ELIGIBILITY FOR WEDDINGS at Holy Ghost Church

Either the bride or the groom must be a baptized Catholic in order to be eligible for a wedding at Holy Ghost. In addition, the Catholic party must be a registered and practicing member of Holy Ghost Parish—OR—must have received delegation and preparation from a priest of his/her own parish. If this is not the first marriage of both parties, a Declaration of Nullity must be obtained for all previous unions BEFORE a date may be scheduled for the wedding.

SCHEDULING THE WEDDING

1. If you are not a member of this parish, you must have written delegation from your own pastor before attempting to schedule your wedding here. Find out if your pastor will celebrate the ceremony at Holy Ghost, and do all preparation work with you. If you are new to Holy Ghost, you must be a registered and participating member of the church for three months before we will formally discuss your wedding plans.
   
2. You must contact the parish at least 8 months before the date of the wedding. It is best to reserve your wedding date one year in advance. Set the date of your wedding with us BEFORE confirming halls and other services.
   
3. Weddings are not celebrated during Lent or Advent.
   
4. Weddings may be celebrated on Saturdays at 11:00am, 2:00pm or 6:00pm. (Note: The priests at Holy Ghost are unable to celebrate 6:00pm weddings.)
   
5. A marriage between two Catholics, or between a Catholic and a baptized Christian, may be celebrated within a nuptial Mass. Please specify your preference for a wedding within or outside of Mass. If one of the parties is not baptized, the marriage is always celebrated outside Mass.

DOCUMENTS NEEDED

1. Baptismal certificates: These must be obtained by the couple. Call the church where you were baptized and have the certificates sent to us. The Catholic baptismal certificate(s) must be validated no more than six months prior to the wedding.
   
2. Pre-nuptial Questionnaires (Forms MA, MB, MC): Both the bride and groom need to testify to their own freedom to marry and proper intention. Each party also needs two witnesses to attest to their freedom to marry. The witnesses should know the couple well (parents are the preferred witnesses.)
   
3. Civil Marriage License: The couple applies to the State of Colorado for the license within 30 days of the wedding. Two official witnesses (best man and maid/matron of honor) also sign this document.
   
4. Marriage Preparation Certificates: After finishing a formal Marriage preparation program, and a course in Natural Family Planning, you will be given certificates of completion. Please present these certificates to us to verify that you have accomplished these requirements. See the section entitled “Marriage Preparation.”

CHURCH FEES

The fee for a wedding at Holy Ghost is $850. This fee helps to defray the high costs of maintaining the beautiful place of prayer that Holy Ghost is. The fee provides for the use of the church proper, the Director of Music, and the sacristan. No additional fee is required by the celebrant unless you wish to give him a donation. A non-refundable deposit of $200 is due when the date of the wedding is reserved. After a date is reserved for your wedding, any changes to the schedule will require payment of an additional $100. Final payment is due no less than one month prior to the celebration.

MARRIAGE PREPARATION

1. You need to schedule an initial meeting with the priest/deacon.
   
2. You will complete a marriage preparation inventory called
   FOCCUS. This is a tool to help you assess your strengths and growth-areas as a couple.
   
3. The priest/deacon will meet with you several times during the engagement period. The time of these meetings will be arranged as necessary.
   
4. The Archdiocese of Denver requires all couples to participate in a formal marriage preparation program which addresses the theological background for the sacrament of marriage and a practical component dealing with basic life skills. 
   • "God's Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage" covers the theological aspect, and an Engaged Encounter Weekend addresses the life skills component.  You can find a schedule of programs online at: www.archden.org/marriageprep.htm
   • You can also fulfill the requirements for both the theological and life skills components through Catholic Marriage Preparation, Inc.  which offers both live and on-line classes.
     
5. The Archdiocese of Denver requires all couples to take formal instructions in Natural Family Planning. Call 303-433-0216 for a schedule of classes. A home study course is also available by calling 800-745-8252.

MUSIC GUIDELINES:

1. The Director of Music should be contacted six to eight weeks prior to your wedding date. The Director of Music can help you select music and provide referrals to soloists.
   
2. Some music heard at other weddings will not be acceptable here. The music during the celebration must be sacred, that is, expressing faith. Favorite popular songs should be reserved for the reception. The most important purpose of music in the ceremony is to help people to pray.
   
3. All decisions regarding the appropriateness of the musicians, instruments, and songs are to be made in consultation with the Director of Music. Please do NOT hire/invite any outside musicians without first obtaining approval from the Director of Music.

DECORATIONS

1. The church provides fresh flowers for the altar of resurrection every Saturday in accordance with the Church calendar. The couple is free to choose the size and color of additional floral arrangements as long as the dignity of the church is respected.
   
2. Due to Insurance and Fire regulations, no obstruction of aisles is allowed, nor precarious placement of candles. Any candles used must have glass shields to prevent dripping of wax.
   
3. Any decorations attached to church pews must be easily removable. Tape, staples, and tacks are PROHIBITED. There are 22 pews on each side of the center aisle.
   
4. If you choose to use an aisle runner, the aisle is 75 feet long. No plastic isle runners are allowed. No flower petals or other loose items may be strewn in the aisle.
   
5. All decorations must be removed immediately after the ceremony. No tape, aisle runners, or unity candles are provided.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Photographs and video cameras are permitted. The photographers and videographers are to be discreet in their work, and may not interrupt the flow of the ceremony. They are not allowed in the sanctuary area or near the side altars during the ceremony. Suggested places for the video cameras are in the choir loft, and to the sides of the church. Posed pictures may be taken one hour before or for forty-five minutes after the ceremony. Spontaneous photography by the guests is strictly prohibited.

REHEARSALS

Rehearsals are usually conducted by the priest/deacon who will preside at the wedding. Rehearsals are typically scheduled for the evening preceding the wedding, and last up to one hour. Please schedule your rehearsal time as soon as possible. Please ensure that the participants arrive on time for the rehearsal. Bring your marriage license to the rehearsal, as the wedding cannot take place without it.

SPIRITUAL PREPARATION

1. God is Love, and where there is love there is God. Therefore, spiritual preparation should be the most important part of planning your wedding. Unfortunately, it often seems the least. The following guidelines are meant to help you prepare your soul for the graced event your wedding should be.
   
2. Couples are to worship God weekly at Sunday Mass in their parish.
   
3. They should show gratitude to and dependence upon God by contributing regularly to the Church and other charitable institutions. Volunteer work is another way to supply this.
   
4. Engagement is a time to develop the virtue of chastity, which is essential to preserving marital fidelity. Couples should strive to abstain from sexual relations, and resist the temptation to move in together prior to the wedding. Secular studies, confirming the wisdom of the teaching of Jesus, show that cohabitation before marriage drastically increases instances of infidelity and divorce. We ask couples to live apart until their wedding night.
   
5. The Bride and Groom are encouraged to be mindful of the virtues of modesty and decorum in selecting their wedding apparel. The attire should express the beauty of spousal love rather than draw undue attention to sexual aspects of the body. Strapless dresses may seem to violate this principle.
   
6. Some bachelor and bachelorette parties are offensive to the dignity of the faith and love of two people about to give themselves to each other in Holy Matrimony. We urge the Groom and Bride to take steps to avoid participating (willfully or not) in such activities.
   
7. All Catholics should receive the Sacrament of Penance (confession) regularly, and particularly during the time of engagement. It is strongly encouraged that the Catholic parties (Bride, Groom, relatives, and entire wedding party) receive the Sacrament of Penance within a few days of this holy occasion. You may make an appointment with any priest, or come at the scheduled times. We have confessions Monday—Friday at noon.
   
8. The wedding liturgy is not a pageant, but a prayer. It should express your own sentiments of faith, your desire for divine assistance, and your gratitude to God for each other. Holy Ghost provides a planning guide for the wedding ceremony entitled Together For Life. This book will help you to choose among the various prayers and readings available for the ceremony. The priest/deacon will help you to finalize the details of the ceremony in a final meeting near the date of the rehearsal.

THE WEDDING DAY

1. The church is a sacred place where people gather to worship God and invoke His blessing. Therefore, an attitude of respect and reverence is appropriate during the rehearsal, and before, during and after the ceremony. NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL are permitted on the premises. A violation of this policy may result in the cancellation of your wedding!
   
2. There are designated areas of the church available for the bridal party. These rooms are to be left in the same condition in which they were found. The Church of the Holy Ghost cannot be liable for items lost or stolen.
   
3. The receiving line is to be done at the reception. The same goes for the signing of a guest book.
   
4. Throwing of rice, confetti, or birdseed is not allowed inside or outside of the church; nor is anything non-liturgical to be used inside the Church.
   
5. Free parking for the church is available on Saturdays in the lot on the corner of 19th and Welton Streets.
   
6. Our experience has shown that ring bearers and flower girls under the age of 5 become distressed on the wedding day and usually disrupt the ceremony. We, therefore, discourage couples from inviting such small children to participate.

We hope that the beauty and dignity of your wedding will be an expression of the beauty of your love for each other and for God. Be assured of our prayers and support now and in the years to come. If you have any questions not answered in this brochure, please call us at 303-292-1556.

“The very preparation for Christian marriage is itself a journey of faith. It is a special opportunity for the engaged to rediscover and deepen the faith received in Baptism and nourished by their Christian upbringing. In this way they come to recognize and freely accept their vocation to follow Christ and to serve the Kingdom of God in the married state.”

—Pope John Paul II