Six Months Preparation 

Marriage is an important Sacrament. A sufficient period is given to its preparation. Like most Catholic dioceses, the Diocese of Reno require couples to contact St. Francis of Assisi at least six months before the marriage. The following is part of that preparation. 

DIOCESAN RULES 
Common Policy for pastoral Marriage Preparation, Diocese of Reno 
"Couples are encouraged to contact their Priest and begin formal marriage preparation as soon as they make a decision to marry. As a minimum requirement couples must contact the Priest and begin their preparation at least six months before the proposed wedding date. This is not intended as a "Waiting Period" but rather one of preparation. Therefore the process of such preparation should begin at the first meeting with the Priest or the St. Francis of Assisi Marriage Preparation Team. Concern with the immediate preparation for the wedding itself can make it difficult for the couple to benefit fully from the preparation itself. Thus it is highly desirable for the couple to complete all the steps of preparation at least two months before the wedding date". 

The following is part of the preparation. 

• PMI - During the preparation period, the Marriage Preparation Team helping the couple will provide what is called the Pre-Marital Inventory and/or PMI. This program aids the couple examining mutual feelings and expectations of marriage. Through this program, the couple develops a mature and solid relationship necessary for marriage.  It is to be noted that the Priest or Marriage Preparation Team helping the couple may determine there is a question regarding the couple's readiness for marriage. He/they may refer the couple to a professional for evaluation and assessment.

Special considerations:

Persons under the age of 19 who wish to marry will be asked to receive individual evaluative counseling before the marriage can be arranged.

• Engaged Encounter - Besides the PMI Program, the couple attends the following preparation. A weekend (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) to be shared by the couple with others preparing for marriage. This weekend experience assists in developing communication skills by giving each person the opportunity for honest, intensive sharing about their future lives together. The schedule for the Engaged Encounter, held in the Student Center at Bishop Manogue High School in Reno, NV, may be obtained by calling (775) 324-5683. Your Priest or Marriage Preparation Team may also have a sign-up brochure. There is a fee of $185 for attending the ECE weekend in Reno. If you live in the San Francisco Bay area the contact information may be found at http://www.sfcee.org/.  Attendance at Engaged Encounter is mandatory for all couples.

• The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. You will be given this book at your first meeting with the Marriage Preparation Team. You are asked to read it so that you can discuss this book at your second meeting.

 Planning the Ceremony 

Reserving Saint Francis Church
Please contact Beth and Dieter Krewedl to arrange your wedding date at (530) 587-1172 or email: krewedl@gmail.com. The fee for the use of the church is $1,500.00. A deposit of $500.00 is required within fourteen (14) days of booking your wedding to secure your chosen date. Mail all checks to St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Incline Village. 

Dates & Times  
Wedding ceremonies may be scheduled Saturdays at 11:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M. Due to the variety of parish activities, scheduling at other times on Saturdays is not possible. Other days and times may be available if the couple provides their own clergy. 

Church Wedding Coordinator
Our Parish Wedding Coordinator Suzanne Ewasko, is part of our team and must be contacted by you to arrange a meeting one-month prior to your wedding. At that meeting the logistics of the ceremony will be decided... The church Wedding Coordinator will attend your rehearsal and will be present at the wedding.  If you have hired your own Wedding Coordinator, our Parish Wedding Coordinator will cooperate with your personal coordinator; however, our Parish Wedding Coordinator is fully responsible for the rehearsal, to assure that the sacred ceremony is in compliance with the Diocese/Parish customs and traditions.  Suzanne has a stipend of $100, which is paid directly to her on the day of the rehearsal.  You may contact Suzanne at ewasko@sbcglobal.net.

Rehearsals  
Rehearsals may be held on weekdays.  Dates and times are arranged with the Priest. Saint Francis Church is reserved for a period of one hour for your rehearsal. Punctuality is imperative. Rehearsals will not be extended beyond the scheduled time; adherence to the scheduled time is imperative due to other events. 

Special Notice Regarding Promptness
You have the use of the church for ninety (90) minutes. This includes photographs.  In order for the Wedding liturgy to begin promptly, the couple should arrive in plenty of time before the ceremony: thirty minutes for the groom and ushers, and thirty minutes for the bride and attendants. The weddings at St. Francis of Assisi must remain within certain time limits.  Thus, couples should realize that a late start of the liturgy might require shortening or even elimination of certain parts of the ceremony or photographs.  The 2:00 P.M. Wedding Party and photographers must vacate the church by 3:30 P.M., at the latest. No pictures will be allowed after 3:30 P.M.

Planning Your Wedding Liturgy 

The liturgy of marriage is a moment of joy and celebration. In our Catholic tradition, we hold that the couples themselves minister this sacrament or the vows to one another. While it is necessary that an official witness of the Church preside over the celebration (normally, a Priest), the active involvement of the couple in every aspect of planning the celebration is essential. 

The couple should always keep in mind that the ceremony is first and foremost a moment of prayer for all who are present. All aspects of the celebration should reflect the noble simplicity befitting Christian worship. 

Planning
To aid in this planning, we use the booklet, Together for Life by Joseph M. Champlin (Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana), along with a liturgy-planning sheet. On your final meeting with the Priest, you will discuss the specific readings from Scripture and liturgical options that you have chosen. He will help clarify any further questions you may have regarding the ceremony at that time.  

Mass or Ceremony?
Should you celebrate your marriage in the context of a Mass or non-Eucharistic ceremony? 

When a wedding is celebrated at Mass, the Rite of Marriage takes place after the Liturgy of the Word and the homily. The Liturgy of the Eucharist then follows. When a wedding is celebrated outside Mass, it is celebrated within the context of a Liturgy of the Word, in which the Rite of Marriage takes place after the homily. This Rite concludes with prayers and blessings. 

In choosing which format to use you will want to consider the following points:

• What is our relationship to the Sunday Eucharist? Are we faithful to the Church’s Sunday prayer? Have we been away from the community’s prayer? Have we committed ourselves to returning?

• In light of your answers to the above questions, is Mass or a Liturgy of the Word the better context for the celebration of our marriage?

• If one of you is from another faith tradition and so will be unable to share Holy Communion if the wedding is celebrated during Mass, you may want to consider what this means. Do you want to include something in this celebration in which only one of you will be able to take part?

• Who will your guests be? Is the celebration of the Eucharist the best way to help them be with you and pray with you at your wedding?

Music
Welcome to the process of planning music for the celebration of your marriage. Please keep in mind that all music chosen needs to be appropriate for a sacred liturgy. Some love songs, while beautiful to listen to, may be more appropriate at the reception than at the wedding itself.  A general guideline is that any sung music (by cantor, soloist, or choir) should be sacred in nature. A list of musicians available at St. Francis of Assisi is provided. Our musicians and cantors charge a separate fee. You are free to use whomever you wish, however, a $50 surcharge will be charged for any musician/group who is not directly associated with our parish. Music of a liturgical or sacred nature is encouraged. We look forward to working with you to create a meaningful and lovely wedding for you.

Flowers
As sacred art reflects the joy of the Paschal Mystery celebrated in all Catholic liturgies, flowers add an important element of festivity to a wedding. Given the elaborate interior design of the Church, decorations should reflect simplicity and should not interfere with the liturgy.  Flowers are never placed on the altar itself.  Flowers are never placed on the altar itself but may be placed on the steps or floor directly in front of the altar. Nothing may be placed on the pews themselves. The use of artificial petals may be tossed by a flower girl but not real petals as these may stain the stone pavers.

The Church environment is decorated according to our liturgical calendar. There are certain colors used during the different seasons which will be prominent and which may influence your decisions as to arrangements. 

None of the Church decorations or furniture may be moved for a wedding. Please be respectful while working in the sanctuary area. 

It is the responsibility of the florist/wedding party to see that any items placed in the aisles are removed after the ceremony and that the Church is left tidy and orderly. 

Bridal Runners
Due to insurance liability risk, bridal runners are not allowed. 

Rice, etc. 
Birdseed, confetti, rose-petals, bubbles, etc. create a safety hazard. There is a clause in our insurance policy prohibiting such items. We ask you to inform your guests that none of these be thrown in, around or in front of the church.  

Parking
There is parking provided for the wedding adjacent to the Church with an overflow parking lot located on Kelly Dr.  Please note that the driveway on the south side of the Church is one way. 

Bride's Room
Space is available in the Church Hall downstairs. The Wedding Coordinator will assist you in this matter. 

Photos/Videos
Great care must be taken to insure that nothing interferes with this sacred event. Please review with the photographer(s)/videographer(s) the enclosed information that offers guidelines for your wedding memories. 

Check List 

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