Fr. Robert K. Rien, Administrator, the Pastoral Staff, and the parishioners of St. Ignatius of Antioch Parish welcome you as you prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony!

This brochure will introduce you to the process for planning and celebrating your wedding at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church. This is a serious process, which is designed to enable you to celebrate this most important step in your life in the fullest possible way. Your cooperation and wholehearted participation in the process is vital. The following steps are to be accomplished during the six month period of time before your wedding:

1. Interview with the priest or deacon who will preside at your wedding.
   Together you will review the process for getting married at St. Ignatius of Antioch. At this meeting you will be given:
   
   • A copy of the booklet “Together For Life.” You will use this booklet to plan the various aspects of your wedding liturgy with your presider.
     
   • Fill out and return the following documents:
     
     • Form A Questionnaire for both the bride and groom, regarding each one’s freedom to marry in the Church.
       
     • Form B Witness questionnaire regarding the couple’s freedom to marry in the Church.

2. Baptismal Certificate: Catholics must obtain a new copy of their baptismal certificate, issued not less than six months previous to the date of the marriage ceremony.
3. Secure a California State Marriage License The Marriage License is issued at the County Clerk’s Office in Martinez and is good for 90 days. No blood test is required.
4. Set up an appointment to take the PREPARE Inventory: This is arranged through the parish office at St. Bonaventure Church in Concord, 925-672-5800. After the couple fills out the inventory in the St. Bonaventure Parish Office, a counselor from the Clayton Valley Counseling Service will call to set up four meetings to discuss the results of the inventory. A fee of $395.00, made out to “Clayton Valley Counseling” is paid directly to the counselor.
5. Arrange for Spiritual Preparation: Engaged couples may take advantage of one of two possible courses of spiritual preparation.
   
   • The Diocese of Oakland Evenings for Weekend for the Engaged; arranged by calling the Diocese at 510-893-4711
   
   
   • The Engaged Couples Weekend at St. Bonaventure Church under the direction of Sylvia and Deacon Bill Gall. Please contact them at 925-672-4133.

6. Contact Mathew Gibson to begin planning your music: Matt is Director of Music and Organist at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church. Music planning and the selection of both music and musicians must begin with him. Matt may be contacted at the parish office at 925-778-0768.
7. Final Meeting With Your Presider You will meet again with your priest or deacon approximately one month before your wedding date to review and finalize the wedding liturgy. You will schedule this appointment directly with the presider.

The pre-marital preparation program at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church is two-fold:

1. Couples participate in a counseling program know as PREPARE and


2. Couples participate in a spiritual preparation program through an Engaged Couples’ Weekend, either at St. Bonaventure Church in Concord or a similar experience sponsored by the Diocese of Oakland.

The PREPARE process begins with an inventory. The bride and groom-to-be will each respond separately to a 145 question inventory about various aspects of a marriage relationship. About two weeks after the inventory is completed, a counselor from the Clayton Valley Counseling Service will contact the couple to arrange four meetings during which areas of the relationship, such as communication, conflict resolution and personality issues, will be examined and discussed. These areas will be explored as possible strengths or areas of potential growth within the relationship.

This is an important opportunity to explore specific aspects of the relationship with professional counselors.

The cost of the PREPARE process, including the inventory, the printout of the results and the four counseling sessions is $395.00.

Your check is due at the time of your first meeting with your counselor. Please make your check payable to “Clayton Valley Counseling.”
 

The Engaged Couples’ Weekend allows participants to respond fully and personally to God’s call to a Catholic marriage. The program presents the beauty and dignity of the Sacrament of Matrimony as a sign of Christ’s love according to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Held throughout the year on selected weekends at St. Bonaventure, the specially trained married couples from the parish conduct the program. The weekends begin on Friday evening from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and continue on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Topics include Family of Origin, Love as a Decision, Communication, God in Marriage, and the Sacrament of Matrimony. In each session the sharing of the teams is followed by carefully prepared questions, which provide the engaged couples with an opportunity to deepen their relationship in particular areas. Each member of the couple is asked to answer the questions individually, to share these answers with the intended spouse and then to spend time in loving discussion. Afterward, all members of the group come together with the team to discuss the topics. This group discussion provides an opportunity for further discovery, while always respecting the privacy of the participants.

The cost for this program is $150.00 per couple and includes all materials and lunch on both Saturday and Sunday. Contact Sylvia and Deacon Bill Gall to arrange.

The Diocese of Oakland offers a similar Engaged Couples’ Weekend and the schedule may be obtained by calling the Chancery Office at 510-893-4711. The cost of this program varies depending upon whether the couple selects to participate in a “commuter’s weekend” or a residential/retreat style setting.
 

Arrangements for music at your wedding are to be made between you and Matt Gibson, the Director of Music and Organist at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church. He will guide you in the selection of music appropriate for the wedding liturgy. Music within the tradition of the Church is always proper and fitting, however, other genres of music may be appropriate and should be discussed and reviewed with him during the planning process.

The services of Matt should be reserved as soon as is practicable; six months to one year is not uncommon. The fee is arranged between yourself and him but the stipend is normally $150.00 and includes the planning session, organ and or piano music the day of the wedding as well as arranging for a Cantor upon request. The stipend for the services of the Cantor/Soloist is also $150.00.

Please contact Matt through the Parish Office at 925-778-0768
 

The Wedding Coordinator insures a smooth and beautiful wedding day for you both as well as your family and guests. The Wedding Coordinator will be present at the wedding rehearsal and on the day of the wedding will prepare the church, make sure the procession goes smoothly, and attend to the church following the ceremony. The Wedding Coordinator at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church is Mr. Steve Rojek. His stipend is $100.00.
 

Please be aware when selecting your wedding date that the church has seasonal environments and will be “dressed” accordingly. The liturgical colors used in the environment of the church vary, depending upon the liturgical season. For example: purple/blue during Advent; white/gold/red/green during the Christmas-Epiphany Season; purple during Lent; white/gold during the Easter Season; red for Pentecost; and various shades of green for Ordinary Time. The seasonal environment may not be changed.
 

Floral arrangements are welcome in the sanctuary and we ask that you keep the following in mind:

Floral arrangements remain at church after your wedding for use during the weekend liturgies. Your flowers are a “thanksgiving” gift to God for the celebration of your marriage and new life together as a couple.

The church provides flower stands. They match the environment of the church and come in varying heights. You do not need to rent them.
 

St. Ignatius of Antioch Church allows only the burning of beeswax candles – no paraffin candles will be allowed. Two seven branched candelabras will be placed on either side of the crucifix and candles at the altar will be lighted if the wedding liturgy includes the celebration of Eucharist. No florist candelabras may be used.
 

No tape may be used to fix flowers or ribbons to the ends of the pews. Ribbons may be tied around the tops of the pews. Florists are also able to supply pew clips which will hold arrangements of flowers and ribbons on the pews.

No swags or cloth, gauze or ribbon may be placed from pew to pew, blocking entrance or exit to the seating from the main or any other aisles in the church.

Aisle runners of any kind may not be used because of liability insurance, safety issues and the difficulty of attaching the aisle runner to the carpet.
 

The practice of throwing anything before, during, or after the ceremony is not permitted due to insurance risks, safety factors and clean-up problems. The parish does not have a janitor or a janitorial service. It is the responsibility of the couple getting married to inform their guests of this church policy.
 

Since we do not have a specific Bride’s Room, you must arrive at the church dressed and ready to celebrate your wedding liturgy.
 

Your photographer needs to be advised that he/she may have 30 to 45 minutes inside the church for a photo session following your ceremony. The length of time allowed is determined by the schedule of other liturgies that may follow your ceremony. After that, photographs may continue outside the church, at the grotto, or at another place on the parish grounds.
 

No alcohol of any kind is allowed at the church before rehearsals or on the day of the wedding itself. Couples are reminded that alcohol intake before rehearsals can seriously affect the smooth running of the rehearsal and this will, indeed, also affect the wedding itself. The love, expense, and planning that goes into both the rehearsal and the wedding can fall apart due to alcohol consumption. Couples are advised to make their wedding party aware of this potential problem.
 

The church is opened to your use one hour before your wedding. The bride and her attendants arrive no later than 15 minutes before the ceremony. The groom and groomsmen/ushers need to arrive one hour before the ceremony. This allows for photographs to be taken of the groom and groomsmen before guests arrive. This is also the time to finalize any special instructions to both groomsmen and ushers. Guests begin to arrive at least one half hour before the ceremony and will need to be seated.
 

No late weddings. All liturgies must start on time. The parish schedule may include other liturgies on the same day and out of respect for them, we need to be on time.

All services that start 15 minutes late will be charged a Late Fee. The Late Fee of $100.00 is part of the church’s wedding fee and will be refunded if the wedding starts promptly.

If a Wedding Mass is 15 or more minutes late, only a Wedding Service without Mass will be celebrated. If services are unduly late, no pictures will be allowed after the service.

The Wedding Candle – The Wedding Candle is not a part of the Roman Catholic Church’s Rite of Marriage. Its use would be better suited at the wedding reception at either the Head Table or the Cake Table, being lighted as a part of the Grace before the Wedding Meal reception.

Memorial Shrines – A column or table may be prepared to hold a photograph of a recently deceased love one, a votive candle and vase for flowers.

Eucharistic Ministers – During the wedding liturgy that includes Eucharist, the bride and groom may serve as Eucharistic Ministers, administering the Blood of Christ to their family and friends or they may invite two other Extraordinary Ministers of Communion to assist the Presider in the distribution of Holy Communion.

No Reception Line – Because of the limited time available for wedding pictures and other possible scheduled services, no wedding reception line is allowed in the narthex (entrance) of the church at the conclusion of the wedding.
 

Floral arrangements need to arrive no less than one hour before the wedding liturgy. Floral Arrangements normally remain at the church following the liturgy as a part of your thanksgiving to God for the gift of your new life together in marriage. The flowers will be placed by the Wedding Coordinator as well as assisting the groomsmen and groom and other members of the bridal party and family members with the pinning of all flowers on those participating in the ceremony. The florist should be advised to clearly label all flowers.
 

The Wedding Coordinator will work with the photographer/videographer and answer any questions. No flash photography is allowed during the wedding liturgy and the liturgy must not be interrupted in any way.
 

The Wedding Coordinator oversees the ushering of guests, making sure seating is going smoothly. The Coordinator also judges the time factor with the presider and family to make sure the wedding liturgy proceeds on time.
 

The groomsmen or ushers are invited by the groom and bride to escort the grandparents and parents if they are not in the formal liturgical procession. Otherwise, they wait with the wedding party to begin the procession in the narthex (entryway) of the church.
 

PREPARE inventory, printout of materials and four sessions
With counselor: $395.00
Check made out to “Clayton Valley Counseling” and payable at first counseling session.

Spiritual Preparation Fee
The Spiritual Preparation Fee shall be paid directly to Deacon Bill Gall if you select the program at St. Bonaventure Church: $150.00

If you select the Diocesan program, the fee will vary and is paid at the time of registration.

St. Ignatius of Antioch Church
The following fees are to be paid one month prior to the wedding date. The fees should all be included in one check made out to “St. Ignatius of Antioch Church”

Stipend to the Church $350.00 (Includes $100.00 Late Fee)*
Stipend to the Presider $100.00
Stipend to the Organist $150.00
Stipend to the Wedding Coordinator $100.00
Total: $700.00

* The $100.00 Late Fee is added if the wedding or quincenera begins more than 15 minutes late. The Late Fee is refunded if the wedding or quincenera begins on time.