Marriage

Over the years, the Catholic community has increasingly recognized that a good marriage requires good preparation. We invite you to make the most of your engagement period, taking time for deeper dialogue, greater trust, and sharing your hopes and dreams, your convictions and values regarding your marriage. We invite you to make this period before your wedding a time of reflection and prayer, a time for bringing things into perspective.

We ask you to begin your formal preparation as soon as you make the decision to marry and at least six months prior to the proposed wedding date. The sooner you begin the initial arrangements, the better opportunity you will have to prepare well.

Here we list and explain the various elements of the preparation process for a wedding at St. Martin of Tours Church. If you have any questions or need clarification, please call the parish office or speak with your priest. The rectory number is (408) 294-8953.

• Couples who are planning to be married at St. Martin’s Church should call the rectory to make an appointment with a priest at least six months in advance of the wedding date. Please set up an appointment with our parish priest as soon as you decide to marry. He looks forwards to getting to know you and to explain what lies ahead.
• If you wish to celebrate your wedding elsewhere (e.g., out of state) but need to conduct your preparation here, please schedule the church and priest where you will marry. Our parish priest will gladly help you prepare for marriage and forward completed forms to the church of marriage..
• If either of you are a parishioner and wish a priest-friend to celebrate your wedding at St. Martin of Tours, please have him call the parish office to schedule the date and time and to affirm that he will guide you through the preparation process and officiate the ceremony. If your friend is from outside the local area, our parish priest will gladly meet with you for your preparation..
• If neither of you are parishioners and wish to celebrate your wedding at St. Martin of Tours Church, please have your priest call the parish office to schedule the date and time and to affirm that he will guide you through the preparation process and officiate the ceremony..
• For more important information about preparing to marry in the church, please click on this Marriage Preparation document. Some information is provided on-line as a courtesy, however, please remember that you must call the parish and work with one of the priests and the Wedding Coordinator if you wish to be married in the church.

The Marriage preparation program offers couples quality time to deepen their relationship and to reflect on their hopes and dreams for married life.

• Catholic Engaged Encounter: A full weekend experience for as many as 25 or 30 couples, Friday evening to Sunday afternoon. CEE takes place at a nearby retreat house and is led by a team of two married couples and a local priest. The weekend progresses through a variety of topics and is not meant to be teachy, but reflective. To participate, a simple brochure with registration form and telephone number is available from your priest. (A room and board donation will be expected from each couple.)

If you would like to know more about what to expect when planning to be married at St. Martin’s Church, please click on the documents listed below. This information is provided on-line as a courtesy, however, please remember that you must call the parish and work with one of the priests and the Wedding Coordinator if you wish to be married in the church.

On-line resource information from Together for Life for planning your wedding.

For a good book for all prospective grooms and brides:
Paul Covino, Celebrating Marriage—preparing the wedding liturgy, a workbook for engaged couples, REVISED EDITION.