together, relatives and friends are asked to refrain from making additional
suggestions at rehearsal.
Protocol
During the rehearsal and the wedding, young children are not to use the
church as a play room. Parents must keep them under control or they will
be asked to leave. Parents of the bride and groom should not be caring
for grandchildren during the rehearsal or ceremony.
Flowers and
Decorations: Couples make their
own arrangements for flowers. Flowers are not to be set on the altar. If bows are attached to the pews, tape should not be used. The wedding party is responsible for seeing that the flowers are removed
from the church after the ceremony. We ask that you let Mary know in advance
if you intend to leave any flowers in the church. Delivery time of flowers
should be no more than 2 hours before the ceremony to coincide with the
arrival time of the wedding party prior to the ceremony. No flowers should be placed on the piano or organ. |
Music: Music must be appropriate
to religious guidelines. Secular music must be approved by the priest.
If you need assistance with musicians, please contact the office. Arrangements
for music are up to the couple. No CD's or tapes are to be played.
Photography
and Videography: Photographs may be
taken around the altar before or after the ceremony. Photographs without
flash may be taken during the ceremony. A flash may be used for the processional
and the recessional. The ceremony may be videotaped. We ask that all photography
during the ceremony be done unobtrusively. The ceremony is to be respected
for what it is - a religious service, not a press conference.
We ask that formal portraits be taken in the church or courtyard.
The Day of the Wedding
- Please have someone not of the immediate family and not in the wedding party be responsible for cleaning up the church at the conclusion of the wedding. This includes wedding programs in the pews, corsage boxes, hangers, etc. Please clean up the rectory as well, if you will be dressing there.
- The basement and main floor of the rectory are available for dressing areas.
- A runner down the aisle is not allowed.
- We do not allow petals to be strewn down the aisle.
- You must provide your own readers, communion ministers and altar servers.
Rice, Birdseed
or Flower Petals Outside the Church
Throwing the above
is strongly discouraged because whatever is thrown must be picked up.
Rice, birdseed and petals are difficult to remove, especially in the rain.
Please no liquor, drinks (water bottles) or food of any kind in the church.
