All the days of my life…
Contact the Parish Office at least six months prior to your intended wedding date. Our priest and staff at St. Alphonsus are here to assist you as you approach your wedding day and spend your days as an engaged couple preparing. Please refer to the wedding preparation guidelines below for additional info.
Priority is given to parishioners; however, we do accept a limited number of non-parishioners based upon availability and our ability to accommodate.
Marriage Prep Requirements
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Topics to Cover
-Determine Freedom to Marry
-Discuss Marriage Preparation Process
-Complete “A” Form
-Schedule Wedding Date
-Discuss Preparation Fee
-Receive books used in preparation
Schedule a meeting with Fr. Christopher here -
A deposit fee of $500 is due for all weddings
Wedding preparation with celebration at St. Alphonsus (Parishioner of St. Al’s): $500-Weddings conducted non-affiliated with St. Alphonsus (non-parishioner): $2,000
Prep at St. Alphonsus/wedding at another parish: $300
NOTE:
$500 deposit is required to secure your chosen wedding date at St. Alphonsus.
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-Completing an online relationship assessment. Your custom codes/link will be emailed to you from “FOCCUS” within one week of your initial meeting. (Please be sure to check your SPAM)
-Scheduling your Inventory Review Session once you have finished your inventory. This is meeting is with the priest of Marriage Engagement Coordinator. We contact you once we receive your results.
Schedule a Meeting with the Priest or Marriage Engagement Coordinator
Priest Meeting Click | Marriage Engagement Coordinator Click-Attending additional sessions if needed
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Couples have the option to attend one or both of the following: Pre-Cana Wedding Retreat in the Diocese of Grand Rapids and/or complete a class on Natural Family Planning with the engagement coordinator.
-Pre Cana retreats allow couples to enter more fully into the sacrament of marriage while being surrounded by others in the area who are in the same process.
-Natural Family Planning teaches the couple the importance of knowing where a woman is in her cycle in order to grow in overall awareness of health and fertility.
List of Pre-Cana Retreats: Diocese of Grand Rapids List
Please email Mary msutarik@stalphonsusgr.org to share your plans for attending either one or both of the following options above.
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-Meet with the Music Director to determine who will do music and the selection of music.
-Select the readings and complete this form for the priest/officiant: Form Submission -
It is such a gift to enter into the Sacrament of Marriage knowing the gift of God's forgiveness. For this reason, couples are encouraged to go to confession before their wedding.
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-Couples will be contacted by our Wedding Coordinator when they are within one month of their wedding date to discuss specific details for your ceremony.
-Arrangements will be made to schedule a date to meet at the church to prepare and rehearse for the wedding.
Note:
-If you are getting married on Saturday, your rehearsal will be Friday (the day before the wedding) at 5 p.m.
-If you are getting married on a Friday, your rehearsal will be Thursday (the day before) at 5 p.m.
-These times are negotiable.-If a change is necessary to the rehearsal date, you will be notified in advance.
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During the engagement retreat, you will receive a brief overview of Natural Family Planning.
We highly recommend taking a full course in NFP in order to learn more about the beauty, truth and goodness of the female body before, during and after pregnancy.
From our experience, both men and women learn so much from these courses and walk away with a greater understanding of the complementarity of both the female and male body.
Courses typically take place over a 3-5 month time period. Different courses look at different biomarkers (cervical mucus, LH strips, basal body temp, etc).
Full Class Options:
Couples to Couples League - Sympto-Thermal Method
FEMM - Cervical Mucus + LH Testing - Book Online Class with Mary
NaPro/Creighton - Cervical Mucus
Marquette Method
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We believe that full flourishing comes from healing the body, mind and soul.
Below is a list of Catholic Counselors who might be helpful for you individually and/or as a couple as you prepare for engagement or during marriage.
Franciscan Life Process Center
Other Resources