Please contact parish priest 6 months in advance before making any other wedding plans.
Delia Sullivan, Coordinator
Wedding Guidelines
WEDDING GUIDELINES FOR NON-PARISHIONERS
Who can be married at Saint Joseph’s?
When possible, we are happy to accommodate weddings for those from outside of our parish. As long as one of the parties is of the Catholic faith, couples may be considered for nuptials at St. Joseph Parish.
SCHEDULING THE WEDDING
Couples who are non-parishioners but would like to be married at St. Joseph Church MUST meet with either the priest or deacon from your home parish prior to contracting St. Joseph Church. Thereafter, you may call our rectory to request your desired wedding date, but only a tentative date will be accepted until written notification is received from the priest or deacon who is engaged for the marriage preparation process. Please allow as much advanced time as possible, but no less than six (6) months (more if prior marriages need to be addressed) before your desired wedding date. Please let us know if you wish to have a priest or deacon, other than Fr. John Mahoney, preside at your wedding.
Please note: Couples must make provisions for the Church and have their desired date confirmed BEFORE finalizing plans for the reception.
For scheduling purposes, both for the couple and for the Church, the following is observed:
Days: Wedding liturgies are normally scheduled on Fridays or Saturdays. Weddings are not scheduled during the Lenten season.
Time: The times for Saturday weddings are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. A time block of two hours is reserved. (For example, the time limit reserved for a 10:00 a.m. wedding is 9:30-11:30 a.m.) If your wedding will be a Mass, please be especially aware of the time limit and plan to have EITHER a receiving line near the church’s main entrance OR time to pose for pictures afterward in the sanctuary (altar area), but not both. Saturday afternoon weddings are scheduled to begin no later than 12:30 P.M. (12:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M.) to accommodate the parish’s regular sacramental schedule.
Time of rehearsal: Rehearsals are usually scheduled the Friday evening before the wedding for one-hour intervals (usually 4:00, 5:00 or 6:00 p.m.).
Please note: Parishioners of Saint Joseph Church (registered, active and contributing members of the parish for a minimum of one year prior to contacting the church about scheduling a wedding) always enjoy priority of date and time for weddings and rehearsals. Special consideration will be given to couples whose parents are parishioners of Saint Joseph’s.
Wedding Guidelines Version: August 23, 2021
DOCUMENTS
The following documents are part of the normal marriage preparation process when the couple meets with the clergy representative from their home parish. Your parish will provide the Pastor of St. Joseph Church with copies of these documents, once completed, by forwarding them to: Office of Canonical Affairs, Roman Catholic Bishop of Manchester, 153 Ash Street, Manchester, NH 03104.
ALL DOCUMENTATION MUST BE RECEIVED BY ST. JOSEPH CHURCH AT LEAST TWO (2) MONTHS PRIOR TO THE SCHEDULED WEDDING.
A. Pre-Nuptial Questionnaire, including Attestations of Freedom to Marry.
B. Recent (within 6 months) baptismal certificates.
C. Engaged Couple Seminar completion certificate.
D. FOCCUS evaluation.
E. Letter of permission from proper pastor of bride/groom.
F. Decrees of Annulment and/or Death (if applicable) relative to any prior bonds.
MARRIAGE LICENSE: The couple must apply for a marriage license within ninety (90) days of the scheduled wedding date. The original license must be provided to Fr. Mahoney no later than the scheduled rehearsal date. The license may be applied for in any town or city in the State of New Hampshire.
Information about marriage licenses may be obtained by contacting the Town of Lincoln’s Clerk’s Office at 148 Main Street, Lincoln, New Hampshire 03251, by calling 603-745-8971, or via www.lincolnnh.org.
Marriage Certificate: After you are married, please wait seven (7) to ten (10) days before applying for a copy of your marriage certificate from the town or city that issued your marriage li cense.
PLANNING THE CEREMONY
The wedding can be celebrated either during a Mass or during a Liturgy of the Word. Approximately one (1) to two (2) months prior to the wedding, the couple should contact Fr. Mahoney to discuss the ceremony and the choice of readings and rituals used. Selections for readings, readers, and the names of those participating in the ceremony should be finalized and provided to Fr. Mahoney no later than two (2) weeks prior to the wedding.
Father Mahoney normally officiates at weddings at St. Joseph’s Parish. However, permission can be given for a priest- or deacon-friend to officiate, as long as they 1) present an affidavit from their diocese or religious institute attesting their good standing and 2) obtain authorization to officiate from the New Hampshire Secretary of State. Your proper pastor is the appropriate person to approach regarding this matter. A Justice of the Peace may not officiate at weddings in the Catholic Church. Ministers of other Christian denominations are welcome to participate at, but may not preside over, the wedding ceremony at Saint Joseph Church.
All wedding ceremonies at St. Joseph Church take place inside the church. Outside wedding ceremonies are not permitted.
Wedding Guidelines Version: August 23, 2021
CHURCH FEES
The stipend to have your wedding at St. Joseph’s Parish is $400. Payment in full, along with the signed Acknowledgement form included with these guidelines, must be delivered to St. Joseph Church at the time the desired wedding date is confirmed. Checks are payable to “St. Joseph Church”.
MUSIC & MUSIC FEES
Contact with the Coordinator of Music Ministry (Margaret Sweeney – stjlincolnmusicminis try@gmail.com) should be made as soon as possible after the wedding date is confirmed. All music must be religious and liturgically appropriate. Popular and nonreligious music is considered inappropriate for the ceremony and should be reserved for the reception. A list of acceptable music selections will be pro vided to the couple. Please review any other choices with the Coordinator of Music Ministry for approval. Pre-recorded music is not acceptable during the wedding ceremony. All selections should be finalized and provided to the Coordinator of Music Ministry at least two (2) weeks prior to the wedding.
It is parish policy that the parish’s pastoral musicians serve for all weddings. (With the new rite promul gated on December 30, 2016, an organist and cantor is required.) You may invite a soloist or instrumen talist(s) to join the parish’s pastoral musicians. Other instrumentalists or vocalists must meet with the approval of the Coordinator of Music Ministry; therefore, please do not make any arrangements with any outside musicians before speaking with the Coordinator of Music Ministry.
The fees for the parish musicians are separate from the stipend paid to the Church. The fee for the organ ist is $250, and the fee for the cantor is $250. The fees for the parish’s pastoral musicians are not waived, even if outside musicians are utilized. The parish’s pastoral musicians’ fees include consultation to select music and the playing and singing of music at the wedding ceremony or nuptial Mass. The musicians generally do not attend the rehearsal. If their attendance at the rehearsal is requested, an additional fee may be charged. Parish musician fees are to be paid at or prior to the scheduled rehearsal – i.e., not the day of the wedding. Fees for additional instrumentalists or vocalists are the responsibility of the couple.
Wedding Guidelines Version: August 23, 2021
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT MARRIAGE AND THE USE OF SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH
A. Eating or drinking (except water if necessary) is not permitted in the church.
B. Smoking is not allowed in the church; the consumption of alcohol or other behavior-influencing chemicals are not allowed anywhere on the parish grounds. Anyone under the influence of such substances will be asked to leave. If the bride, groom or other attendants are involved, the officiant has the right to postpone the wedding. The marriage, if witnessed while the bride or groom has been drinking could be considered invalid because of the lessening of one’s freedom through the use of alcohol/drugs.
C. No rice, confetti, or other matter is to be thrown. The vestry, church entry area, and the chairs are to be in good order after your wedding. All furniture should be replaced in its original position if the wedding party has moved it.
D. The parish does not allow aisle runners. The floors are kept clean on a daily basis and aisle runners have proven to be hazardous to wedding guests. Rose petals or other flowers (whether real or artificial) may not be strewn in the aisles.
E. Floral arrangements for the church are not necessary; however, you may choose to bring flowers into the church. Your church decorations may not conflict with those of the parish and the parish decorations may not be disturbed. Decorations and their placement must be approved in advance of your wedding date. No flowers or decorations may be placed on top of the altar or in such a way as to obscure it.
F. The lighting of a unity candle is not a part of the Catholic rite and its use in the new Rite of Marriage is no longer permitted.
G. Videographers and photographers are always welcome, and most work well within the parameters of the Church. We are grateful that most videographers and photographers chosen by our couples are professional and discreet. We ask that videographers and photographers not interfere with the procession or enter into the sanctuary area.
H. The parish does not provide leaflets or programs for the wedding, but the couple is allowed to bring them for distribution.
Wedding Guidelines Version: August 23, 2021
SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH
25 CHURCH STREET
P.O. BOX 128
LINCOLN, NH 03251
(603) 745-2266
ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR NUPTIAL CEREMONIES AND MASSES AT ST. JOSEPH CHURCH
THE BRIDE AND GROOM NAMED BELOW ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY WERE PROVIDED A COPY OF THE WEDDING GUIDELINES FOR NON-PARISHIONERS AND GENERAL INFOR MATION ABOUT MARRIAGE AND THE USE OF SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH AND THAT THEY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO ITS CONTENTS.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE MUST NOT FINALIZE OUR RECEPTION PLANS UNTIL OUR DESIRED WEDDING DATE IS CONFIRMED BY ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, AND THAT CONFIRMATION IS ISSUED ONLY UPON RECEIPT OF WRITTEN AGREEMENT OF THE CATHOLIC PARTY’S PROPER PASTOR OR DEACON RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BRIDE AND GROOM’S MARRIAGE PREPARATION PROCESS.
FULL PAYMENT OF $400 IS DUE AND PAYABLE TO ST. JOSEPH CHURCH AT THE TIME OUR DESIRED WEDDING DATE OF _____________________________ IS CONFIRMED.
BRIDE GROOM
PRINT NAME: PRINT NAME:
SIGNATURE: SIGNATURE:
DATE: DATE:
Wedding Guidelines Version: August 23, 2021