Dear newly engaged couple:

Congratulations on your engagement! We are honored and take seriously the responsibility of helping prepare you for a joy filled and lifelong marriage. Planning a wedding liturgy with a reception and rehearsal dinner can be an overwhelming task. You’ve probably found more than enough resources for planning a wedding. They are not hard to find: florists, photographers, the city newspapers, and many others are putting out many different guides to wedding planning these days.

While all of those are fine in their own way, it seems appropriate that the Church should offer both guidelines and support in planning a wedding so that it is truly an experience of faith and worship. Rather than approach the wedding first from the point of view of flowers, photos, clothing and other commercial concerns, we would like for you to be able to approach your wedding from the basic understanding that the Church has of marriage, that is, a sacrament.

In essence you are promising to love each other in the way that Christ loves His bride, the Church – in a total, free, faithful, and fruitful way. The following links are meant to be a guide and support to help you in that approach. Read it well and become familiar with the thoughts and ideas expressed. They will be important to you in your preparations for the meaningful celebration of the Sacrament of Matrimony.

 

God Bless,

Fr. Dustin Schultz