Massachusetts marriage licence
This document is issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Give them a call before you go to find out what documents you need in order to get a license. Do not wait until the last minute to get a license! You cannot get married in this church without a license. The license should be given to the person who will run your wedding rehearsal. The marriage license is good for 90 days after it is issued.

Donations and Fees
At Sacred Heart Parish, the customary offering is $300.00. The offering made for a wedding is placed in the general operating expenses of the parish. It is not retained by the presiding clergy.

The usual donation for altar servers is $10 for each server. All donations and fees should be given to the rehearsal coordinator at the wedding rehearsal.

Parish musicians are contracted separately by you. Please see section Securing Musicians for Your Wedding for further information.

Clean Up
You must collect any personal items and ensure that the church is to be returned to its original setting. Pew markers, runners, etc. must be picked up. Your wedding is one of several other activities for which the church is used on a given weekend. (Masses, Baptisms, etc.)

Wedding Date
The customary church of marriage is that of the bride, but it may be performed at the church of either the bride or the groom. If the bride or the groom is not Catholic, the proper church of marriage is that of the Catholic party. No wedding date may be set before the couple has met with the priest or deacon of their choice. Archdiocesan policy states that a one year notice is required to ensure enough time for preparation. The date and time of the wedding should be discussed with the priest or deacon at the initial meeting.

In accord with the ancient tradition of the Church, and in order for us to live out the themes of the Church’s liturgical year, Sacred Heart Parish does not encourage weddings or baptisms during the penitential season of Lent (Ash Wednesday through Holy Thursday). If you must have your wedding during the season, please bear in mind that there is a ban on flowers and decorations during Lent.

Wedding Time
Weddings usually are scheduled for 5:30 pm on Saturdays. Other times are available, based on clergy and facility schedules.

We ask that you please respect your guests and the parish staff by arriving early and being prepared to start on time. Your guests will make it a point to arrive before the liturgy begins. The entire wedding party and immediate families should do likewise. With a shortage of priests, the parish staff has many other commitments during the day in addition to your wedding. Arriving late is not “fashionable.” It is rude to all who gather to celebrate the sacrament with you.

How Long Will the Wedding Liturgy Last?
Your wedding celebration, whether with Mass or the Rite of Marriage and Liturgy of the Word will take approximately 45-60 minutes.

Interfaith Wedding
If yours is an ecumenical (interfaith) wedding, a minister of another faith is welcome to join the priest in presiding. It would be important that the priest and the visiting minister discuss beforehand the different parts that each would be taking.

You have the option of including the Mass in your wedding celebration, even if it is an interfaith marriage. The decision to have or not to have a Mass should never be automatic, but should be carefully considered in light of your faith, the families, and the guests involved. As a prayer and a sign of unity, the Mass is unexcelled, but the reception of Communion may be a sign of disunity and a source of embarrassment for people of non-Catholic faiths. In the case of a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic, you may decide that it might be more appropriate not to have Mass, but rather to celebrate the Rite of Marriage, since half of the congregation cannot fully participate in communion.