Thank you for inquiring about weddings at Saint Patrick Basilica.
The matrimonial covenant, by which a man and a woman establish between themselves a partnership of the whole of life, is by its nature ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and the education of offspring; this covenant between baptized persons has been raised by Christ the Lord to the dignity of a sacrament” (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
In order to assist you, here are some answers to the questions most frequently asked regarding celebrating the Sacrament of Matrimony at our Basilica.
Once you email us informing us of your plans to marry, we are going to ask you two questions.
The first is: have either of you been married before?
The second is: are either of you – or one of you – registered parishioner(s) of the Basilica.
If one or both of you have been married before (including a non-religious civil marriage) we will refer you to the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. We cannot reserve a date until we receive permission from the Chancery to proceed.
If neither of you have been married before, we will proceed to the next step.
One of you must be registered at Saint Patrick at least six months prior to our initial contact. If you are not registered, we will ask for a letter of permission from your pastor. Everyone automatically belongs to a parish – either through residence or registration. If you are not registered here, you will need to be in contact with the parish whose boundaries you live in. We can provide assistance in obtaining this letter.
If you are a registered parishioner(s) at Saint Patrick Basilica or reside within our boundary and are getting married in another parish within the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall, please contact us for a letter of permission. We will require the parish of the wedding, along with the planned date. The parish where you are being married will be responsible for marriage preparation and the completion of the marriage file. If you are planning to get married in another Diocese, we are responsible for the preparation and completion of the file. Please contact us for more information.
At the very least, you should be contacting us six (6) months prior to the date you are considering. Once we agree on a date, we will send you an application and contract form which needs to be completed and returned along with a deposit of three-hundred dollars ($300). This reserves the date and time that you have requested.
Weddings normally take place on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. They cannot be celebrated any later than this as we have the celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist later on Saturday afternoon. Weddings can take place earlier on Saturday or on other days of the week (weddings never take place on Sunday), always respecting our regular schedule of Masses and Confessions.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSE – You will be encouraged to enroll in and complete a Marriage Preparation Course as soon as possible. This is a mandatory requirement of the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. Course information and dates are available on the website of the Archdiocese (www.archoc.ca). We encourage you to enter into this preparation with open hearts and minds. May it be a time of blessings for you both. A certificate of completion will be kept in your wedding file.
CERTIFICATE OF BAPTISM – Catholics are required to contact the place of their baptism to obtain a new and recent certificate dated within 6 months of your wedding. Other Christians are only required to obtain an original baptismal certificate.
FOCCUS – You will be asked to complete a FOCCUS marriage inventory as part of the preparation. The parish is responsible for providing you with the information. The results will be discussed with you with the presider during the period leading up to the wedding.
AFFIDAVIT – You will be sent an affidavit to be completed by your parent(s) or some other person who have known you for some time and who can testify to your freedom to marry in the Catholic Church. Once completed, they need to be returned to the parish office to be including in your wedding file.
INTERVIEW – You will plan on at least one – and possibly more – interview(s) with the presider of the marriage. This includes gathering the information requested from you and required for the marriage file , discussing your FOCCUS results, and answering any questions you may have regarding the liturgy.
MARRIAGE LICENSE – This may be obtained from the City of Ottawa or any neighbouring communities in the Province of Ontario. A marriage license must be acquired and provided to our office at least three weeks in advance of your wedding date. At that time, you will also be asked for the remaining balance of your wedding fee; eight hundred (800) dollars.
VISITING CLERGY – The Rector or Associate Rector at the Basilica presides and preaches at all weddings. If you would like a priest or deacon who may be a relative or friend to assist at the wedding, he is warmly welcome. If the clergy is outside of the Archdiocese, they will need to provide documentation from their Bishop.
THE WEDDING LITURGY – You will be invited to meet with the priest or deacon (the presider) in order to plan the liturgy to their marriage. You will be given some guidelines as well as a preparation booklet which includes sample readings.
For Catholics, marriage is a Sacrament. For this reason, the marriage must take place in the church building. For two Catholics getting married, the marriage ceremony may take place within the Mass, unless particular circumstances indicate otherwise. When one of the couple is not Catholic or not baptized, a Liturgy of the Word is celebrated.
MUSIC- The celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage is a sacred liturgical event that requires the use of only sacred music. Our Director of Music will be happy to show you many options for suitable sacred music and assist you to make your selections. Songs from movies, TV shows or stage productions find no place in the wedding liturgy. Favourite songs, meaningful to the bride and groom would be better suited for the wedding reception. Note that music must be live and not pre-recorded. Click here for a list of Wedding Music Links. Click here for Wedding music Suggestions
FLOWERS - are welcome, but must never impede the approach to, or the viewing of the Altar, Ambo (the place that the readings are read from), table for signing of the registration form or any of the ritual movement and action. Flowers may be placed in front of (but never upon) the Altar. A floral arrangement may be placed in front of the Ambo. The arrangements must never exceed the height of the Altar. Setting up stands and vases elsewhere in the area near the Altar and Ambo needs to be discussed and approved well before the wedding day.
DECORATIONS - For pew bows, all arrangements are to be attached to the ends of pews by hanging them over the ends of each pew with ribbon, elastic or string. All tacks and tapes of any form are strictly prohibited.
For safety reasons, the use of candles (other than those provided by the Church) is not permitted.
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO - The liturgy during which you celebrate your marriage is a sacred moment of rejoicing in prayer, song and gesture. While we understand your desire to record this moment, we ask you to observe the following so that the sacred joy of this day will not be marred by photo and recording equipment and those who operate it: there are designated areas that the photographers will be allowed. They must check with our wedding coordinator thirty (30) minutes prior to the ceremony on the day of the wedding. After the wedding, provided there is no conflict with other scheduled liturgies, the grounds on either side of the Basilica may be available for other pictures. Couples requesting these post-wedding photo opportunities must request this well in advance to confirm.
REHEARSAL - The rehearsal is usually held either two nights before or the evening prior to the wedding or at another mutually agreed time. It requires the attendance of the couple, the attendants, the ushers, the Readers and the parents of the bride and groom, and anyone else involved in the celebration. Everyone needs to be on time for the rehearsal as being late inconveniences many people. There may be other liturgies or commitments scheduled in our church, and so punctuality is an important courtesy.
It is equally important that everyone be on time for the wedding. Remember, it is neither fashionable nor polite for the bride and or the groom to arrive late. It shows a lack of respect for the community gathered for the wedding. The wedding party is asked to arrive at least 40 minutes in advance.
CONFETTI - Confetti, rice, flower petals or birdseed is a serious janitorial problem, can be dangerous for those entering and exiting the church, and an environmental concern. Their use inside or outside the Basilica is forbidden.
We look forward to working with your wedding planner should you choose to have one. Please ask that they contact us in advance of the rehearsal/wedding.
In short, you will need the following:
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions regarding marriages here at Saint Patrick Basilica. We look forward to hearing from you. Our email is: [email protected]
“How, then, does one cure this fear of the “forever”? One cures it day by day, by entrusting oneself to the Lord Jesus in a life that becomes a daily spiritual journey, made in steps — little steps, steps of shared growth.”
Pope Francis, Address to engaged couples preparing for marriage, 2014