Other Important Information

The Sacrament of Penance   As your wedding day approaches, celebrating the Sacrament of Penance is particularly fitting. Doing so helps your relationship with God to progress or start anew. It allows God to forgive any distance or sin that exists between you and God.

If you are uncomfortable about the Sacrament of Reconciliation, or feel it's been too long since your last confession, please don't be embarrassed; speak to us. Our ministry is to support you and to help you with whatever issues or concerns you might have. Ultimately, we want you to know and cherish the great love and mercy God has for all. The schedule for confession at Holy Name is listed in the bulletin. You may also schedule a meeting with one of the priests at any time or choose to go to confession outside the parish. We can assist you with times and places if you would like to know them.

Readers and Eucharistic Ministers   At the heart of the Catholic Marriage Rite is the reading of Sacred Scripture. It is from the Bible that our understanding of the Sacrament of Matrimony flows. As such, the proclamation of God’s word within the liturgy is a sacred and enriching time. You may select some Scripture readings for your wedding. The marriage coordinator will provide you with a booklet (Together for Life) that will assist you in selecting the readings and prayers. Plan to give the readers at your wedding a copy of the scripture passage, so they can practice beforehand, and read from that practiced sheet.

If a family member or friend is a Eucharistic Minister, and you are marrying at a Mass, we welcome them to share this ministry at your wedding. Please let us know in advance.

Flowers/Bows: You are welcome to decorate the inside of the church and sanctuary with floral arrangements and place bows/flowers on the pews. Keep in mind that the church is a house of worship, and any and all arrangements or decorations should be respectful of its sacredness. If you have plans to decorate the church more extensively than floral arrangements or bows on the pews (HNC does not have pew hooks.), please discuss those plans with the priest/deacon/coordinator before the plans are finalized. It is customary that flowers for a wedding become a gift to the parish for the weekend Masses in the church.

During the Christmas and Easter seasons, the church is beautifully decorated and will remain so during your wedding. Additional flowers will likely not be needed.

The church is open to florists one hour before your wedding time.

There are 31 rows of pews; and 14 rows of these pews are in front of the break.

The altar candles are lit for all weddings. For safety reasons, candles are not allowed on the pews; candelabras are not used.

Questions often arise in regard to the use of the wedding-unity candle. This candle, which has become somewhat of a custom in this area of the country, is not a part of the Catholic Marriage Rite. You are not required to have a unity candle during the wedding liturgy; but you may wish to provide one. It is perfectly fitting not to use one.

Receiving Lines are permitted at the back or outside of the church. However, we ask you take into consideration other liturgies that might be occurring on the day of your wedding. If your wedding is followed closely by another wedding or liturgy, the wedding coordinator may ask you to shorten the line.

Photographers and videographers are welcome to take pictures or videos inside the Church. We ask them to speak with the wedding coordinator or the presider before the wedding starts. If they do, they will become aware of the restricted areas of the church. If they choose to shoot from the choir loft, they are asked to check with the cantor and the organist.

The church is usually available following your wedding ceremony for additional pictures. This availability follows the same guidelines for receiving lines and we ask that this time be limited to no longer than 30 minutes.

Bagpipes  Some couples hire bagpipers. We require that he/she remain outside the church. This affords a good vantage point from which to greet your guests as they arrive and to send them off as they go to your reception.

Confetti/Rice/Birdseed/Flower Petals/Bubbles  These items are not allowed. Any of them can create a slippery surface that puts guests at risk and make clean up difficult.