Unexpected Expenses for a Catholic Wedding
/Creating a budget is often the first item on a newly engaged couple’s to-do list.
PHOTOGRAPHY: MADELEINE DEIGHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
You can easily find wedding budget templates online but they often overlook the expenses specific to a Catholic wedding.
So before you start planning, don’t forget to include these possible expenses in your wedding planning budget.
Church
The church where you plan to get married will usually provide you with a suggested donation for using the facility, which surprises some couples.
The church relies on donations to pay their bills and to continue to serve their parishioners well. This donation covers the use of the space for the ceremony and rehearsal, and may also pay for the church’s wedding coordinator and ceremony musicians.
The suggested donation amount will vary parish to parish. However, if the bride and/or groom are registered parishioners (and most likely regularly contributing to the parish), the suggested amount may be minimal, or none.
Be sure to call the parish office and find out what they ask for.
Priest and servers
It is customary to give a stipend to the priest (or priests) celebrating your nuptial mass as well as the altar servers serving alongside them.
No specific amount is suggested, but couples may want to consider the time devoted to the marriage preparation, rehearsal, and ceremony.
Flowers for the church
You’ve probably already budgeted for the bouquets and boutonnieres for the couple, the bridal party, and the parents, as well as the centerpieces for the reception hall, but Catholic couples should also include flowers for the church where the ceremony will take place.
Some couples plan for floral arrangements in the sanctuary and on some of the pews. However, these pieces don’t have to be super elaborate or expensive.
The church’s wedding coordinator can give you a better idea of what works best with the layout of this particular space and what other couples have done.
Also, if you want to present flowers to Mary or St. Joseph, make sure to include it in your budget.
Marriage preparation
The marriage preparation requirements often vary by diocese (or even by parish) so make sure to check with your priest about what you and your soon-to-be spouse will need to do.
Some couples attend a weekend retreat, while others meet privately with their priest or a "sponsor couple." Others may participate in a series of marriage preparation classes offered by their parish.
Inventories like FOCCUS or PREPARE have become more common in the last several years and also require a small fee for scoring by a facilitator.
If you want to take a course on Natural Family Planning before your big day, you may also need to add it to the budget. The learning of and the materials for NFP varies by method and by the teacher but is well worth it.
Designing and printing mass programs
Programs for a Catholic wedding mass tend to be a bit longer than your secular wedding, especially if you want to include more detailed instructions for non-Catholic family and friends.
This added length may make designing and printing mass programs a bit more costly than couples may initially expect.
Though the cost would be well-worth it if it helps your guests enter more fully into the sacredness of your wedding.