Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
The sacrament of marriage is a visible sign of God’s love for the Church. When a man and a woman are married in the Church, they receive the grace needed for a lifelong bond of unity.
This is an exciting time in your life and we look forward to helping you plan and celebrate at St. Gabriel. Below, we have provided important information in the wedding planning process.
In order to celebrate a wedding in our Sanctuary or Chapel, we ask either that the bride or groom or their parents be registered members of St. Gabriel Church. If you have been considering joining our parish, we welcome you to our faith community! Learn more and register here.
Whenever possible, we are pleased to welcome parishioners from other local churches who are not able to secure their desired wedding date at their home church.
Weddings during Covid - 19
Health and safety are on everyone's minds during this time. The following precautions are in place for weddings during the pandemic.
For weddings in the sanctuary, we ask that you limit your guest list to 350 guests maximum. We are blessed with a large sanctuary that allows us to host up to 350 people while maintaining social distancing. For chapel weddings, we ask that you limit your guest list to 25 guests maximum.
We ask that all in attendance wear masks. Members of the wedding party may remove their masks for the processional, wedding, recessional and photos. We also ask that household members sit together, and remain distanced from members of other households.
Couples should register for our marriage preparation program at least 6-9 months before their wedding date. Our program begins with an introductory class, led by one of our clergy members and attended by engaged couples who are beginning marriage preparation. At this introductory class, couples learn about the marriage preparation process, complete preliminary forms, listen to a presentation from St. Gabriel clergy, and have time to ask questions.
After the introductory meeting, couples will complete the FOCCUS questionnaire, which is a facilitative instrument that raises questions and identifies areas for couples to discuss their preparation. Meetings with members of the marriage preparation team and the priest/deacon also are part of the program, as well as a diocesan-sponsored one-day marriage preparation workshop.
The introductory class is held on the third Wednesday of every month (except December) at 7:00 pm. There is a $35 administrative fee for the marriage preparation program, payable by check or cash on the evening of the first class. You may register for the next introductory class by contacting Carolyn Tillman.
Weddings are scheduled on Saturdays at 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm in the church or chapel. Rehearsals are scheduled on Fridays at 4:00, 5:00 or 6:00 pm. Reservations should not be considered confirmed until you have received a printed confirmation from the parish office. We recommend that you secure optional dates from your reception venue first before checking with us on available wedding dates and times. When you are ready to select a wedding date, contact Carolyn Tillman.
We recommend you read this document to begin planning your wedding. Everything included will be reviewed when you meet with your wedding coordiantor 3-4 months before your wedding.
Wedding Policy Booklet