Marriage
Welcome to the Cathedral of Saint Andrew and we congratulate you on the occasion of your engagement and upcoming marriage. If you are considering the Cathedral as the place for you to celebrate the Sacrament of Marriage, we want to support and assist you in the best way possible as you embark on this very important commitment in your lives.
Please contact Lynnae Jarrell, (616) 456-1454 x1901, the Cathedral Wedding Coordinator for a copy of our wedding policies, with any questions or to get started on the planning process.
Now you can make your wedding payments online. Click HERE and scroll down to the fund called Wedding Payments.
Who can be married at the Cathedral?
The Catholic Church has a long tradition of celebrating the sacraments within one’s own community of faith; registered parishioners of the Cathedral Parish and, as the mother church of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, we also welcome weddings of Roman Catholics from other parishes who might wish to celebrate their wedding in the Cathedral with the preparation and also officiated by a priest or deacon from the home parish of the couple. If the home parish priest cannot preside, a Cathedral of Saint Andrew priest may be requested.
Who can officiate or preside at Cathedral weddings?
The Cathedral priests officiate at Cathedral weddings for parishioners. But permission can be given for a visiting priest or deacon to officiate. If you belong to another parish, your home parish priest is the appropriate person to ask to help you complete your wedding file and preside at your wedding. If the home parish priest cannot preside, a Cathedral of Saint Andrew priest may be requested through the Wedding Coordinator.
Is the Cathedral Chapel available for weddings and/or convalidations?
Yes. They may also take place in the St. Ambrose Chapel when guests will not exceed 60 persons. Please call the parish office at 616-456-1454 x1901 to schedule at date and time.
What is the time period for preparation to celebrate a Catholic wedding?
The Catholic Bishops of the Province of Michigan, which includes the Diocese of Grand Rapids, require a minimum immediate preparation period of six months prior to the celebration of a couple’s wedding. The covenant of love that a couple hopes to enter with the Sacrament of Matrimony requires time, so the couple is ready for the commitment they are about to make. Six months is necessary to ensure time for proper preparation.
Do Catholic weddings always take place during Mass?
No. Weddings can be celebrated either during the celebration of Mass or during a Liturgy of the Word.
Are there policies regarding the content of the wedding, the music used, etc.?
Yes. The content of the service is set forth in the Church’s official Ritual Book for weddings. The couple being married is encouraged to engage in helping to plan the wedding service. The Cathedral also has standards and policies regarding the music to be used at a wedding. They are set forth in some detail in the Wedding Policies and Procedures for the Cathedral of Saint Andrew which is given to all couples who are going to be married in the Cathedral.
If one person of the couple is not Catholic is s/he able to be married at the Cathedral?
Yes, if s/he is free to marry a Catholic in a Catholic ceremony, and at least one of you is Catholic.
Are people who have been married before able to marry at the Cathedral?
Unless there has been an annulment, the answer to this question is "no". Because the Catholic Church regards marriage as a permanent commitment. However, because there are exceptions and extenuating circumstances, you would be well advised to discuss it as soon as possible with the priest or deacon whom you approach about officiating at your wedding before a commitment for preparations has been made.
