Weddings

Every year we celebrate many weddings in the Dardanup-Boyanup Catholic Churches.  We know that this is often due to the strength of our faith community, but we also realise that we are blessed with two of the most beautiful churches in the the South West.  Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Dardanup, is perfect for wedding celebrations of up to 250.  St Louis in Boyanup is a much more intimate venue and is ideal for smaller weddings, with a true pioneering Australian feel to it.

The decision to marry is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and by being married within the Catholic Church you will be making a solemn and sacred public commitment to each other before your family, friends and God.

For this reason the Church asks you to deepen your awareness and understanding of what it means to be married and how best you can prepare for a happy life-giving marriage.

 

This  page has been prepared to assist you in understanding what is required of you to be married in the Catholic Church.
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Preparation for your marriage is as important as any other preparation you may have experienced in your life. The Catholic Church has always seen the need for a couple, planning for their marriage, to have time to reflect on and prepare themselves for this important step and therefore the Parish of Dardanup/Boyanup has made it mandatory for couples to participate in an acceptable preparation course.

This action is supported by the Western Australian Government, which strongly advises all couples to undergo preparation for their marriage.

There are three programs available to you as follows:

PARISH PROGRAM

This involves five evenings spread across five weeks, where a parish team encourages you to explore such topics as family of origin, communications, expressions of feelings, intimacy etc. and to share difficult questions with your partner, so that you might learn to be completely open with each other.

The Parish based courses are run on demand a few times a year and there is no charge for your participation.

TOGETHER FOREVER

This is a one day course run by the Catholic Marriage Education Service in Perth and available on approximately 40 weekends of the year. The course is generally run on a Sunday with some Saturdays.

This course provides you with the opportunity to share your ideas and expectations about marriage, consider your long term commitment, and appreciate the strengths of your relationship. You will also learn some new skills to build on your relationship and identify areas in your relationship to work on together.

This course costs $110 per couple.

Bookings can be made by calling the Catholic Marriage Education Service in Perth on 9325 1859 between 9:30AM and 4:30 PM on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

 

ENGAGED ENCOUNTERS WEEKEND

This course provides you both, through a series of talks, the opportunity to discuss openly and honestly with each other, your future lives together; your desires, ambitions, goals, attitudes about money, children, sex, and understanding of marriage as a couples special relationship with God.

You will be presented with a series of topics designed to give you a deeper insight into marriage – the highs and lows – and to provide you with the skills needed to work through it all together.

The cost of the course is $195 per couple, which includes accommodation, all meals, tea and coffee etc. Courses are conducted  approximately six times a year and are always on a weekend.

Bookings can be made by calling the booking couple on 9481 1873
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GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

[learn_more state=”open” caption=”Documentation”]
Marriage Papers will be prepared by the Priest at least one-month prior to the wedding date. He will need to sight both your birth and baptism certificates, and will require the full names of both your father and mother (including her maiden name).[/learn_more]
[learn_more state=”open” caption=”FLOWERS”]
You will need to supply your own flowers for the Marriage Ceremony.[/learn_more]
[learn_more state=”open” caption=”PHOTOGRAPHERS”]
One Photographer is welcome to record the service provided that this is done in an unobtrusive way. Please arrange for this person to make contact with the priest prior to the wedding day to arrange an appropriate position that will not detract from the sacredness of the wedding ceremony.

The same requirements apply to a video photographer.[/learn_more]
[learn_more state=”open” caption=”CONFETTI”]
We do not allow confetti, rice or other such things to be used in the grounds of the Dardanup Catholic Church as the cleanup effort that is required following the departure of the wedding party poses a significant problem.[/learn_more]
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Catholic Priests perform a wide range of jobs within the community and as such are often very busy people. Please be sensitive to this and help us by avoiding any unnecessary delays.[/learn_more]
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A fee of $250 is requested to offset the expenses involved in your wedding. This may be greater if the priest is bought in from another parish due to travel and accommodation expenses.

Please attend to this payment when you meet with the priest after the completion of your preparation course. If you have any difficulties in this regard please do not hesitate to mention this to them.[/learn_more]

ON THE DAY

[learn_more state=”open” caption=”THE WEDDING CEREMONY”]
At the Ceremony you will be asked to select Scripture Passages, prayers, blessings etc to personalize your service. The priest will assist you in this selection. Many couples find the selection of family and friends to proclaim (read) the Scriptures and participate in other parts of the ceremony a beautiful way of involving both families in this celebration.[/learn_more]
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In choosing music for your wedding, we advise that it must be sacred music (i.e. composed for use in a church) or popular music which speaks of the Christian dimension of love, provided that it is used at an appropriate time within the ceremony.

Popular music which refers only to the physical or emotional dimensions of love are inappropriate for the wedding service and are best reserved for the wedding reception. Your selection will need to be referred to the Priest for approval before the ceremony.[/learn_more]
[learn_more state=”open” caption=”MUSICIANS”]
It is necessary for you to make your own arrangements for an organist, musicians and/or vocalists prior to the wedding ceremony. Should you require advice in this regard the parish office can provide a list of local musicians available for hire.[/learn_more]
[learn_more state=”open” caption=”REHEARSAL”]
In the week leading up to the wedding you will be expected to attend a rehearsal at the Church along with the Bridal Party and the priest. This is an important event and your participation is essential.[/learn_more]