Your Wedding at Corpus Christi

Congratulations on your engagement! We are delighted that you are considering celebrating your wedding at Corpus Christi, and we wish you God’s blessing at this special time in your life.

Corpus Christi is a wonderful place for the celebration of a wedding. Our church’s architecture offers a cathedral-like environment, while its modest size ensures an intimate atmosphere. Our pastoral staff will be happy to work with you to ensure that your experience of the sacrament is both faith-inspired and joy-filled.

In order for us to host your wedding, there are a few factors that you’ll need to consider:

1. At least one party of the couple must be Catholic. If only one party is Catholic, you should be aware that the Catholic party will be asked to express his or her intention to continue to practice of the Catholic faith and to raise any children Catholic. The non-Catholic party does not have to make this promise.
2. We’ll need to begin making arrangements for the wedding at least six months before the wedding date.
3. If either or both parties have been married previously, and the former spouse is still living, we’ll need a decree of annulment from the Catholic Church (even if no Catholic was involved in the earlier marriage) before we can set a date for the upcoming wedding. If the two of you are already married to each other – either at the courthouse or in a non-Catholic ceremony, and wish to have your marriage “blessed” or validated in the Catholic Church, you will need to follow most of these same guidelines; but please be aware that a validation ceremony is not the same as a wedding and cannot resemble a first-time wedding.
   We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about these matters.
4. You may also wish to invite your own Catholic deacon or priest to celebrate your wedding, and we’ll be happy to welcome him to our church. We’ll need to know that he has already accepted your invitation to officiate before we can set a date with you.
5. You do not need to be a registered parishioner in order to celebrate your wedding at Corpus Christi, but we would be delighted for you to consider joining our parish family. Many couples find us a nurturing community, continue worshiping with us after their wedding, and eventually have their children baptized here.

Scheduling Your Wedding Date

We will be happy to discuss the availability of our church and pastoral staff for your wedding. Please call the parish office at (410) 523-4161.

After determining the availability of the church, you will be directed to a pastoral staff member, who will set up a time to meet with you and your betrothed to discuss the parish’s guidelines. No wedding date can be considered final until you have met with the pastor or deacon and have made the required deposit.

Please do not try to make arrangements for something as important as your wedding by e-mail, which can be misdirected, delayed, or even lost. Also, please do not have parents or wedding coordinators try to make those arrangements for you. We will only make arrangements with the bride or groom directly.

Wedding Materials

We have attached a variety of materials that you may find helpful in planning your wedding here at Corpus Christi. Please feel free to review them. Many of these materials will be discussed with you at your initial meeting with the pastor or deacon.

Although Corpus Christi offers one Pre-Cana marriage session each year for couples getting married at the church, you may find other marriage preparation programs more suitable or convenient.

Please do not hesitate to call the parish office, (410) 523-4161, with any questions you may have. May God bless you as you prepare to celebrate your wedding.