Marriage

Application form Marriage – WriteableDownload
Visiting Priest Details – WriteableDownload

St Benedict’s Church, 104 Broadway, Chippendale.
The church will hold a maximum of 250 people.
There is parking available for wedding vehicles only.
Wedding guests will need to park in the surrounding streets or a parking station or arrive via public transport, with Central station a short walk and bus stops close by.

St Bede’s Church, 43 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont.
The church faces Jones Bay Road and will hold a maximum of 110 people.
There is free parking for two wedding cars outside the church; otherwise there is street meter parking or the parking station at The Star.

St James’ Church, 2 Woolley Street, Forest Lodge.
The church will hold a maximum of 250 people. There is free parking in the surrounding streets.
The entrance to the church has a lot of stairs but there is disabled access at the side/rear of the church.

Bookings
Wedding ceremonies are generally held on Friday’s and Saturday’s. 
If you wish to have your ceremony on an alternative day, you will need to receive agreement from the Parish priest.
The latest start time for a wedding at is 2pm.

Please note: Due to Mass commitments, NO weddings will be held on Sundays at all 3 parishes.

Use of the Church for weddings
St Benedict’s, St James’ and St Bede’s Churches are a sacred place of worship and are living/working churches. For this reason, it is not merely a venue for hire.
The Church’s Liturgical Calendar often requires changes to the dressing of the Sanctuary and other places (such as the veiling statues for Lent). This cannot be changed.
Also in place are the churches posters, machines and fixtures etc which are in specific places within the church for parishioner convenience. These must remain where they are and not be moved by photographers or members of the wedding. We request you to respect this.  
We are happy to advise couples of what they may expect the Church to look like when planning a date.

Parish Priest
As there is only one priest for the parishes of Broadway, Forest Lodge and Pyrmont, couples who do not live in the parishes, or are not involved in the life of either parish, should arrange for their own CATHOLIC priest or deacon to perform the marriage ceremony.
If this is not possible, you need to have received the agreement of the Parish Priest to celebrate your marriage.

Visiting Priests or Deacons
Any visiting priests or deacons MUST email a copy of their Ministry Card to us on 
[email protected] as soon as possible, but at least 1 month prior to the wedding taking place.

Meeting with the Priest or Deacon
The priest or deacon is responsible for seeing that the couple undertake a course of marriage preparation, for the paperwork and the ceremony planning for the couple.
You will need to meet with the Priest/Deacon at least 3 months prior to your wedding date to complete the government and church paperwork and to discuss the order of your wedding service.

Documents required when meeting with the Priest or Deacon

  • Wedding application form
  • Birth Certificate or passport
  • A recent copy of your Baptism certificate. Please request an updated copy from the parish of your baptism no more than 6 months prior to your wedding date.
  • Certificate of completed wedding preparation course (or proof of enrolment)
  • Divorce and/or Annulment papers if applicable.

You will need to show the original (and provide copies) of the above documents at your meeting with the priest or deacon:

Wedding preparation course
Catholic Care (Face to Face course)
Please contact CatholicCare on
Phone: 9509 1234
Email: [email protected]
http://www.catholiccare.org/families/relationships/marriage-and-relationship-education-0

Smart Loving Online Course
www.SmartLoving.org/engaged

Wedding Rehearsal
Rehearsals are generally held on the Thursday prior to your wedding, at 6pm. This will be arranged when your booking is confirmed.

Church Access
The church is opened 1 hour prior to your ceremony and is kept open for half an hour after the ceremony.

Payments – Church*
The church booking fee is $500.00. Your booking will not be confirmed until this payment has been received.

Payments – Priest*
It is customary to offer a donation to your priest or deacon. The donation is greatly appreciated and is generally given to the priest or deacon at the rehearsal.

Payments – Other
Fees paid to the Organist, Bell Ringers and any other musicians are not included in the church booking and are an additional charge, paid directly to the person providing the service.

*Please also note that these fees are Goods and Services Tax (GST) free and the receipt is not tax-deductible.

Music (live or recorded)
Since a wedding in the church is a sacred ceremony, music should be of a sacred nature. Secular music cannot be played in the church.

  • If you would like the church organ to be played, we can supply you with details of the parish organist.
  • Use of other instruments such as the harp, classical guitar, viola etc are welcome.
  • You will need to be responsible for any copyright issues involved in the playing of recorded music.

Church Organ and Bell Ringers
If you would like to have the pipe organ or bells played at your wedding, details will be provided to you to arrange this with the Parish Organist and Bell Ringer. There is an additional fee for this service and is paid directly to the service provider.

PA System
You must not change any of the church’s PA settings. Much effort has been made in adjusting the PA system so that the sound in the church is at its optimum setting.

Security
Please ensure that any vehicles are locked and valuables are kept out of view or not left unattended within the church.
St Benedict’s, St James’ and St Bede’s Parishes will not be responsible for any loss or damage due to criminal activity.

Flowers and decorations
There are no restrictions on the amount of flowers you can have, but:

  • Flower arrangements are not to be placed directly on the altar. It is permitted to place arrangements directly in front of the altar on the floor.
  • Floral arrangements can be placed anywhere else in the church.
  • Your florist will need to be advised that we do not provide any vases.
  • Pew decorations are allowed but only if tied onto the pews. (Absolutely NO pins or glue allowed)

Floral arrangements may be left in the church if you wish, EXCEPT during the Season of Lent, when all flowers must be removed from the church. (Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and concludes with the Easter Vigil)

Confetti, Rice and Flower petals
Under NO CIRCUMSTANCES is the use of confetti, rice, or flower petals permitted in or outside the church.

Animals in the church
With the exception of service animals, pets are NOT permitted in the church. If you wish for your pet to be part of your wedding, please reserve this for your photo’s or reception.

INTERNATIONAL WEDDINGS

Information for couples living in Australia, getting married overseas
If you are of the Catholic faith, live within our parish boundaries and are getting married overseas in a Catholic church, you will need to meet with our parish priest to complete the relevant paperwork. This needs to be completed AT LEAST 3 months prior to your wedding date.

You will need to show the original (and provide copies) of the following documents at your meeting with our priest:

  • Birth Certificate, passport or drivers license
  • A recent copy of your Baptismal Certificate. Please request an updated copy from the parish of your baptism no more than 6 months prior to your wedding date.
  • Certificate of completed wedding preparation course (or proof of enrollment).
  • Name and address details of the parish and priest where you are getting married
  • A BLANK overseas registered post envelope ($25 from the post office)

Information for Couples living overseas who wish to be married at St Bede’s Pyrmont or St James Forest Lodge.

1 – Australian Government Requirements

  • A couple marrying in Australia need to complete a “Notice of Intended Marriage” sometime in the period 18 months – 1 month prior to the wedding.
  • In the case of couples living overseas, it will need to be completed and witnessed where they are living and then mailed to St James Catholic Church, Forest Lodge. Only certain categories of persons are authorised under the Marriage Act to witness a “Notice of Intended Marriage”.
  • Australian diplomatic and consular officials are authorised witnesses. So too are notaries public. You need to furnish a birth certificate or a current passport when completing this form.

2 – Church Requirements

  • Each couple marrying in a Catholic ceremony needs to complete a “Pre-Nuptial Enquiry” form, which basically establishes for Church purposes that they are free to marry.
    A basic requirement is that at least one of the parties is a baptised Catholic of the Latin (Roman) rite. It will need to be filled out with a priest of the Catholic diocese where you are living. He would normally forward it to his bishop, who would send it to the archbishop of Sydney, and then it would finally be sent to the celebrant at St James Catholic Church Forest Lodge.
  • When filling out the “Pre-Nuptial Enquiry” the Catholic party will need to present a copy of their Baptism Certificate which has been issued within the last 6 months. This can be obtained by contacting the parish where the baptism took place. An additional form called a “Mixed Marriage Dispensation” needs to be filled out by the Catholic party when he or she is marrying someone from another Christian denomination, or a person who has not been baptised.

If you require further information, please contact the Parish office on 02 9660 1407 or email [email protected]

Office hours are Monday to Friday 9.30am to 2.30pm.