“Time to buy the ring!” If you are considering a non-Catholic wedding, please don’t! Civil weddings or ones done by a non-Catholic minister of religion are not sacramentally valid. The logic is simple. Weddings outside the church often result in families outside the church. Catholics are obliged to be married in the presence of a priest, in the consecrated space of a church dedicated to the celebration of all sacraments. Being married by a random person in a random place does not represent the kind of intention one would hope to have on one of the most anticipated days of one’s life. Consider prayerfully the dignity of this sacrament of love at the service of the gospel, that, as St. Paul says, is a symbol of the love of Christ for His bride, the Church. We welcome the opportunity to support you in your journey towards the joyful celebration of your marriage!

 

Step 1: Contact your local parish priest, even before booking the hall, where you currently live through the parish office ideally 6 to 12 months before any proposed date of marriage. The priest will want to discuss your readiness for Christian marriage, preparation for marriage courses, the documents required for marriage, and the ceremony itself. This is Step 1 even if you are getting married at another parish or even in another country.

 

• Information about what the Church believes and teaches about Catholic marriage and family life. 
• Advice and practical assistance for your daily married lives together. 
• An introduction to Natural Family Planning (NFP) a reliable method of planning your family that is both based on science and in harmony with God’s design for sexual intimacy and Church teaching. NFP assists with planning or spacing births, and also often helps in working with any infertility issues. 
• The witness of married couples to the sacrament of marriage and how it is lived in their lives. 

St. Thomas More Parish’s Marriage Preparation Course will be offered March 20, 21, and 22, 2026. The deadline to register is on February 20, 2026. Please see the bulletin for registration information. Click here for 2026 Registration

 

 

There are also programs offered through the Archdiocese. Information for these programs can be obtained through the parish office.

 

For those married civilly or in a common-law arrangement, please consider completing the Sacrament of Marriage by a process of convalidation. A suitable Catholic later marriage preparation course can be made available to you through the parish and by talking with the priest. We are happy to accommodate you.