Matrimony

Congratulations on your engagement! We are glad you are considering making St. Theresa’s Church a part of such an essential moment. Please read the Preparation Checklist below for more information about weddings and marriage preparation at St. Theresa Church in Memorial Park.

Preparation at St. Theresa will take at least six months; therefore, we ask that you contact our office seven to nine months before your proposed wedding date. If you marry outside the USA, we ask that you begin nine months before your wedding date. 
 
We look forward to helping you prepare for your new life together.

Preparation Checklist

Initial Contact, Reservation, and Fees:

                                                   
1. Initial contact and inquiry: After reviewing the preparation checklist below, please fill out the following initial inquiry form, and Patrick Miral will reach out to you within two week’s time. Click here for the form.

2. Reserving the Church: The Church is available for Friday weddings at 5:00pm or 6:00pm and Saturday weddings at 11:30 am, 2:00 pm, or 7:00 pm. There is a $1,200 church usage fee which includes a $400 deposit. For parishioners who have been contributing members for the last 6 months, the church usage fee is $800. After an initial conversation with Patrick and receiving approval, you may click here to pay the $400 deposit or remaining balance. The remaining balance is due one month before your wedding.   

The Church Wedding Coordinator for the rehearsal and the day of your wedding is paid separately and directly ($200, while on holiday weekends, they are paid $300). Musicians are paid separately and directly ($250 for the Pianist and $200 for the Cantor, while on holiday weekends, they are paid $100 each extra). Should these fees be a deterrent for marriage preparation or having your wedding at St. Theresa’s, please contact Patrick; we will be happy to work with you.

3. After an initial conversation and approval, couples who are only doing marriage preparation here at St. Theresa’s and having their wedding elsewhere may click here to sign up for Marriage Prep. There is a $250 Marriage Preparation fee for these couples. Should these fees deter marriage preparation, please contact Patrick; we will happily work with you.

4. It is appropriate and customary, though not necessary, to make an honorarium (free-will offering) to the priest or deacon presiding over your marriage as a sign of your appreciation for their time and presence.

Actual Marriage Preparation:

                                                                                               
(all the following are required)

5. After an initial conversation with Patrick and the marriage preparation payment or Church deposit has been made, attend a marriage orientation – this will be scheduled during your initial conversation. 

6. you will be signed up for the online Prepare & Enrich assessment after the marriage orientation. We use This questionnaire as a tool to facilitate communication between the bride and groom regarding their relationship. It is neither a test nor intended to predict relational success or failure chances. 

7. You will have four (or more if needed) Meetings with one of our licensed Church counselors from Rejoice Counseling or clergy to discuss Prepare & Enrich results, etc. Each meeting lasts about one hour. Once you have completed four meetings, notify Patrick. 

7.1. After the marriage orientation, Patrick will reach out to you to schedule one meeting with him to complete the "prenuptial questionnaire.” This prenuptial questionnaire is a formal way to state that you are free to marry and enter into this marriage wholeheartedly. If you are doing marriage prep meetings with Deacon Dwight Coles instead of a counselor, you will complete this prenuptial questionnaire with Deacon Dwight.

8. If available, attend an Engaged Couples Workshop at St. Theresa’s ($100). Our next one is on Saturday, October 12, 2024 and February 15, 2025. After checking with Patrick, click here to register.

If our dates do not work for you, some other options may be offered through our Diocese - click here or this online option, "Living Our Fath In Love" - click here. These options need to be approved by Patrick or a Deacon.

9. Attend a Natural Family Planning (NFP) class through our diocese. There are in-person and online options. Take a class on one of the following methods: Symto-thermal, Marquette, Billings, or Creighton. To learn more about these various methods, click here.To enroll in a class, click here. 

Paperwork:

10. Obtain Baptismal records. A newly certified copy of your Baptismal Certificate with notations (or a Profession of Faith Certificate) issued within twelve months of your wedding from the Church of your Baptism (or where you became a Catholic). An old copy will not work. For a baptized Christian who is not Catholic, we need proof of Baptism (certificate of Baptism or letter from a minister or witness). 

11. Have two Witness Affidavits of Freedom to Marry - click here completed for both bride and groom (hence a total of four). Witnesses should be family members or close friends who have known you for at least ten years. The forms can be downloaded from this web page. They are basically witnessing you are free to marry and enter this marriage wholeheartedly.   

12. Although Confirmation is not required in the United States, it is strongly recommended that all Catholic parties be confirmed before entering the sacrament of matrimony. Confirmation (a certified copy) is required in other countries, such as Mexico. If you are getting married outside of the USA, please contact the diocese where you will be getting married to see if confirmation for the Catholic spouse is necessary. Click here for more information regarding confirmation preparation at St. Theresa’s. Adult confirmation classes usually begin in early spring. 

13. For a valid civil marriage license, click here. It can be obtained at any county clerk’s office in Texas and used anywhere in Texas. Texas law states that a marriage license expires 90 days from the date it is issued, and it must be secured at least 72 hours prior to the wedding.  

14. Choosing your wedding readings - click here. If your wedding is here, once you have chosen your readings, add them to the Wedding Pre-rehearsal Form (see#17 below).

15. After your wedding: If you are a registered parishioner, please email Mary Ann Virgilio at maryann.virgilio@sttheresa.cc to update any change of address or possible name changes and add your spouse. 

For Your Wedding Ceremony Here at St. Theresa’s:

17. One month before your wedding, you will be assigned a Wedding Coordinator to lead your wedding rehearsal and be at your wedding. They will be the ones opening and closing the Church as well as setting everything up. You pay them directly (a stipend of $200 and $250 for Holiday Weekends - check, cash, or Venmo) 2 weeks BEFORE your rehearsal. Even if you have a wedding planner, you still need to use one of our wedding coordinators. Your wedding planner can attend the rehearsal but is not in charge of leading it. 

18. Begin looking at the Wedding Pre-Rehearsal Form - click here to help plan your wedding and email it to Patrick Miral and your Wedding Coordinator one month before your wedding (once you have been assigned a wedding coordinator). 

19. Once you have secured your deposit for your wedding, email  Stephen Schad, our parish Choir Director, at s.schad@sttheresa.cc, who coordinates the music and musicians for all weddings at the parish. Let him know the date and time of your wedding. Afterward, he will contact you with information regarding music for your wedding. All weddings celebrated within Mass must have an organist/pianist and cantor (song leader). If your wedding is celebrated outside of Mass, you are not required to have a cantor; however, it is strongly encouraged. Do not contract outside musicians without prior approval from Stephen - this may include string quartets, brass, cantors, pianists, etc. (all professional musicians and/or the couple’s musician friends/family). The parish’s organ is not available for use by guest musicians. The honorarium for an organist/pianist is $250 ($350 for holiday weekends), and for a cantor is $200 ($300 for holiday weekends). Use the Wedding Music Selection Form - click here and the Wedding Music Samples Website - click here to help you choose and submit your selections. Remember, the Sacrament of Marriage is a liturgical celebration, so music selections must reflect the sacred nature of the liturgy and marriage rites of the Catholic Church. Popular songs and secular music are best for your wedding reception, while sacred music supports your wedding ceremony. CLICK HERE for more detailed information on wedding music at St. Theresa.                         

20. Consider whether or not you want to livestream your wedding for those who cannot gather with you on your wedding day. Our parish has the equipment and a trained team to provide live streaming for you. Review our Wedding Livestream Information - click here and contact Stephen Schad, our Media Ministry Coordinator, to make arrangements. Please note that our live stream services are not comparable to the quality a professional wedding videographer would provide. You should consider hiring a professional videographer if you expect a high-quality video.

21. Please review the Floral Decor - click here and Photography and Videography - click here forms under the Various Marriage Preparation Forms and Links. Inform Pinky Rose Concepcion and Mary Ann Virgilio regarding your Floral arrangements - see the form for details. Please share these forms with your florist, photographer, and/or videographer.   

22. A Dressing Room is available for the Bride and Groom one hour before the wedding. Please see that the Church and dressing areas are left in the same order you found them. You may want to assign this task to a family member. For your safety, please do not leave anything of value in an unattended area or the dressing/waiting rooms. Your wedding coordinator can lock valuables up if needed. No alcohol is permitted in the dressing areas, outside, or on Church grounds.         


Contact Patrick Miral for more Information at 346-335-1811.
updated: 2/24/24