Our DIY Wedding: Reserving the Church

My husband and I were lucky to have gotten a slot six months before our big day. The rule of thumb is that you're supposed to reserve the church one year before. By the way, we had a Catholic ceremony as both of us belong to the same denomination.

I had a lot of questions before we finalized the venue and date of the ceremony. Among them, on top of my head, were:

• What are the requirements, i.e. seminars and documents and their schedules/deadlines for submission?
  
• Are there seminars/required activities held during Saturdays (so we won't have to miss work)?
  
• Does the parish hold office during weekends?
• What is the process should we decide to move the event to another date?
• How long is the interval between Masses on the day of our wedding?
  
• Will another party be using another area of the church on our chosen schedule (Some churches hold baptismal and matrimonial rites at the same time and that could be noisy.)?
  
• Can we choose the priest who will celebrate the Mass?
• How much is the fee?
• What is included in the fee (flower arrangements, candles, etc.)?
• What kind and color of flowers are included in the package? (Most churches prepare only one set of flowers for the whole day. Also, I wanted the kind and color of the flowers to complement my own bouquet as well the color of my maids' gowns. I will also base the reception flowers on the church flowers.)
  
• Do we have to pay if we want to add something to the existing provisions?
• Will the parish provide the Mass booklet or can we make our own?
  
• What manpower will the parish provide (commentator, readers, lay ministers/servers, entourage assistant etc.)?
• Can we bring our own choir?
• What equipment are included in the sound system (because I just wanted to play Pachelbel and Enya from a CD during the wedding march)?
• Where are the photographers allowed to move? Are they allowed to go up the altar?
  
• How much time will be given for the post-ceremony photo shoot at the altar?
• Where else in the church can we have our pictorials?
  

I'm sure I had a lot of questions then. The most important, though, were those about the date and requirements, especially since my baptismal and confirmation records had typographical errors and my husband had not received his Sacrament of Confirmation. The papers had to be corrected right away, lest our slot be given to another couple who can meet the deadline.

So if you're planning to get married soon, do collect your papers and check for typo errors. Furthermore, check with your local government regarding their own requirements. If I remember correctly, the marriage license is also a Church requirement.