Enquiry Stage
To know about all essential information about your catholic marriage, please come to our parish office at St Gabriel’s Church, 390b Northolt Road, South Harrow and ask for an appointment with the parish. You can also email us using our parish email: harrowsouth@rcdow.org.uk to get an appointment. Your email of enquiry should contain your names and addresses with contact details, stating your religious affiliation, whether you have ever been married before, and the proposed date (approximately) for the wedding. you should enquire no less than six months before the proposed wedding date.
In order to celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony in the Catholic Church, at least one of you must be a Catholic and worshiping at our parish churches. If you do not normally worship at St Gabriel’s Church, South Harrow or St Bernard’s Church, Northolt, please state the name of the parish where you normally attend Mass because you need to get a written permission to get marry in our places.
Please do not make any plans for a reception venue and date before your meeting with the parish priest.
Essential Documents
- A letter from your local parish priest confirming that he has no objection to you being married in this church.
- Declaration of Freedom to Marry for each party, notarised by a Commissioner for Oaths (Solicitor).
- A currently-dated baptismal certificate from the church where you were baptised (not older than 6 months).
- Marriage Enquiry From available at the parish office to be filled in front of the parish priest.
- Marriage Schedule from your local Registry office. These must be applied for as soon as possible and not less than fifteen days before the wedding. without this marriage schedule, the wedding cannot take place without them.
- A Marriage Course certificate.
Marriage Preparation Course
Your wedding should be the culmination of much prayer and reflection. Your priest will guide you in this process. To assist you in this, it is required that both of you attend a Couple’s Course in a parish near to you or available online Marriage course.
The Wedding Ceremony: Order of Service
Your discussion with the priest will cover:
(a) Whether the priest of the parish or another priest will be leading the ceremony, and if another priest or a minister from a non-Catholic ecclesial community will have some part in the ceremony.
(b) The form of the ceremony (e.g. whether the ceremony is to be a [Nuptial] Mass or not. Bear in mind that if one of the parties is not a Catholic, he or she is not able to receive Holy Communion, in which case a Nuptial Mass may not be appropriate, and can only be allowed with the permission of the bishop.
(c) You need to decide whether or not you are going to have a printed Order of Service. The wording of any Order of Service will be provided.
(d) Readings:
The possible choice of readings will be given to you by the priest.
(e) Hymns and Music:
You can choose up to three hymns if you wish, and the priest can advise on this and on options for other music. We have a Director of Music who will be happy to help, and who would normally play the organ, unless another arrangement is requested. Fees for musicians are arranged with the Director of Music. Please bear in mind that in choosing music no secular music is allowed.
(f) Witnesses:
You will require two witnesses. They will sign the civil Marriage Registers on the wedding day. They do not necessarily need to be the Best Man or senior Bridesmaid or parents of the spouses. Their names and addresses are required for the Marriage Register. Witnesses need to be able to be present throughout the ceremony.
Rehearsal
This is normally held a few days prior to the wedding. It would be helpful if the Bridesmaid, the Best Man and the Bride’s escort along with the reader/s could also be present. The date will be arranged with the priest. All fees and disbursements for the wedding should be settled at or before the rehearsal. A wedding cannot be conducted until these practical matters are in order.
Wedding Fees
The clergy will explain the documentation fees (both parish and diocese); authorized person; and donation to the Church. When you meet the parish priest to arrange your marriage in our church, you will receive detailed information about the donation to the church for your wedding.
Flowers:
It is possible to “make do” with the flowers in church that are prepared each week. However, it may also be possible for the flower teams at both churches to help with flowers. Please ask the priest for details. You can employ your own florist, who will need to make arrangements with the parish about how to proceed.
Photography:
Please make your own arrangements, but discuss this with the priest before making definite plans. The priest will advise you about rules for photographs. Video recording is not normally allowed.