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Couples wishing to get married in either the Cathedral or Holy Cross should arrange to see the Fr Martin, Dean of the Cathedral, at Clergy House. In order to celebrate the Sacrament of Matrimony in the Catholic Church, at least one partner must be a baptised Catholic.

Please remember that it is important to approach the church before making your plans for a reception venue. No dates will be confirmed until you both meet with Fr Martin. Please contact the Parish Office initially to arrange a meeting with Fr Martin.

At least six months notice of a marriage is required in order to allow sufficient time for the preparation of couples and to complete the civil and ecclesiastical paperwork.

Who can get married at Brentwood Cathedral?

Because of the large number of requests to get married at the Cathedral or abroad, the only couples who can be accommodated at the Cathedral are those who meet the following conditions:

(i) where, at least, one partner is a baptised Catholic

(ii) where, at least, one partner is resident in the Cathedral parish and is a parishioner

(iii) where, if not resident in the parish, there is a very strong link to the parish, for example, they were raised in the parish and their parents are resident here.

N.B. – Just having attended one of the schools in the parish would not be considered a strong enough link.

For those couples getting married abroad:

It is essential that a minimum of six months’ notice is given of your marriage if all the preparation and paperwork is to be completed, checked and forwarded to the Diocese of the country you are getting married in.

There is a fee of £50 for the preparation and completion of all paperwork for those couples who are planning to get married abroad.

Marriage Preparation

On your Wedding Day, you will make solemn and sacred vows before God and His Church. To assist you in the preparation for this moment and your life together in Christian marriage, it is required that both of you attend Sunday Mass at the Cathedral and attend the Cathedral Marriage Preparation Course. There is a preliminary meeting in November in the Cathedral Conference Centre at TBC to discuss the practical aspects of getting married at the Cathedral or Holy Cross.

The Marriage Preparation course takes place in the Cathedral Conference Centre behind the Cathedral and the cost of the course is £50 per couple. Course dates for 2020 are TBC:

There will be a special blessing for all engaged couples who are preparing for marriage at the 11.30 Mass on TBC. Family and friends are welcome to attend.

Essential Documents

1. A currently-dated baptismal certificate from the church where you were baptised.
2. A statutory declaration of freedom to marry for or each party, notarised by a Commissioner for Oaths (Solicitor). The priest or deacon celebrating your wedding will supply you with a statutory declaration form.
3. From your local Registry office: a “blue form” certificate for each of you which permits you to be married. These must be applied for as soon as possible and not less than fifteen days before the wedding. The certificates must be given to the priest by law before the ceremony so please deliver them as soon as possible. It is absolutely essential that the certificates are presented since the wedding cannot take place without them.
4. A Marriage Course certificate. See below for information about the Marriage Preparation Course.
5. A £50 cheque, made payable to “Brentwood Cathedral parish”, for marriage paperwork that will involve the Chancery of the diocese, such as a marriage between a Catholic and a non-Catholic Christian, or a non-baptised person, or a marriage ceremony outside the diocese. This is to cover administration costs for the Diocese of Brentwood.

Order of Service

The priest or deacon celebrating your wedding will help you to shape the content of your Nuptial Mass or service. If you are having a printed Order of Service, please make sure the priest or deacon sees a draft of it before it goes to print.

Music

In order to maintain the very high standard of music in the Cathedral parish, the Cathedral Music Department normally provides both the organist and any soloist or singers requested for a wedding. The Cathedral Master of Music, Andrew Wright may be contacted by email at music@dioceseofbrentwood.org.

Please contact the Cathedral Director of Music at least two months before the date of your ceremony.

The fees are: Organist £180; Soloist £110, additional singers £25 each. Fees must be paid before the wedding.

Please note that only SACRED MUSIC can be used at weddings in the Cathedral and Holy Cross. Neither building has any facility to play recorded or downloaded music.

The Cathedral Music Office will do all they can to help in your choice of appropriate music.

Photographers

You can employ any photographers, and they will be allowed only at designated places in the church. The use of video cameras is permitted with the same conditions and without additional lighting. The use of “drones” for any purpose is totally prohibited.

Flowers

The flower arrangements must be from our dedicated florist. Roisin Cassels and her team are responsible for all flower arrangements in the church. You may ring her on 07845 120310. The fee for flower arrangement is £60 and the amount you wish to spend on flowers is up to you.

Confetti

The use of confetti of any kind is not permitted either inside or outside the church.

Registrar

A registrar will be provided for your wedding; the fee for the registrar is £50. This fee must be paid before the wedding.

Donation for priest or deacon celebrating your wedding

This is your personal gift to the priest or deacon who has taken the time to journey with you to your wedding day and who will celebrate your wedding. An average donation would be around £150.