Questions?
Contact Pastor Ed Jach at (513) 961-1945
The pastoral staff of St. Francis de Sales congratulates you on your decision to be married in our church. The present church building was erected in 1878 and has served the people of Cincinnati for all these years. We encourage engaged couples to prayerfully prepare themselves for a happy and lasting union, blessed by Christ.
It is our desire to make your wedding as beautiful and meaningful as possible. We have prepared the following guidelines to help you and to answer the many questions you may have. We ask you to read them carefully as you will be held responsible for their content.
FEES:
Use of the church by non-registered families is $1,000. A deposit of $100 is required to hold the date and time. The balance of $900 must be paid one (1) month before the wedding. Registered members can negotiate with the pastor.
Who May Be Married at St. Francis de Sales?
Any Catholic party who receives permission from their own pastor can be married at St. Francis de Sales. It is also understood that the engaged couple will obtain their own priest or deacon for the wedding ceremony. The Pastor will provide the necessary delegation for him. An out-of-state minister must also have an Ohio license for the marriage.
When Can You Be Married at St. Francis de Sales?
Wedding are normally held at St. Francis de Sales on Saturdays.
Since we do not have a Saturday evening Mass, we can have more than one
wedding on a Saturday, but there will be a space of three hours between
the weddings. Weddings are not held on Sundays or Holy Days like Christmas and Easter. The following times are options for weddings: 2:00 or 2:30 p.m.; 5:00 or 5:30 p.m.
Setting the Date and Time
Since
Marriage is a sacrament, it is necessary to meet with your pastor and
learn all of the requirements before a date can be set. Make no plans
or permanent arrangements until after meeting with your pastor and then
make your request for a date at St. Francis de Sales.
The Church is rented for three hours for the ceremony and one hour for the rehearsal.
The three hours the day of the wedding includes the time for
preparation, the ceremony and clean-up (one hour before the scheduled
time, one hour for the ceremony and one hour after the ceremony).
Photographers, Videographers and Florists should be made aware of this
time framework and carefully plan their activities accordingly. Due to the fact that we may have two weddings on any given Saturday, these guidelines must be followed strictly. Please DO NOT arrive at the church before your scheduled time. There will be a fee of $100 for any portion of an hour that goes beyond the stated times.
Before the Marriage
The deacon or priest who will preside at your marriage will inform you
of all the civil and church requirements for your marriage.
THE CEREMONY
Who May Perform the Ceremony?
Ordinarily your pastor will perform your wedding ceremony. Any priest-relative, etc., in good standing is welcome to St. Francis de Sales with the approval of the Pastor.
In the case of a mixed religion, the minister of the non-Catholic
person is most welcome to participate if the marriage is outside the
Eucharist.
The Church Building
It
seems unnecessary to mention our conduct in the Church building, but
experience dictates that this is an ever increasing need. It is
Catholic belief that the Church building is a sacred place, made so by
the worship of God's people and set aside for that purpose. It is further true that the Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the Church building that is the real presence of Jesus Christ. At all times we must conduct ourselves with dignity and decorum in this sacred place.
Such practices as eating snacks and drinking soda, juices or alcoholic beverages, etc., are strictly prohibited.
People engaged in this sort of behavior either at rehearsal or the
wedding or at picture taking will be asked to dispose of those items
and/or leave the premises. It is the responsibility of the wedding
couple to inform their attendants beforehand of our community belief in
the sacredness of the occasion and the house of God.
Music
Music is a basic element of all liturgical celebrations, including weddings. Music should be chosen from the repertoire of sacred or liturgical music. Contemporary Christian Music is acceptable as long as the lyrics speak of God and love.
Popular music, show tunes from Broadway musicals and themes from movies
are inappropriate from the time of the prelude to the time of the
postlude. Normally the musician chosen is the person you work with in planning the music.
Flowers/Decorations
The contact person at St. Francis de Sales is the parish secretary. Aisle candles are permitted but must be covered with glass covers so as to reduce dripping on the pews. Pew decorations are permitted but should not be placed with masking tape or other items that deface the pews.
Damage to the pews or other Church property by florists is the
responsibility of the wedding couple and their florist and they will be
held liable. Our church has no aisle linen (runner). An aisle runner is not necessary but if you use one it should be provided by the florist. The length of our main aisle is 120 feet. There are 29 pews on each side of the center aisle, providing a seating capacity of 733. Aisle
candles, pew bows, potted plants, flower stands, etc., must be picked
up directly after the ceremony or they will be disposed of.
All flowers brought to the Church are considered to be a decoration for
the house of God and therefore it is highly recommended that they
remain in the Church after the ceremony. No decorations are permitted on the altar table and lectern. Decorations on the outdoor front lamp posts need to be removed after the ceremony.
If you use a Unity candle, St. Francis de Sales can provide a table
with a lace cloth and the candle holder which requires two 1/2 inch
tapers and one 2 3/4 inch pillar candle. You need to provide these candles.
When ordering the flowers for your wedding, we ask you to respect the
decorations present in the sanctuary area or near the altar during
certain liturgical seasons of the year. These flowers or other decorations are not to be moved. Our staff will work with the florist to make adaptations for placement of your flowers. The special seasons include Advent, Christmas, and the Easter Season that ends on the Feast of Pentecost.
Normally the church is rarely decorated during Ordinary Time of the
liturgical year except for special occasions being sponsored by the
parish.
Parking
There is ample parking in the lot along Woodburn. The Purcell Marian parking lot touches the De Sales lot and also has plenty of parking.
Alcohol
The possession of and/or use of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited in St. Francis de Sales and property. This includes during the rehearsal, before and after the wedding ceremony and at picture taking time. Any person who does not respect this guideline will be asked to leave.
Rice, Bird Seed, and Confetti
We ask you not to use rice, bird seed, confetti or other similar substances before or after the ceremony. Rice is a food and we discourage its use in this way with such a large portion of the world starving.
Bird seed will only add and complicate our problems with the pigeons
and both of these substances are dangerous on the ground and steps and
can cause people to slip and fall. Finally, these substances are very
difficult to remove from the premises and the job usually falls on the
priest who has to prepare things for the next service. Therefore, please DO NOT use rice, bird seed, confetti or similar materials.
Pictures
We ask that your photographer check with the priest in the sacristy before the beginning of the ceremony. Pictures may be taken in the Church after the ceremony, provided they do not conflict with the next ceremony.
When any photography takes place in the Church, we ask that all
remember this is a House of God and conduct them in a proper manner.
Video
We do allow a video tape to be made of your wedding. We ask that the videographer check with the celebrant before the wedding. Video camera(s) must remain stationary. Putting a microphone on the priest is not necessary. Additional lighting will not be allowed. Videographers should not suspend their microphones on the Church speakers that are on the columns.
Sound System
At St. Francis de Sales we have a professionally engineered sound system. There is no need for further adjustments to any piece of equipment.
Dressing Room
St. Francis de Sales is an old church and does not have a Bride's
Dressing Room. The wedding party must dress elsewhere. The Woodburn
Avenue side of the vestibule can be used for your gathering place
before the ceremony begins. The bride and her party must realize that there is only one restroom in the church and guests are allowed to use
it before the ceremony begins. Please do not leave any valuables in
this area once the ceremony begins. Ample microphones, stands, etc., are available.
Rehearsal
The
rehearsal should be scheduled with the pastor or the parish secretary
at the same time you schedule the wedding. You should allow
approximately one full hour for the rehearsal. Since the Blessed
Sacrament is present in the church, we ask that reverence be maintained
during the rehearsal.