St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Guidelines - Celebrating the Sacrament of Matrimony - Wedding Preparation Eligibility and Ceremony Steps

Sep 24, 2026

Upload by Levi

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church provides guidelines for couples preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony, including timelines for confirming eligibility 6–8 months prior, initiating the process via email, and reserving a wedding date through required church offerings or deposits with different donation tiers. The document outlines marriage preparation requirements such as pre-marital investigation scheduling, ceremony preparation steps 3–6 months ahead, and final program and overview forms 1–2 weeks before, plus contact roles, rehearsal arrangements, and practical rules for ceremony planning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages4

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Getting Started

Confirming eligibility and preferred wedding date

Church Offering and Reservation

Donation amounts and payment instructions

Marriage Preparation

Prenuptial investigation scheduling

Ceremony Preparation

Wedding music planning

Scripture readings and liturgy booklet

Marriage license application

Final Steps Before the Wedding

Ceremony overview form and program draft

Contacts and FAQs

Wedding ceremony options and permissions

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church Guidelines Celebrating the Sacrament of Matrimony Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! We at St. Mary Magdalene are here to support and guide you through your marriage and wedding preparation. Getting Started-conﬁrming eligibility 6-8 months prior to your wedding Follow the steps below to determine eligibility and conﬁrm your preferred wedding date and time. | Step | Action | | --- | --- | | 1 | Read these Marriage guidelines. | | 2 | [Email](Email weddings@stmm.net)[ ](Email weddings@stmm.net)[weddings@stmm.net](Email weddings@stmm.net) to begin the process. The wedding coordinator will reach out to you to discuss your date, ceremony, and next steps. | | 3 | Make a church offering or deposit to reserve your wedding date.
For participating and supporting members of StMM there is a donation of $300 for weddings or convalidations with a Liturgy of the Word or Nuptial Mass in the main church. This defrays expenses for your wedding, such as heat, air conditioning, lighting, maintenance, and to compensate those who help with setting up the facility for your day.
$150 donation should be made for smaller weddings and Convalidations in our Chapel.
For those who are non-contributing or non-members the donation is $800. Half the fee is due at booking and the remainder two months prior to your wedding.
Checks should be made payable to: St. Mary Magdalene Church
Mail checks to:
STMM
625 Magdala Place Apex, NC 27502
Attn: Julie Hoffman-please reference your wedding date | | 4 | Review the Marriage Preparation steps and contact the Marriage Prep Coordinator
Katie Lowell [katieannlowell@gmail.com](katieannlowell@gmail.com) | Note: The days and times for weddings at St. Mary Magdalene Church are: Saturdays at 11:00 am or 2:00 pm (with rehearsals on Friday evening, beginning at 5:00 pm) Friday Evenings (rehearsals on Thursday evening) Other days of the week may be available, but never Sundays Beginning your wedding preparation 4-6 months before your wedding | Step | Action | | --- | --- | | | Begin completing the necessary paperwork and schedule a Prenuptial Investigation with a StMM Priest or Deacon as outlined in the Marriage in the Diocese of Raleigh | Beginning your ceremony preparation 3-6 months before your wedding Follow the steps below to prepare for the wedding ceremony. | Step | Action | | --- | --- | | 1 | Contact Andrew Witchger, the Music Director to plan your wedding music.( [music@stmm.net](music@stmm.net))
Only contact outside musicians after receiving approval from the Music Director. The Music Director provides names of vocalists, cantors or instrumentalists that are available for consideration. Fees for all musicians are paid directly through the Music Director and are not set by the church. | | 2 | Choose Scripture reading selections from the Together for Life booklet the Wedding Coordinator gives you or view it online. The priest selects the other choices from the book. Note: The Together for Life booklet guides you through the wedding liturgy with choices of prayers and readings that are most often used in the wedding liturgy. | | 3 | Obtain a Marriage License Application from the Wake County [or any North Carolina County] Register of Deeds, available 60 days before your wedding. For information:
[http://wakegov.com/rod](http://wakegov.com/rod) or call (919) 856-5490 (both the bride and groom are required to be present together at the ROD oﬃce) . Bring your marriage license on the day of the wedding rehearsal and give it to the Wedding coordinator. The Priest returns it to the County. | Completing your ceremony preparation 1 month-two weeks before the wedding | Step | Action | | --- | --- | | 1 | Complete the Ceremony Overview form you receive from the wedding coordinator. | | 2 | Email the wedding coordinator to set a date/time to review the wedding details. | | 3 | Complete a draft of your wedding program (wor

FAQs

What are the recommended timing windows for eligibility and wedding preparation?

Eligibility should be confirmed 6–8 months prior to the wedding. Marriage preparation begins 4–6 months before, ceremony preparation is completed 3–6 months before, and final ceremony overview/program steps are done 1 month to two weeks prior.

How should couples reserve a wedding date and what donations apply?

Couples must make a church offering or deposit to reserve the date. Participating/supporting members typically donate $300 for certain ceremonies in the main church, $150 for smaller weddings/convalidations in the chapel, while non-contributing/non-members donate $800, with half due at booking and the remainder two months prior.

Can we have a private wedding planner or hire outside musicians?

Private wedding planners may help manage secular logistics but do not participate in church rehearsal or liturgy planning; the Wedding Coordinator under the priest directs church rehearsal and ceremony matters. Outside musicians should be contacted only after receiving approval from the Music Director.

Sep 24, 2026

Upload by Levi