Matrimony

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

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

Initial Contact, Reservation, and Fees                                                                                

1. Initial contact: After reviewing the preparation checklist, reach out to Patrick Miral regarding marriage preparation, church and clergy availability. Please do not book a venue prior to booking the church and clergy. Patrick can be reached at 713-869-3783 ext.1811 or email at p.miral@sttheresa.cc

2. Reserving the Church:  The Church is available for weddings on Saturdays at 11:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m., or 7:00 p.m.  There is an $800 church usage fee which includes a $400 deposit. This deposit includes your Marriage Preparation fee. After an initial conversation with Patrick and having received 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 and we are 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 Prep fee for these couples. Should these fees be a deterrent for Marriage Preparation, please contact Patrick and we are happy to 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 marriage preparation payment or church deposit has been made, attend a marriage orientation – this will be scheduled during your initial conversation. 

6. After the marriage orientation, you will be signed up for the online Prepare & Enrich assessment. This is a questionnaire we use as a tool to facilitate communication between the bride and groom regarding their relationship. It is not a test nor is it intended to predict chances of relational success or failure. Please complete this at your earliest convenience once you receive it. 

7. You will have four (or more if needed) Meetings with one of our church counselors or one of our deacons to discuss Prepare & Enrich results, etc. Each meeting lasts about one hour. Once you have completed 4 meetings notify Patrick. 

8. Attend an Engaged Couples Workshop at St. Theresa’s if available ($100) and register here after checking with Patrick for availability. This is an all-day event. Our next one is Saturday, January 14, 2023 and June 10, 2023.

If our dates do not work for you, there may be some other options offered through our Diocese. 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. Once completed, give your completion certificate to patrick or the deacon with whom you are meeting.


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 minister or witness). 

11. Have two Witness Affidavits of Freedom to Marry 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. 

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. Please note that 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. 

Once you have collected all your paperwork (Baptism, Confirmation if needed, and Witness Affidavits of Freedom to Marry), give them to Patrick or to the deacon if you are meeting with a deacon.

13. A valid civil Marriage License can be obtained at any County Clerk’s Office in Texas and be used anywhere in Texas. Texas law states a marriage license will expire 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. 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, possible name changes as well as adding your spouse. 

For Your Wedding Ceremony here at St. Theresa's                                                          

16. Please review our Covid-19 Related Procedures for having your wedding here. Be sure you are OK with all of these before booking your wedding. Always check back in with these procedures as they are updated as the pandemic changes. 

17. One month before your wedding, you will be assigned a Wedding Coordinator who will 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. They are paid directly by you (a stipend of $200 and $250 for Holiday Weekends - check, cash, or Venmo) on the day of 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 the rehearsal. 

18. Begin looking at the Wedding Pre-Rehearsal Form to help with the planning of your wedding and email it to Patrick Miral and your Wedding Coordinator one month prior to 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, 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 reach out to you with information regarding music for your wedding.   All weddings celebrated within Mass are required to 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.  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 and the Wedding Music Samples Website 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 saved for your wedding reception, while sacred music supports your wedding ceremony.                         

20. Consider whether or not you want to live stream 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 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. If you expect a high-quality video, you should consider hiring a professional videographer.

21. Please review the Floral Decor and Photography and Videography forms under the Various Marriage Preparation Forms and Links. Inform Pinky Rose Concepcion and Mary Ann Virgilio regarding your Floral arrangements - see 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 in which 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 in the dressing/waiting rooms. Your wedding coordinator can lock valuables up if needed. No alcohol is permitted in the dressing areas, outside, or anywhere on the Church grounds.