To begin your wedding preparation, please come to the Parish Office to pick up a wedding booklet along with a Marriage Intake Form.  Once your form is completed and returned, a Priest or Deacon will contact you to schedule your first of (typically) three appointments.  Please note that there is at least a six month preparation time required for marriage, and in order to be married in the Catholic Church, at least one of you must be a Baptized Catholic. 

You will be able to set your wedding date and time during your first appointment with the Priest or Deacon (provided there are no special circumstances).  If there is a previous marriage, regardless of where it took place, no date can be set until final permission has been granted from a Marriage Tribunal of the Catholic Church.  Also, if one of you is not Catholic, a Permission and Dispensation form will need to be completed and sent into the Archdiocese.

Weddings are generally held on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., as well as on Friday afternoons, year round.

For those couples being married in a Catholic Church outside the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, we are happy to assist you with your marriage preparation by completing the first two wedding preparation appointments.  Afterwards, we will forward all the paperwork through the Diocesan Office where you are to be married. For those couples desiring a wedding outside a Catholic Church, whether it is within the Archdiocese of Los Angeles or elsewhere, you must obtain the necessary permissions for the ceremony before we can begin any preparation work.

Since marriage celebrates the unbreakable commitment between a man and a woman who are free to make this mature decision in the community of believers, certain documents are required to establish your sacramental status within the Church, your freedom from any previous unions, as well as sworn statements attesting to your clear understanding of the nature and responsibilities of Marriage.

The following are required documents:

Baptismal Certificate A newly issued copy of your Baptismal Certificate (with notations regarding confirmation and  prior marriages) is required for those who are Catholic. This can be obtained by contacting the Church of Baptism and requesting a new certificate. For those Baptized in another Christian faith, a copy of the original certificate is sufficient.

Letters of Freedom (forms provided by the parish) This is a sworn statement, witnessed by a Priest, minister or notary public, attesting that you have never been married before, in either a Church or civil ceremony, and that there is no known impediment to the marriage. Parents normally fill this out, or others who have known you most or all of your life may complete it. Two witnesses are required for each party to the marriage.   We also have specific Letters of Freedom for those who are widowed and those who have been granted a Church annulment.

Permissions and Dispensations In the case of an “Ecumenical Marriage” (the union of a Catholic and a person baptized in  another Christian faith), a Permission for Mixed Marriage form must be completed by the  Priest/Deacon and either signed or witnessed by the parties. In the case of an “Interreligious Marriage” (the marriage of a Catholic and a person that has not been baptized in another religious tradition), a Petition For Dispensation From Disparity of Worship must be completed by the Priest/Deacon and either signed or witnessed by the parties. In both cases, the parties are expected to demonstrate a willingness to commit themselves to honest dialogue concerning their respective religious traditions, and to make sincere efforts  to understand and respect each other’s beliefs. As part of the process, the Catholic party   signs a declaration stating that he/she is prepared to remove dangers of falling away from the   faith, and promises to do all in his/her power to have all the children baptized and brought up in the Catholic church. The non-Catholic party acknowledges an awareness of the obligations of his/her Catholic spouse to preserve and profess his/her faith, and to do all possible to baptize and educate the children of the marriage in the Catholic faith.

Civil License The County Court registers all civil documents. Therefore, any questions you have regarding the procurement of the civil license or other civil concerns should be addressed to the Court. Licenses are valid for ninety days from the date they are issued. The marriage license must be given to the Wedding Coordinator no later than the day of the rehearsal. Please note that it is against the law for the ceremony to take place without a civil license. You may obtain additional information at the Los Angeles County Register-Recorder/County Clerk website.

Pre-Nuptial Inquiry This documents your freedom to marry and is generally completed at the initial interview.

Wedding Rehearsals are scheduled with your Wedding Coordinator as soon as possible. They most likely will be held on a Thursday or Friday evening. Rehearsals will begin on time, and last approximately one hour. It is essential that all members of the wedding party (including readers, gift bearers, etc) be present.

You will need to provide the Wedding Coordinator with the following items at your rehearsal: Marriage License
Copy of your selections from the Together For Life book.
Items needed for the ceremony (guest book, pens, programs, etc)

All Church related payments and stipends.

The Church provides the Unity Candles for you.

All Church related payments:

• Church Donation: $750 if a parishioner at Saint James; $1000.00 (if not a current, registered parishioner for 6 months) This donation should be made payable to St. James Church. It is  your gift to the church and is not for the Priest or Deacon who presides over your wedding ceremony.

• Wedding Coordinator: – $175

• Music Director: – $250  (additional musicians/services extra)

• Altar Servers –  $20 each – Cash only,  please. The wedding coordinator will let you know in advance how many are needed.

• Priest or Deacon Offering. There is no set fee, but a free will donation is suggested. Make check payable to priest or deacon.

• Marriage Preparation only ( If your Wedding is elsewhere ) $250.

Floral arrangements enhance the beauty of any environment and we welcome your creativity with regard to this area. Please be mindful of the fact that as a sacramental celebration, the principal goal of liturgical environment is to help convey the mysteries of God’s saving love, and not merely to decorate space.

The following guidelines should be followed:

Wedding couples may select a florist of their choice. In the event of multiple weddings on the same day, couples may contact each other and the florist to share expenses. Please check with the Wedding Coordinator for names and phone numbers of other wedding couples.

Your flowers and decorations must be removed after your wedding unless other arrangements have been made.

No floral arrangements may be placed near the altar, ambo or lectern. No floral pillars may be used.

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 decision as to arrangements. You may obtain additional information from the Wedding Coordinator.

None of the existing Church decorations may be moved.

Flowers or bows may be tied on the end of the pews with rubber bands or plastic clips. No tape can be used. No swaging of pew bows.

Garlands and aisle runners are not permitted.

Candles may never be used on the pews. No candelabras on the altar or aisles.

The following are not permitted in the Church or anywhere on the Church grounds: bubbles, flower petals, birdseed, rice, confetti, doves, butterflies or any other items not connected with the immediate religious celebration.

We want to make sure that your wedding is a day that you remember and a day that you can view again. A Catholic wedding ceremony or Mass is primarily a celebration of a couple’s love in union with our worship of God as an act of thanksgiving for this love. Therefore, we must make sure that while we catch this moment on film, we keep the primary emphasis in focus. For this reason, the following guidelines must be followed by your photographer. Please provide them with a copy of the form letter to photographers and videographers.

All photo/video work must be done with the available light. No flood, strobe or spotlights are permitted.

No flash photography is allowed during the ceremony. You may use a flash for the seating of parents, the Processional (entrance of the bridal party and bride), and the Recessional (the bride and groom exiting the Church).

All photographers and videographers must check in with the Wedding Coordinator prior to the ceremony to receive any specific requirements of the Priest. Photographs and videos may be taken discreetly and unobtrusively during the ceremony. Photographers are not permitted to enter the sanctuary.

Posed pictures are permitted for 20 minutes only after the ceremony.

At no time are the decorations already in place in the Church to be moved or rearranged.