Marriage Preparation in the Roman Catholic Church

1. All Catholics are required to have their wedding vows take place in the presence of one of the persons’ bishop or one of the persons’ pastor or deacon, and in the presence of two witnesses. For a wedding to take place in the presence of a minister other than the persons’ Catholic bishop, pastor, or deacon, or in a non-Catholic church building proper permission from one of the persons’ bishop is required.
   
   
2. The wedding is to take place in the parish where either the Catholic groom or the Catholic bride resides or is a registered member. For a wedding to take place in another parish, the permission of one of the persons’ pastors is required.
   
   
3. For a Catholic person to marry a person of a different faith (Christian or non-Christian), proper permission from the Catholic person’s bishop is required.
   
   
4. Preparation is to be done in the parish where either the Catholic groom or the Catholic bride resides or is a registered member. For preparation to be done by any other parish, permission of one of the persons’ pastors is required.
   
   
5. Preparation is to be done according to the particular law of the Diocese in which one or both persons reside. (i.e. the Diocese of Sioux City requires six-months of preparation before the wedding ceremony that includes meetings with the pastor and Sponsor Couple). This preparation ensures that the couple is free, ready, and able to commit themselves to the holy bonds of Sacred Matrimony. The persons preparing the couple have the right to delay the celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony until the couple demonstrates readiness and capability that includes proper understanding of the commitment they plan to enter. Time is also needed to allow for the proper permissions to be granted, especially when persons live in another Diocese or another parish and plan to be married in a parish they are not members of. Extra preparation is required for persons: (a) entering a second marriage after the death of the first spouse or declaration of the invalidity of the first marriage by a Church Tribunal, (b) who are cohabitating, and (c) due to other circumstances (i.e. pre-marital pregnancy, marriage attempted in violation of the Church’s teaching of marriage, etc.).
   
   
6. If possible, Catholics are to be confirmed before entering into marriage.
   
   
7. For more information, please contact your parish priest.