Couples planning to be married at St. Patrick’s must contact the parish office to book their wedding date one year in advance of the proposed date.
A wedding preparation kit will be provided with information about planning your wedding, literature for the wedding ceremony and guidelines for wedding music.
To be married in the Catholic Church, one of the couple must be a baptized Roman Catholic and both must be at least 18 years of age. The couple must be free to marry in the Roman Catholic Church and be prepared to follow the laws of the church. If St. Patrick is not the regular parish for either person, a letter of permission must be submitted from your home pastor. The wedding preparation process requires:
- A Marriage Preparation Course
- FOCCUS communication questionnaire
- A valid Marriage License, obtained from the Province of Ontario which is valid for three (3) months from the date of issue. The license must be submitted to the Parish Office at least three (3) weeks prior to the wedding.
- An updated baptismal certificate (for all Roman Catholics) that can be obtained from the parish of baptism. A photocopy of the original is not acceptable.
- A letter from a witness (usually a parent) testifying to the person has never been married before is also required.
The couple will meet with the priest, who will be present at the wedding, 4 – 5 months prior to the wedding to review the FOCCUS questionnaire. At that time the date for the rehearsal is finalized.
Any couple residing outside the Archdiocese of Ottawa are to complete the information requirements in their home Diocese. That information is then sent to the Archdiocese of Ottawa.
Weddings at St. Patrick are held at on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. In the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa weddings do not take place on Sunday.
