The Archdiocese of Cincinnati requires a six-month preparation period for all marriages under most circumstances. The first step in the marriage preparation process is to speak with your pastor to discern your readiness to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony in the Catholic Church. Once this has been accomplished, contact our Wedding Coordinator to reserve your chosen date on our calendar. After collecting preliminary information, the deposit can be mailed or made online on our WeShare site. Your presider will then complete the form, Sacrament of Matrimony Celebrant Agreement and return it to our Wedding Coordinator
Registered members and non-members of Holy Cross – Immaculata Parish may be married here if both are free to marry and at least one party is a practicing Catholic.
Since sacraments are normally celebrated in a catholic person’s home parish, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati requires that non-member Catholics obtain a letter of permission from the pastor of the parish where you are registered in order to marry at Holy Cross – Immaculata.
If either party in any way participated in a prior marriage, a decree of nullity (Annulment) must be provided, demonstrating that the person is free to marry. Church Law is clear in this matter: no wedding date can be set until the annulment has been secured. An annulment is sometimes required even if neither of the parties involved in the first marriage were not catholic. Consult your priest or deacon for more information.
Sometimes a dispensation is required (for example, if one of the parties has not been baptized). The priest or deacon who will be the Presider at your wedding will inform you if a dispensation is necessary.
We will gladly set up a no interest payment plan for wedding fees. The total $2150 fee that you pay to Holy Cross – Immaculata Parish includes the following:
Fees are ordinarily nonrefundable; however, a wedding date can be rescheduled to an open date.
Not included in the fees paid to Holy Cross – Immaculata Parish:
The Rite of Matrimony permits weddings on any day of the year except Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We will also not schedule weddings during the parish summer festival, which is on the first full weekend (including Friday) of August each year. Due to the parish schedule for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, we have specific times set on Saturdays. Information for Friday and Saturday weddings follows.
Friday: Normally we do not have events scheduled in the church on Friday evenings, so there is more flexibility in scheduling the wedding time. We will not schedule any other events in our facilities once you schedule your wedding.
Saturday 1:30: Normally we do not have events scheduled in the church on Saturday mornings, so there is more flexibility in scheduling the start time of your daytime wedding. We will not schedule any other events in our facilities once you schedule your wedding. Your wedding party, all guests and all cars must depart the premises by 3:30. Weddings can be scheduled as late as 2:00, but the 3:30 departure cannot be adjusted. No vehicles may be left in the parking lot after this time because we need the parking spaces for the 4:00 Mass. We appreciate your cooperation in this matter!
Saturday 6:00: Please keep in mind that we have a 4:00pm Mass on Saturdays. Therefore, your wedding party and guests will not be able to park in our lot until 5:15pm. It may be more convenient to hire a shuttle service for the bride and bridesmaids if you plan to use the parish center before the ceremony. Vehicles may not be left in the lot overnight. Please inform your guests of this parking restriction.
The Archdiocese of Cincinnati requires that all engaged couples participate in an approved marriage preparation program. If you live outside the archdiocese, check with the staff at your home parish or home diocese about programs provided in your geographical area.
The priest or deacon who is officiating at your wedding is responsible to ensure that you complete all steps of preparation for your marriage. But please remember, it is the couple’s final responsibility to complete the required preparation programs and submit all necessary documents.
Standard requirements for the WEDDING FILE for all dioceses within the United States include:
These documents will be collected and held by the presider, and then delivered to Holy Cross - Immaculata before the wedding.
It is your ultimate responsibility to track your marriage file. Monitor the status of your file throughout the process. Specifically, know when the file is sent to your local diocese and verify that it was received. Follow up to confirm that your file was sent to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and verify that they have received your file. In doing so you will avoid a situation where the file may be lost in the mail.
Registered members of our parish may ask our pastor or one of the priests affiliated with our parish family to preside at their wedding, or they may ask another priest or deacon to officiate as long as they are in good standing in their diocese. Couples who are not members of Holy Cross – Immaculata Parish will need to arrange to have a priest or deacon officiate at your wedding. It is the responsibility of the wedding couple to obtain the celebrant for their wedding. Only a priest or deacon are permitted to officiate at Catholic weddings. Securing a celebrant should be the priority in the wedding planning.
The form, Sacrament of Matrimony Celebrant Agreement must be completed by the Presider and returned to Holy Cross – Immaculata Parish as soon as possible. If they are not part of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, they will provide a copy of a Letter of Faculties from their diocese. Every priest or deacon who officiates at a wedding in the State of Ohio must have license to do so. A priest or deacon who is not a resident may obtain a temporary license through the office of the Secretary of State.
The chosen priest or deacon is expected to conduct or provide all required instructions for marriage preparation and obtain any permissions, dispensations, etc. as well as to complete the marriage preparation documents for permanent archiving at Holy Cross – Immaculata Parish (see requirements for the WEDDING FILE above).
If you are completing your marriage preparation outside the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the priest, deacon or pastoral minister who has accepted this responsibility must complete the file and submit it to the local diocese. That diocese will review and endorse the completeness of your marriage file and will then send it to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, who will, in turn, forward it to our parish where the records will be stored.
Please try to arrange for everything to be completed as soon as possible to avoid any delays. Your wedding ceremony cannot take place unless the file is complete.
The fees you pay to Holy Cross – Immaculata Parish do not include an honorarium for the priest or deacon who will officiate at your wedding ceremony. It may be the case that the priest or deacon is offering his services as a gift because he is a friend. If this is not the case, it is proper etiquette to compensate these professionals for the time they spent helping you plan your wedding and officiating at the ceremony.
Please be advised that Canon Law is clear on this issue: No marriage file, no wedding ceremony
Other Information Resources: ForYourMarriage.org
An initiative of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, this website offers a large variety of information related to marriage in general as well as Catholic marriage in particular.
A civil marriage license is required in the state of Ohio. The license may be obtained 90 days prior to the date of the wedding. If you live in Ohio, you are required to obtain the marriage license in the county where you live. Couples who do not reside in the State of Ohio are required to obtain their marriage license at the Hamilton County Courthouse. For more information about the civil license, visit The Hamilton County Probate Court.
Without exception, the marriage license must be brought to the rehearsal and given to the celebrant or the wedding coordinator.
Every priest or deacon who officiates at a wedding in the State of Ohio must have license to do so. A priest or deacon who is not a resident may obtain a temporary license through the office of the Secretary of State.
Go to: Planning Your Wedding Liturgy
updated 11/2/23