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Matrimony
Planning For Your Wedding
About the Church
Wedding Liturgies at Saint Raymond de Peñafort
Paperwork and Procedures for a Catholic Wedding
Obtaining your Cook County Marriage License
Marriage Preparation Programs
Wedding Coordinator
Rehearsal
Flowers and Decorations
Photographers and Videographers
TV Screens in the Vestibule
Music and Wedding Workshops
Unity Candle
Worship Programs
Unity Candle
Important Notice

 

Planning For Your Wedding

If you are interested in celebrating your wedding at Saint Raymond De Peñafort Church, your preparation process should begin six months to one year prior to your wedding date. Parish membership is not required. We look forward to helping you prepare for the sacrament of marriage. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the bride and groom minister the sacrament of marriage to each other. A priest or deacon and two witnesses must also be present to witness the union. Ordinarily, one of the priests or deacons on staff preside at weddings celebrated at Saint Raymond. If a couple has a special relationship with one of the clergy at St. Raymond, clergy at another parish, or a family member who is a priest or deacon, they may ask him to preside, after the wedding date has been reserved. If the couple plans for an outside priest or deacon, this should be mentioned at the time they register. It is assumed that a visiting priest or deacon will take on the responsibility of planning your celebration, completing the necessary paperwork, and contacting the parish.

When you book your wedding date and time, you reserve the church for 90 minutes, one hour for your ceremony, and thirty minutes for photos afterward. Marriage celebrations usually take place at 1 pm or 3 pm on Saturdays. Marriages may take place on other days that are mutually agreed upon by the priest or deacon and the couple, provided they do not conflict with other parish events in the church.

Please contact Saint Raymond at 847-253-8600 ext. 151, Mondays through Fridays, during regular business hours for information and to book your wedding.

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About the Church

Saint Raymond is a contemporary, brick and wood modern church. Built in 1961 and remodeled in 1988, the church has a vaulted 40-foot-high roof that creates an open feel with clean lines. Four sections of pews face the altar. There are 28 rows of pews in each section, which provide comfortable seating for 700 guests. The main aisle is 100 feet long, allowing for processions of all size wedding parties. The south wall of the church is stained glass and tells the story of the life of Jesus from the Annunciation to the Resurrection in modern symbolic form. The church has a balcony at the back of the church, which seats 70 additional guests. The balcony has a rear, stained glass window that extends from the breadth of the balcony seats to the peak of the roof and depicts the Eucharist surrounded by flames, flowers, doves, and angels. There is a bride’s room just off the vestibule at the back of the church that is available for use by the wedding party. The only statuary in the church is the Holy Family Shrine, and couples are invited to bring flowers to the Virgin during their ceremony if they so choose. The church is air-conditioned and has a modern sound system and state-of-the-art video equipment. Please see the photos to the left.

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Wedding Liturgies at Saint Raymond de Peñafort

Saint Raymond offers three different wedding ceremony options to fit the needs and desires of all of our wedding parties. All are valid in the Catholic Church and legal in the State of Illinois. The different liturgies are offered to accommodate everyone, from couples who were raised Catholic and are active in their church to interfaith marriages between a Catholic and non-Catholic Christian. St. Raymond also allows visiting clergy from other faith traditions to co-officiate at interfaith weddings here. The liturgies we offer are:

  • A simple ceremony of vows witnessed by a deacon or priest that does not include communion. This ceremony welcomes all attendees, no matter what their faith tradition.
  • A ceremony of vows witnessed by a deacon or priest that includes communion but is not a full mass. This welcomes couples who want to include the Body of Christ at their wedding but without the formality of a mass.
  • A ceremony of vows within a Catholic mass celebrated by a priest. This ceremony welcomes Catholic couples and their families who see their union as a commitment to live the sacramental life and be a part of a Catholic community.
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Paperwork and Procedures for a Catholic Wedding

Engaged couples must meet with the Director of Discipleship Formation when they register to marry to determine if they are freed to marry in the Catholic church.  Six months prior to their wedding, they will meet again with the Director to complete the required paperwork. Both Catholic and non-Catholic Christians will be asked to provide a recently issued (signed and dated no more than six months before the wedding date) baptismal certificate with notations from the church of their baptism. Parents or close family relations will be asked to complete and sign an affidavit about the bride and the groom’s ability to enter into a Catholic marriage.

In addition, couples will have to present a Cook County Marriage License and complete a marriage preparation program either through the Archdiocese of Chicago or Saint Raymond.

The couple will also have at least one meeting with the clergyman marrying them prior to the wedding.

 
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Obtaining your Cook County Marriage License

You must obtain your marriage license no sooner than 60 days before your wedding date and no later than 1 day prior to the date. You can apply for the license at any of Cook County Courthouses in the Office of the Clerk of Cook County:

118 N. Clark Street (lower level), Chicago

2121 Euclid Ave. Room 238, Rolling Meadows

Both the bride and the groom must appear in person and have proper identification that serves as proof of identity and age, plus $60 to obtain a marriage license (same day.) Your clergyman will sign the license after the wedding, and it will be mailed to the Clerk’s Office. You may purchase a copy of your marriage certificate from the Clerk’s Office after it has been recorded for $15.

 
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Marriage Preparation Programs

Participating in a marriage preparation program prior to your wedding is a requirement of the Archdiocese of Chicago. There are several programs available. You may choose the program you feel will best help you have a successful marriage, meet your scheduling needs and fit your budget.

Saint Raymond parish offers two different marriage preparation programs; both are free of charge. Couples can meet privately with our mentor couple for 2 or 3 in-person or zoom sessions to prepare for married life.

Saint Raymond also offers a group marriage preparation for couples led by a married couple from the parish, using the Alpha Pre-Marriage video program. Couples will watch a series of short videos, engage with each other, talk with other couples preparing to marry, and the lead married couple for 2 hours weekly, for three consecutive weeks.  Contact Jill Heinking for registration.

Pre-Cana is offered by the Archdiocese of Chicago. Pre-Cana can be done in-person for $195 at a variety of parishes or on Zoom for $150. The training is six hours long, all day on a Saturday or two weekday evenings. There is also a Weekend Encounter for $495 held at the Seminary in Mundelein, which includes lodging, food, education, books, and social gatherings.

Certificates of completion will be issued by the Archdiocese of Chicago or Saint Raymond and will be retained in your wedding file.

 
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Wedding Coordinator

Each couple will be assigned a wedding coordinator who will run your rehearsal and wedding ceremony. She will call the bride a week before the wedding to gather all the details you have planned for your wedding. She will prepare your chosen prayers and readings for the ceremony. She will handle receiving and placing your flowers on the altar. The wedding coordinator works closely with the music director and videographer. She ensures your wedding starts on time and keeps your wedding on schedule. She connects all the professionals working at your wedding so the day runs smoothly. She also assists with take down and clean up after your ceremony and makes sure nothing is left behind.

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Rehearsal

An important event like a wedding needs to be well planned in advance. The rehearsal gives the couple and the wedding party an opportunity to run through the ceremony so the actual ceremony is smooth, efficient, calm, and prayerful. Wedding rehearsals are conducted by the wedding coordinator, and they last one hour. Your rehearsal date and time will be set when you register for your wedding. Rehearsals are held on Thursday or Friday evenings between 5:00 and 7:00 pm. Your entire wedding party is expected to attend the rehearsal and be punctual. Please bring your marriage license, musician fees, optional unity candle, and optional worship programs on the evening of the rehearsal. They will be secured for you until your ceremony.

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Flowers and Decorations

Please work with your florist on altar flowers, bouquets, and decorations. The church has some floral stands available for use. All floral pieces are placed behind the altar but will be visible to your guests and the videographer. Please designate someone in attendance to take your floral arrangements and decorations after the ceremony. The church will not store or be responsible for them. Flower girls are not permitted to drop fresh flower petals. Silk petals, however, may be used, provided someone in attendance is designated to pick them up after the ceremony. Presentation of an optional bouquet at the Holy Family Shrine is permitted. Wedding decorations may not be tacked or taped to surfaces in the church but rather should be clipped or tied. There are 28 rows of pews in the church. Throwing rice, birdseed, paper confetti, or the release of balloons is prohibited. Bubbles are permitted outside.

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Photographers and Videographers

Most wedding couples will want to capture and remember this important moment in their lives with photos or video of the ceremony, wedding party, and family. Professional photographers and videographers are permitted at the church and are expected to respect the sacredness of the space and follow our guidelines. Videographers must remain in one of the stationary positions outside of the sanctuary during the liturgy. Floodlights and artificial lighting may not be used in the church. Please have the professionals you have hired contact the wedding coordinator before the ceremony details and read the attached memorandum.

Saint Raymond has an in-house videographer who uses our state-of-the-art stationary cameras at the back and sides of the church that connect directly to our sound system. This system also allows your wedding to be live-streamed, should you desire it. Two wedding videos filmed at Saint Raymond using our camera system are attached here and here for you to view. There is a fee for this optional service, which is on your wedding contract.

Please remember only 30 minutes are allotted for photos after the wedding ceremony, so plan appropriately. It is suggested that only the bride and groom process out at the conclusion of the liturgy. The wedding party and family should remain in the front of the church for photos. You should have your bridal party and family receiving line at your reception venue.

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TV Screens in the Vestibule

There are two TV screens in the entrance of the church in the gathering space. A welcome to your wedding can be displayed on these screens for your guests to see as they arrive. Your welcome can be as simple as, “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Smith”. You could also display your wedding invitation. If a personal video has been made by the couple, this too can be shown here. Our in-house videographer, Brandi at b.sulak@st-raymond.org, can assist you with placing a message of your choice, free of charge, on the TV screen. Please contact her the week before your wedding if you desire this service.

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Music and Wedding Workshops

Many selections of music come to mind when planning a wedding liturgy. The music for your wedding should add to the beauty of the service and the sanctity of the occasion. Once you register to have your wedding at Saint Raymond, you will receive information from the music office regarding the annual Wedding Workshop, music guidelines, and how to hire specific professional musicians for your wedding day. Please view our latest Wedding Workshop 2024 or Wedding Workshop 2023. You will hear music for all the parts of a wedding liturgy on the workshop video, including snippets of songs you may choose from for each part of the liturgy. These snippets are played by a variety of musicians and sung by a variety of soloists. You are required to have a minimum of two musicians at your wedding, a cantor (vocalist) and an accompanist (pianist). You may want to have additional musicians. All the musicians in the wedding workshop video are professionals who are accustomed to working at Saint Raymond. You will receive their contact information and a fee schedule from Saint Raymond, but you will hire and schedule them yourself. All questions regarding music should be addressed to Brian Fife, music director, b.fife@st-raymond.org or 847-253-8600 x136 or his assistant Mary Lou Larson, m.larson@st-raymond.org or 847-253-8600 x156.

 
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Unity Candle

If you desire to light a Unity Candle during your ceremony, please bring the candle you have purchased to the rehearsal and give it to the wedding coordinator. Unity candles and holders may be purchased at religious goods stores, candle, and greeting card stores. You will also need to designate an attendee at your wedding to be responsible for taking the candle after the ceremony. Unfortunately, we cannot be responsible for candles left at the church after the wedding.

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Worship Programs

Some couples want to provide guests with a worship program. There are generally two types of programs. One is simple, it outlines the order of the ceremony and lists the names of those who will be involved, such as, “First Reading, from the Book of Genesis, John Smith, brother of the bride.” The other program is more extensive and includes all of the above, as well as, the readings, prayers, vows exchanged, and music sung by the congregation.

Local instant printers are the usual source for obtaining printed wedding programs. Saint Raymond does not provide wedding ceremony programs. If you have wedding programs printed, please bring them to your rehearsal and give them to your wedding coordinator. They will be secured until your wedding and all extra programs will be returned to you after the ceremony. Please designate an attendee to pick them up.

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Important Notice

Your wedding ceremony is a sacrament, a sacred event. The promise you make to each other is for life and must be made with clarity of mind and heart. Therefore, alcohol is not to be brought onto the church property or to be consumed anywhere on the Saint Raymond campus, including the parking lot. Consumption of alcohol by the bride and/or groom will result in the postponement of the wedding ceremony. Members of the wedding party, the family, and guests are also expected to honor this notice.

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