Preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony

The first step is to schedule a meeting with a priest, deacon, or pastoral minister at your local parish. This should be done 6 to 12 months before your anticipated wedding date and before you make any other arrangements for the wedding or reception. During this meeting, you will receive an explanation of the process and be asked to provide necessary documents for your pre-nuptial file.

Important Note: If either person has been married before (civilly or religiously), no wedding date can be set until a Declaration of Nullity is finalized and any restrictions are removed. You should contact your parish priest to begin the annulment process.

Your preparing minister will use a variety of methods to determine your readiness for marriage. This includes completing a prenuptial questionnaire (Form A), witness forms (Form B), and a pre-marital inventory (e.g. Fully Engaged, FOCCUS, Prepare/Enrich).

A wedding date can only be finalized after this initial assessment is complete and you have been approved to proceed with sacramental preparation.

After a date is set, your minister will outline the required instruction process. This includes participating in a marriage formation program or course. It is normal to meet with a mentor/sponsor couple who will accompany you and your future spouse in this formation process. If your parish doesn’t offer one, you can attend a Diocesan Pre-Cana program or an approved online course.

Finally, you will plan your wedding liturgy with the preparing minister. This involves selecting scriptures, music, and other parts of the ceremony.

The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life has released a new document to help pastors and couples prepare for and live out the Sacrament of Marriage. This document provides a fresh approach to marriage preparation, covering every stage of the journey: the times of preparation for marriage, of its celebration and of the following years, especially when the spouses could go through crises and moments of discouragement.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery, explains that the goal is to encourage a more continuous and supportive accompaniment for couples. The focus is on creating a network of families who can support one another, offering a “competent and concrete closeness” throughout a couple’s married life.

Read Document

The USCCB Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth provides comprehensive resources designed for pastoral leaders seeking to enrich the marriages and family lives within their community.

Go to Resources

• Fully Engaged
  Fully Engaged is a Catholic catechetical premarital inventory designed to help engaged couples solidify the foundation upon which they, together with Christ, will build their Sacrament of Marriage. Grounded in Church teaching and loaded with catechetical content, this dynamic premarital inventory is a trustworthy guide that meets the real challenges today’s couples face.

• FOCCUS
  FOCCUS Inc. USA, an apostolate of the Archdiocese of Omaha, was founded on the principle that communication and problem-solving are the keys to a successful marriage. FOCCUS Inc. USA provides resources and support for organizations and individuals who guide couples through marriage formation and who offer ongoing marriage enrichment and support. The programs and materials offered by FOCCUS Inc. USA are based on the Roman Catholic Faith and are available in accessible non-denominational formats.

• • Prepare/Enrich
    Prepare/Enrich is one of the most widely researched assessment tools. The questions are based on each couple’s unique background and are tailored for previous marriage, children, age, living arrangement, and more. The assessment will cover topics such as sexual expectations, natural family planning, and pornography. You can prepare couples for marriage with confidence by knowing you facilitated conversations the couple needs to have before the wedding day

If you’ve been married civilly for two or more years, this workshop is designed for you.

If you’ve been married civilly for less than two years, we recommend you attend a Pre-Cana Workshop instead.

• TOBET 4Engaged
  Theology of the Body Marriage Preparation Program is a flexible, holistic program that covers practical, down-to-earth topics in order to form couples to live healthy, holy marriages. It examines practical topics precisely through the lens of St. John Paul’s Theology of the Body. Couples develop familiarity with TOB themes and deepen their understanding of the “whys behind the whats” of the Catholic Church’s teaching on marriage and sexuality. Approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB)

• Transformed in Love
  Transformed in Love sacramental marriage preparation provides those in marriage ministry a timeless yet flexible resource to prepare engaged couples, and those who are civilly married seeking a convalidation, to build a solid foundation for their sacred and lifelong union; one built on Jesus Christ.

• Joy-filled Marriage
  Joy-Filled Marriage is a marriage preparation program designed to meet that challenge. This program offers a comprehensive approach to marriage preparation that covers not only the sacramentality and theology of marriage but the practical life skills necessary to live out the rich Catholic vision of marriage.

• BELOVED
  Beloved invites all couples to experience firsthand the wonder, mystery, and joy behind that first “I do” … whether you said it last year or many years ago. Beloved is comprised of two parts: The Mystery and Meaning of Marriage has 6 sessions and Living Marriage has 6 sessions. All 12 episodes can be used in Marriage Prep or for Marriage Enrichment. Just select your Leader and Couples Guides for “Preparation” or “Enrichment”.

• • Witness to Love
    Witness to Love is a virtues-based, Catechumenate model of marriage renewal and preparation that integrates modern principles of psychology and the virtues to help couples facilitate an authentic dialogue about their relationship

Luis Nieves
Director of Pastoral Ministry and Family Life
Laity, Family & Life
407-246-4882