Marriage

Celebrating Your Catholic Marriage at St. Josaphat Church

Congratulations! Weddings are a special and joyful time for brides and grooms, for their families and friends, and for the parish community. The new beginning, the love, the promise and hope of weddings make their celebration a grace-filled time in our lives. The Church welcomes its members to celebrate and solemnize their weddings in the context of our prayer as Christians.

Indeed, so important is marriage in Christian life that it is called a sacrament. Great care is taken to see that the prayer for this special moment is reverent, graceful, beautiful and open to the movement of God's Spirit among us. Our celebrations of the sacraments, marriage included, are rooted in listening to the scriptures so that we can be nourished and strengthened by God's Word. We always celebrate the sacraments as community, gathering our sisters and brothers in faith to ask for their prayerful support.

You are the ministers of this beautiful sacrament. As you schedule and work on all the details, try to relax and take time for each other. We will do everything on our part to make your wedding a fitting and prayerful beginning to your Christian Marriage. Along the way, feel free to call (773) 327-8955 with any questions you might have.

General Information

Requirements >

To receive the Sacrament of Marriage, at least one of the parties seeking to marry must be Roman Catholic.

We expect all parties seeking marriage at St. Josaphat to be active, registered parishioners at our parish for a minimum of one year. Active parishioners are those who participate in parish life and attend Mass regularly on Sundays and Holy Days. Active registered parishioners and their family members have priority over non-parishioners.

Non-Parishioners wishing to get married at our church must reside within our parish boundaries.

If either the bride or groom have been previously married in any form - whether by a judge, a religious leader in another faith, or common law - a Declaration of Nullity must be provided at the time of your booking in order to demonstrate that you are now free to re-marry in the Catholic Church.

Fees >

St. Josaphat Parish provides for the spiritual and ministerial needs of its people and the surrounding community. Your wedding fee supports the mission of the parish, and contributes toward expenses incurred by the parish to help you celebrate your special day.

Wedding Fee: $1,500

The wedding fee is required to confirm your wedding date and is due at your initial meeting. This fee helps cover expenses such as the upkeep and preservation of our church buildings and grounds, as well as the historic church structure itself. It also supports the time and efforts of our priests and staff in preparing for and celebrating your wedding. This includes the liturgy staff, altar servers, wedding coordinator, pre-Cana marriage preparation, paperwork, documentation processing, and janitorial services before and after the ceremony. Please note, wedding fees are not tax deductible. You can pay by check made out to St. Josaphat Parish at your meeting with the priest or deacon, or through Give Central with this link. If your marriage does not take place, 50% of the wedding fee is refundable.

If you are facing financial challenges, please feel free to discuss this with the priest or deacon during your meeting. Wedding fees are subject to review and may change, but financial hardship will never be a barrier to celebrating your wedding.

Music Fee: starting at $225

Consultation and payment will be made directly with our parish Music Director. The fee is based on options you select. Please see the Plan Your Wedding Music section below for details.

Optional Gratuities

Gratuities to the pastor/deacon or staff on the day of your wedding are at your discretion.

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For those not being married in St. Josaphat Church

Paperwork Documentation and Processing Fee: $250

This fee is due upon request of this service. If you are a parishioner getting married at another church out of state, please submit your request for this service at least 2 months prior to your wedding to allow for us to prepare your prenuptial file.

Pre-Cana Fee: $200

The cost to attend our Pre-Cana session is $200 and registration is subject to availability. Parishioners getting married at our church are given priority.

Expectations >

The priest or deacon will communicate only with the wedding couple and not with parents or wedding planners, to avoid any confusion or miscommunication. We expect your full cooperation.

We ask you to keep in mind that there are usually two important parts of your special day: the marriage ceremony and the festivities that take place afterward. The first takes place in God's house which we acknowledge as holy ground; the second at a venue meant for parties. Please do not confuse the two. What is appropriate at the latter is not always appropriate on holy ground.

Drinking of alcohol before the rehearsal or ceremony will lead to the expulsion of those drinking from the church. Failure to comply could mean the forfeiture of the privilege of marriage in St. Josaphat Church at the discretion of the priest or deacon at any point in the preparation or ceremony.

Kindly remember that parish staff (priests, music director, altar servers, sacristan, admin, etc.) and our volunteer wedding coordinators are not employed by the wedding couple or by their wedding planner. Please treat others as you wish to be treated.

Be on time for the rehearsal and the ceremony. We will not delay the start of another ceremony in church that may follow yours.

Ready to move forward?

STEP 1: WEDDING INQUIRY FORM

If you are interested in getting married at St. Josaphat, your first step is to complete the online Wedding Inquiry Form (to be filled out by the bride and/or groom). After receiving your Wedding Inquiry, the parish office will contact you to schedule a meeting with a priest or deacon to begin the wedding process.

STEP 2: WEDDING MEETING

Meetings are held on Fridays at 3:00pm. At this meeting, be prepared to:

Set Your Wedding Date >

At your initial meeting with our pastor or deacon, you will have the opportunity to select an available date for your wedding. Only the parish priest or deacon can schedule a wedding date.

It is not possible to guarantee a date for a wedding if either party is pursuing an annulment. The final notification of the annulment must be granted before a date can be finalized.

Weddings are scheduled with respect to the couple's wishes and the availability of the church building and parish ministers. Weddings are scheduled at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm on Saturdays to allow for Masses and other events in church such as baptisms, reconciliation and funerals. Only for exceptional reasons, weddings may be scheduled on Friday afternoon/evening after 3:30 pm or on Sunday afternoon. In the case of Sunday weddings, because of the schedule of Sunday Masses, weddings will be celebrated as a ceremony only, because no additional Masses are to be scheduled on Sundays.

There are a few days in the liturgical year when a wedding cannot be celebrated. There are also times in the Church year when the liturgical calendar is less conducive to the celebration of weddings. For example, the season of Lent is a time of penance in the life of the church community; that spirit touches and colors all parish liturgies between Ash Wednesday and Easter.

We encourage you to avoid holiday weekends such as Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, New Year's Eve, etc.

Submit Your Wedding Fee Payment >

Set Your Rehearsal Date >

Rehearsals are generally held on Fridays at 3:00 pm or 4:00 pm, but may be accommodated at other times at the discretion of our pastor. A rehearsal takes between thirty and forty-five minutes.

Our volunteer Wedding Coordinators are assigned based on their availability the week before your wedding, and will attend the rehearsal to answer any questions you may have. If a Wedding Coordinator is not available for your rehearsal, a priest, staff member or Sacristan may attend instead.

In addition to the bride, groom and members of the wedding party, you may want to have your lectors present in order to learn where they will sit, when they will read, and (if they would like) to run through their reading at the rehearsal. Parents and your guests are always welcome at the rehearsal. Please ask everyone who will be attending the rehearsal to be on time. Often there will be other rehearsals before or after yours or other services scheduled in the church.

Plan Your Wedding Music with our Music Director >

An integral part of your wedding liturgy is the music. As the Music Director at St. Josaphat Parish, my goal is to help create beautiful and fitting music for your Catholic wedding ceremony.

A Wedding Music Workshop is offered at the beginning of the calendar the year, providing you an opportunity to hear the various musicians and cantors/soloists available for your wedding celebration. Though it is not required to attend, many couples find it very informative and fun! You will have the opportunity to hear a variety of instruments and voices "model" standard wedding music repertoire.

Besides this workshop, I will meet with you at a mutually convenient time. At this meeting, I will outline the Order of Service for the wedding showing you the many places where music would be appropriate. After hearing the choices, it is easy to find things that you both like and that work well in the liturgy.

Please know that St. Josaphat’s Music Ministry is an excellent resource for vocalists and instrumentalists. Our vocalists are professionals that regularly do solo work in and around the Chicagoland area as well as sing in professional ensembles. All instruments are available and come highly recommended: trumpet, flute, oboe, violin, cello, harp as well as combinations in trios and quartets. We even can book you a bagpiper! The musicians that regularly play our wedding are highly-qualified and offer a fair price. Pianists, harpists, trios, etc., for your cocktail hour or reception can also be booked. You may even want to engage our Parish Children’s Choir, Adult Choir, or Contemporary Ensemble!

In following the liturgical guidelines of the Archdiocese of Chicago, St. Josaphat does have some restrictions as to what you may choose to have played during the church service. These can be discussed during your planning meeting.

Finally, if you have a family member or friend that would like to participate musically in the wedding, please get in touch with me to make arrangements as soon as possible. Oftentimes, extra rehearsals need to be scheduled to rehearse and learn the music. An additional fee for these rehearsals will be charged.

Our Standard Wedding Music Fees:

Director/Pianist/Organist: $225
Cantor: $100 - $175
Each additional instrumentalist - $225 (notable exceptions: harp and timpani are more expensive)

Congratulations and I am looking forward to working with you!

Joe Labozetta, Music Director

[email protected]

STEP 3: REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

These documents must be received before your wedding can take place:

Baptismal Certificates >

Contact the church where you were baptized 4 to 6 months before your wedding to obtain an updated copy of your baptismal certificate. The copy must be dated no more than 6 months prior to your wedding date. Photocopies of your original certificate given at your baptism cannot be accepted for Catholics. Since the church of your baptism is notified of your sacraments, including marriage, this copy insures that you were baptized and you have not been previously married in the church.

Non-Catholic christians need to present a record of baptism.

We must receive your baptismal certificates no later than 2 months before your wedding date.

Confirmation Certificates >

If your church of baptism has notations on the back of your baptismal certificate that include your confirmation date, you do not need to provide a separate certificate of confirmation. If it does not, contact the church where you were confirmed 4 to 6 months before your wedding to obtain an updated copy of your confirmation certificate. We must receive your confirmation certificates no later than 2 months before your wedding date.

Civil Marriage License >

A Civil Marriage License is required for your marriage to take place in church. It must be obtained from the Cook County Clerk's Office even if you reside in another state because your marriage is taking place in Illinois. Your license is good for 60 days from when it is issued, but cannot be used within the first 24 hours of receiving it.

Bring this to your wedding rehearsal. A wedding cannot be witnessed without a valid license.

Two Witness Affidavits >

Pre-Nuptial Questionnaire >

Additional Forms for a Catholic Marrying a Non-Catholic >

Permission for Marriage of Mixed-Religion which will either be approved by the pastor if one of the couple is a baptized Christian, or by the bishop if one of the couple is a non-Christian.

Dispensation from Canonical Form granted by the bishop if the Catholic will celebrate the wedding in the tradition of the non-Catholic spouse. Any time that permission or dispensation must be approved by the bishop, we require all paperwork completed six weeks in advance at the latest.

STEP 4: MARRIAGE PREPARATION

Attend Pre-Cana! All couples getting married are required to participate in a pre-marriage preparation program approved by the Archdiocese. We welcome and expect those getting married at St. Josaphat to attend our Pre-Cana program which is held in the rectory Red Door Room on Saturdays from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. Lunch is served during the session and you will attend 5:00 pm Mass. We offer three Pre-Cana sessions each year at St. Josaphat: one in the fall, one in winter and one early spring:

Saturday, October 25, 2025

January 2026 TBD

March 2026 TBD

The cost of our Pre-Cana program is included in your wedding fee. If you are being married elsewhere, the cost to attend our Pre-Cana is $200.00 and your registration is not complete until payment is received.

If attending our Pre-Cana program is not possible it is also offered by the Archdiocese. Reservations are required for all programs and arrangements for any of the programs are the responsibility of the couple. You can also register for an online 8-hour Pre-Cana course at catholicmarriageprepclass.com.

Couples taking the Catholic Couple Check Up Inventory receive a twenty page report on their relationship with a discussion guide tailored to their individual situations immediately after completing the inventory. You will hear more about this at Pre-Cana.

STEP 5: MASS OR LITURGY?

What's the Difference? >

Every celebration of Mass consists of a Liturgy of the Word (entrance rite, readings, homily, general intercessions) and a Liturgy of the Eucharistic (presentation of bread and wine, the Eucharistic Prayer, and Holy Communion). When a wedding is celebrated at Mass, the rite of marriage takes place after the homily and before the general intercessions; then the Liturgy of the Eucharist follows. When a wedding is celebrated outside of Mass it is celebrated in a Liturgy of the Word in which the rite of marriage takes place after the homily and before the general intercessions. The rite concludes with prayers and a blessing.

If one of you is not in communion with the Roman Catholic Church (and so will be unable to share Holy Communion if the wedding is celebrated during Mass), you may want to consider what this means. Do you want to include something in this celebration in which only one of you will be able to take part? Who will your guests be? Is the celebration of the Eucharist the best way to help them to be with you and pray with you at your wedding? If many of your guests are from outside the Catholic community, you may want to consider celebrating your wedding with the Liturgy of the Word.

Please Note: If one of you is not a baptized Christian, Church law does not allow the wedding celebration at Mass. Some people seem to think that a couple is not really married unless the wedding takes place at Mass. This is simply not true. Discuss your concerns with the clergy with whom you are working and make the decision that will provide the best context for your prayer and celebration.

Plan Your Liturgy >

A wedding, like any sacrament the Church celebrates, is a public celebration. It is celebrated both for the particular persons receiving this sacrament, and in the context of the parish community. In fact, your wedding is a public parish event, listed in the church bulletin, and all members of the parish are invited to witness your celebration of the sacrament.

Among the Items You Will Want to Consider:

- Are the people who will be joining in your celebration mostly from St. Josaphat parish, or will they be coming from a number of parishes?
- If they are from many parishes, it will be necessary to take into account the music they are likely to be familiar with through their regular Sunday worship.
- Are most of those assembled going to be from the Catholic tradition, or are many from other Christian or non-Christian tradition? Because those assembled are your guests, it is important they feel comfortable in joining in the prayer of this joyous occasion. You may want to include touches from another religious tradition if a sizable number of your guests are from that tradition. If one of you is from another tradition, you may want to have your own minister present at the celebration. We welcome the participation of your minister and would like to extend a personal invitation from the staff member working with you.

Other Options to Consider:

- What is a "unity candle?" Should we have one? Every sacrament has a primary symbol, which shows us in a tangible way what we celebrate in the sacrament. In the Catholic marriage ritual, this symbol is the exchange of wedding vows between the bride and groom. Over the centuries, an additional symbol has been added--the exchange of rings. The rings have come to symbolize the permanence of the marriage vows (the unbroken circle) as well as the commitment in love to only one other person (the public wearing of the ring). In recent years, a third symbol--the unity candle--has been used by many brides and grooms as an additional symbolic articulation of their vows. In discussing your plans with the priest or deacon, you may find it helpful to explore whether or not you wish to include the unity candle in your ceremony.

- Should we "make a visit" to the Marian shrine? Bringing flowers to the Blessed Virgin Mary shrine is a European custom added to the marriage ceremony, beginning around the time of your grandparents' wedding. The bride took a floral offering to the Marian shrine as an expression of surrendering her virginity. In our time and culture, it may also be a prayer of invocation to the Blessed Virgin Mary that God bless the wedding couple in their new life together. With this latter meaning, the bride and groom visit the Marian shrine as a couple.

- Are we supposed to bring roses to our mothers? Another addition to the wedding ceremony is the presentation of a single rose or some other small floral tribute to mothers and/or grandmothers at the time of the exchange of peace. While this seems like a very nice gesture, we ask you to consider whether you are singling out mothers at the exclusion of fathers or other important members of your families, and whether or not additional flowers (besides the corsage or boutonniere) are necessary.

- Other customs (e.g., Arras, Lasso, Vinculo, Rosario, etc.) In many countries other additions to the ceremony are customary, including the giving of symbolic coins (arras) by the groom to the bride while asking for God’s blessing on their material concerns in their married life. The lasso is also used frequently in weddings when godparents (padrinos) place a cord/rope or a two-circled rosary over the heads of the bride and groom while a prayer of blessing is said. Similarly, a rosary (rosario) or prayer book (libro de oraciones) may be presented to the bride by godparents (padrinos).

Because some of these practices were in use before the contemporary liturgy, it is important to let the priest know ahead of time (certainly at the rehearsal) if you will be following some of these customs. For example, the lasso once stayed on the couple until the end of the ceremony or mass. However, because the bride and groom will need to accept the gifts of bread and wine at the presentation, the lasso now is removed from the couple immediately after the blessing.

Select Your Readings >

The workbook you receive at the Pre-Cana sessions has the many readings and prayers used most frequently at Catholic marriage celebrations. The priest or deacon with whom you work will give you a different, more comprehensive workbook for planning your wedding, “Together for Life.” This booklet provides a step-by-step outline for planning your celebration. You will be asked to spend some time together reading through the many options available to you and making the selections which best express your own sense of your wedding celebration.

Most couples find the selections in this booklet more than adequate; however, you are not limited to the options provided. If you decide to select from other sources, be sure to discuss this with the priest or deacon helping in your preparations. Scripture readings are always proclaimed during the Liturgy of the Word. If you select a prayer or reading from some other source, the placement in the liturgy will have to be discussed with the staff member.

Select Ceremony Participants >

The Ministers of the Celebration: In the Roman Catholic tradition, the bride and groom minister the sacrament to one another; they are the celebrants of the ceremony. A priest or deacon and at least two Catholic witnesses are also required to be present.

Presider: Ordinarily, one of the priests or deacons on the parish staff will preside at weddings celebrated in the parish. On occasion, a couple may have a priest, deacon, friend, or relative whom they want to invite to preside at the wedding. In this case, the couple should mention this to the parish priest or deacon early in the planning process. The involvement of a friend or relative in your preparation for marriage can be important to you and to him.

Lectors/Readers: The marriage celebration includes selections from scripture and General Intercessions (sometimes referred to as the Prayers of the Faithful). We encourage you to ask family members or friends to serve in your wedding as Lector or Reader. When choosing family members or friends, please select those who are accustomed to public speaking and have a familiarity with this type of reading. Usually three Lectors are required.

Eucharistic Ministers: If a wedding is celebrated during Mass, there may be a need for the service of Eucharistic Ministers for the distribution of Holy Communion. Family members or friends who participate in this ministry in their own parish are welcome to assist with the distribution of Communion at your wedding.

Music Director: The parish music director assists the couple in planning the music for the ceremony and is the organist/pianist for all weddings.

Ushers: The groom's attendants usually function as ushers and ministers of hospitality. The bride's attendants, and, indeed, the bride and groom and their families may also act as ministers of hospitality. It is a mature, gracious gesture for all members of the wedding party to greet members of the assembly as they gather to celebrate.

Altar Servers: Altar servers from the parish will be scheduled for your wedding celebration. If you have specific servers you would like, or have members of your family who fulfill this ministry in their own parish, please let the priest know as soon as possible.

Ring Bearers/Flower Girls: Couples are asked to consider the age of children involved in these roles and their ability to participate in a church service.

STEP 6: THE OTHER STUFF

Order Your Invitations >

Create A Wedding Program (or not) >

Some couples find it helpful to provide a small booklet outlining the order of service. Some couples also prefer to place all the musical responses for the congregation in the booklet.If you choose to provide a program or participation aid for your guests, please remember that copyright notices are required for the printing of most music and texts for the participation of the assembly. Permission for "one-time use" is usually gratis from the publisher. Check with the parish music director for more information on this part of your program preparation. He will be happy to assist you in putting this together.

Policies on Church Flowers and Decorations >

Flowers for the Church

It has been traditional for wedding couples to provide floral decorations for church on the day of their wedding. If you choose to, we encourage the use of fresh flowers with strong colors. Our church is large and ornamented; arrangements of white flowers and greenery tend to "disappear" in this large space. If there is another wedding scheduled on your same day, you may wish to coordinate with the other couple. The priest or deacon can give you their contact information.

Sanctuary Flowers

Usually two large arrangements placed on either side of the altar will serve as beautiful and dignified decorations which everyone in church can see and will not interfere in any of the movements of the wedding party. Except during the Christmas and Easter seasons, you are welcome to move any existing flower arrangements into the sacristy during your wedding as long as someone puts them back after your wedding. If you plan to do this, please make prior arrangements with the priest or deacon.

Please do not order any flowers to be placed upon the altar itself. The altar is meant to be kept very simple--with only the gifts of bread and wine, the book of prayers, and the chalice and paten on it.

Other Flowers

Be sure to let your florist know if you are choosing to make a floral tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary or are presenting flowers to members of your family.

Runner for the Center Aisle

If you wish to have a runner for the center aisle, this can be arranged through your florist. The center aisle is 65 feet long -- we suggest an additional 10 feet of runner.

Pew Decorations

If you choose to have bows or other decorations placed upon pews in the center aisle, please inform your florist that they are asked not to use tape on the wooden pews (it removes the finish). Alternatives to tape are usually available. Also, if you wish to drape ribbon along the edge of the pew, be sure the ribbon will be removed before the wedding begins. It is against fire regulations to block access to the pews in this or any other manner.

Policies on Photography and Videography >

The still photographer may take pictures at any time as long as the wedding ceremony is not interrupted. The photographer is not allowed into the sanctuary of the church and should never stand between the couple and the congregation. Nor should any part of the ceremony (e.g., the procession up the aisle) be stopped by the photographer. Flash photography is acceptable. If time permits, the church is available for 90 minutes from your planned ceremony start time for the taking of pictures. There may be a Mass or another wedding after yours. If the services start on time, there will be more than enough time for pictures. St. Josaphat Community Park behind the church is usually available for pictures (except during Advent, when Christmas Trees are sold).

Please note: the photographer should never remove items from the altar or anywhere else before taking pictures.

Video taping of the wedding is certainly permitted by a professional. We ask that the taping take place from one spot only and without a sustained high intensity lamp turning on and off. The videographer is not allowed to walk around with his or her equipment nor set up a camera in the sanctuary.

Please show these guidelines to your photographer/videographer so they are aware of the restrictions and abide by our rules. Then, tell them they too must talk to the priest or deacon prior to the ceremony. These guidelines will help to make your ceremony more reverent, special, and prayerful. Photographers who do not follow rules will not be allowed to continue to photograph the wedding in church.

Your Wedding Day >

Breathe. It is the love shared between the couple that calls down God's presence in the Sacrament of Matrimony. The ceremony will be beautiful because the people in attendance are choosing to be there, drawn to the church by your love for each other.

There is an additional restroom available in the front right-hand side of the church.

We do not supply stands, pedestals, extra candles, etc., please plan ahead.

Please advise your guests that we do not allow rice to be thrown as it can be harmful to birds and can pose a risk to others walking in the area - our local birds appreciate your cooperation.

The church is open 30 minutes before the ceremony. All weddings have the church reserved for 90 minutes from the planned ceremony start time, and this should include picture taking.

On Saturday, the parking lot needs to be cleared by 4:30 pm because our Vigil Mass starts at 5:00 pm.

Blessings for Civil Marriages

If you have been thinking about getting your marriage blessed in the Church, or are in need of an annulment before getting your current marriage blessed, please feel free to contact our pastor and we would be happy to help you get the process started.

Visit the Archdiocese of Chicago's How to Get Married page.