“Where love is, God is.” – 1 John 4:15
If you have clicked on this item on our menu, it probably means you are considering marriage or have become engaged. Congratulations!
We are delighted you are considering Blessed Sacrament Church for your wedding, and we look forward to helping you prepare for this very special day.
Please call the parish office at least six months in advance of intended marriage. Please do not set any dates until the priest performing the ceremony has been consulted and the church is confirmed as available!
In the Catholic tradition, marriage is a sacrament. The bride and groom contract their marriage in the presence of God and of the community of faith, and become a holy sign of Christ’s love for the Church and of God’s faithful love for the world.
For a marriage to be sacramental, a baptized man and a baptized woman, at least one being Catholic:
- freely enter into a vowed commitment of respect, reverence and love
- make this promise for a lifetime
- promise fidelity to each other
- desire that their love be blessed with children and make the commitment to pass on the gift of faith to their children.
Thus the sacrament of marriage becomes a way of life and not just the ceremony on your wedding day. God in Christ is the center of your relationship “in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health.”
Please review the information below, as well as our Marriage Guidelines located in this PDF: Marriage in the Church – BSC Guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we schedule a wedding at Blessed Sacrament?
Weddings are generally scheduled on Saturdays, no later than 3pm (weddings are not celebrated during Lent, the 6 weeks prior to Easter). The engaged couple needs to discuss available dates directly with one of the parish priests, especially if seeking a day or time other than Saturday. PLEASE do not finalize plans for a reception site until you are sure you have a date set at the church.
What do we need to do to prepare for our marriage?
Several things are helpful and/or required to be married at Blessed Sacrament:
- Pray with each other and for each other, and attend Sunday Mass regularly.
- An initial meeting with a priest to provide you with basic information, to determine your freedom to marry in the Church, and to finalize your wedding date. Several meetings with the priest are required.
- The Diocese of Savannah requires every couple to be married to participate in some formal program of marriage preparation, sometimes called “Pre-Cana.” These programs are designed to help a couple deepen their understanding of the essential human and Christian aspects of the marriage covenant. To register, please contact the parish office. A schedule of other marriage preparation programs around the area are available from the parish office or through the website of the Diocese of Savannah. Helpful links: https://diosav.org/familylife-marriage-preparation OR https://diosav.org/familylife-programs.
- Every couple is required to take the FOCCUS Inventory, a tool that facilitates couple communication and mutual understanding on a variety of topics related to marriage. It requires an initial 45- to 60-minute session to take the Inventory, and then one or more follow-up meetings with a facilitator once a couple profile is generated from it. Arrangements for this Inventory will be made with the priest at the initial meeting with him.
- Attend and complete a course in Natural Family Planning (to sign up, go to the Diocesan website: https://diosav.org/familylife-nfp). For more information, see also the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website: http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning/what-is-nfp/index.cfm
- Certain paperwork is required by the Diocese of Savannah as well, and will be completed in due time during the preparation process with the priest preparing you for your marriage
- Music is a large part of your Nuptial Mass celebration. In preparing for your wedding, please contact Tim Remsen, the parish music director, for help in selecting music. Email: Tim Remsen
Given these needed steps, the parish has set a period of at least six months from the first meeting with the priest to the wedding ceremony itself. If either party has been married before, whether or not they are Catholic, they must receive a declaration of nullity before a wedding date can be set, which may increase this six month period.
FOR MORE DETAILS ON OUR MARRIAGE NOTES/POLICIES
Please print/download the attached *pdf: