CHURCH WEDDING STEP BY STEP  

Statistics show the uniqueness and solemnity of church weddings. In 2018, 54,470 couples were married in the Czech Republic, but only 5,470 couples said "I do" in a church wedding. In fact, in order to come before God and take the vows together with your chosen one, you have to fulfil more conditions than in a wedding at the town hall. If you are considering a church wedding, start planning at least a year in advance.  

Before you start thinking about a church ceremony, it is important to say that a church wedding is only possible if at least one of the couple is baptized. If neither of the couple is baptized, a church wedding is unfortunately not possible. If you meet this condition and are in favour of a church wedding, but do not know how to do it and what you will need, here is a brief description of the steps.  

Timing and location   

Start planning and arranging your wedding well in advance. One year is ideal. A church wedding traditionally takes place in the parish to which one of the newlyweds belongs. However, you can choose any ordained church in the Czech Republic. The important thing is that you feel comfortable in it. You should also make sure that the size of the church is appropriate for the number of guests. Some small churches can only accommodate small groups of wedding guests, while large churches can feel a bit empty with fewer guests.   

Required permits  

If you wish to have your wedding in a church other than 'your' church, you must first ask your parish priest for permission to have the wedding elsewhere. This is called a parish release and is usually a formality. You will also need an extract from your parish priest's baptismal register, but this must not be more than three months old on the day of the ceremony. As it takes longer to prepare for a church marriage, it is a good idea to ask for a statement when you have a fixed date for the wedding and know that you will not forfeit the statement.  

At the same time, you need to visit the parish priest of the place you have chosen for your wedding and ask him for permission to perform the marriage in his parish. It is most common for the parish priest of the church where your wedding will take place to marry you. You can also choose another priest, but then you will need one more permission. Your marriage celebrant will need permission, called a licence, from the parish priest who is at home in your chosen church. When planning your wedding, expect to arrange the date at least three months in advance with your pastor, but six months or more in advance is ideal.  

If only one of the betrothed is baptised, you also need to apply to the archbishopric for a licence, called a dispensation. Your parish priest will help you with the application process. At the same time as applying for permission for a church wedding, you will need to sign a declaration that you will bring up your children in the Christian faith. Without this declaration, the Archbishopric will not give you permission.  

The parish priest will also need documents from the municipal registry office. There you will need to make an application for a "Certificate of Legal Capacity to Marry". This certifies that you can marry before the Church. At the same time, you will fill in a marriage questionnaire. You will then take these two documents to your officiating priest.  

Preparation for marriage: a path to mutual rapprochement  

At the same time as you are completing all the formalities, you and your priest agree to complete the marriage preparation. During approximately six meetings, you and the priest will talk about a number of topics related to your life together. The aim is to get to know each other better and to realise that there will be difficult times in marriage and that you need to look after your relationship for the long term. During these meetings, you and the priest can be alone or together with other couples planning a wedding. The preparation for marriage itself takes two to three months  

Wedding day    

Before the wedding itself, you must also ask for permission to film and photograph in the church and during the ceremony. It is also advisable to agree with the photographer and the marrying priest what the rules are for taking photographs. You should also discuss with the organist well in advance of the ceremony which pieces you wish to be played during the ceremony. The wedding ceremony lasts approximately 30 minutes. If you are both baptized, the ceremony may be part of the Mass, in which case everything lasts 60-90 minutes.  

Which documents you will need for the church registry office  

• copies of the fiancés' birth certificates  
• copies of the fiancés' ID cards  
• baptism certificate of the fiancé or one of the fiancés  
• certificate of completion of marriage preparation  
• details of witnesses: name, surname, place of residence and birth number  
• certificate of legal capacity to marry  
• application for a church marriage (usually completed together with the priest)   

Which documents you will need for the marriage registry  

• a completed marriage questionnaire  
• the fiancés' ID cards  
• the fiancés' birth certificates  
• child's birth certificate (if you have a child)

What the Christian marriage vows sound like  

  "I, (name), give myself to you, (name), and accept you as my spouse. I pledge to you fidelity in good times and bad, in health and sickness, in plenty and in want. I want to love and honor you all my life until death do us part."  

Or:  

"I, (name), give myself to you, (name), and accept you as my spouse. I promise to keep you in love, respect, and loyalty, to never leave you, and to bear with you through thick and thin until death do us part. So help me God."  

Putting on the rings:  

"(name), this ring is a sign of my faithfulness."