1603 The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws. . . . God himself is the author of marriage.The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator.... "The well-being of the individual person and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life. -Catechism of the Catholic Church 

If you are looking at our marriage webpage, it may mean that you are recently engaged and considering celebrating your marriage here at St. Paul Church in Kensington Connecticut.  

CONGRATULATIONS !!! We are excited for you, and we’ll be praying for you.

There are FOUR SIMPLE STEPS you will need to take to prepare for and celebrate your wedding in our parish.  It is important to begin this process at least 6 months before you would like to get married. A word to the wise, it is always better to talk to the Priest and reserve the Church before you reserve the place for your reception.

Step One – GATHER INFORMATION -- Please fill out the inquiry form below or call the Parish Office. All of the information is essential, so please be complete in your responses.  If you do not know where you were baptized, it is important to find out from your family.  If you do not have internet access, you can call the Parish Office and the secretary will fill out the form for you.  Shortly (a couple of days) after you fill out the form or call the Parish Office, one of the Priests here at St. Paul will call you for an appointment. In the first meeting he will talk to you about what Catholics believe about marriage and explain to you the commitments you are assuming by getting married. He will also be happy to answer any questions you may have and let you know what documentation you will need. After the meeting, if there are no impediments, he will let the parish secretary know that you are free to set a date.

Step Two – SET THE DATE AND TAKE THE FOCCUS -- Once you are free to set a date, you can call the Parish Office and discuss the possibilities with the secretary. She has access to the complete Parish Calendar and knows when it is possible to schedule the rehearsal and celebrate a wedding at St. Paul.  She will also explain to you any fees and set up a time for you and your fiancée to take the Foccus or pre-marriage inventory.  
 
Step Three – PREPARE FOR YOUR MARRIAGE– Couples who wish to get married at St. Paul Church prepare for their marriage by reviewing the results of the pre-marriage inventory with the priest and attending a marriage prep program approved by the Archdiocese of Hartford.  Click here for the Archdiocese of Hartford Office of Family Life which has information about the approved program.

Step Four— PLAN YOUR CEREMONY AND FINISH YOUR PAPERWORK (PMI)-- Once Steps 1-3 are finished all you have to do is complete your paperwork with the Priest, hand in your documentation and plan your ceremony. We have great resources to help you do just that. At this meeting, it is also good to hand in your fees of $450.00 which include the Family Life office (Foccus Test), Engaged Couples Conference, organist, and the church (Cantors are a separate fee of $150.00 and a check made out to the cantor needs to be dropped off or mailed to the Parish Center c/o or attn: Jeff Batter by the week preceding the day of the wedding). Please also review our helpful Wedding Music Guidelines page.

NOTE: you may have other musicians besides what is offered through the church, BUT THIS MUST be approved by Jeff Batter, director of music, and all normal fees to the church are still required. (While the organist is included, because he is on staff,  there is no 'discount' for bringing in outside musicians. His compensation is not 'built in' to the church fee.) You may also drop them off or mail them to the Parish Office.

Don’t forget to get your wedding license at the Berlin Town Hall.  

Click here for the Town of Berlin's Marriage Licence information page.  

Your wedding rehearsal is usually the day before your wedding.  At the wedding rehearsal it is important to present your wedding license to the priest.  Without a wedding license it is not possible to celebrate a wedding in the State of Connecticut.

Your marriage is probably one of the most important moments in your life. That’s why we take it so seriously and do our best to help you prepare. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to email us at [email protected] or call the Parish Office at 860-828-0331.
 
Once again congratulations, be assured of our prayers, and we can’t wait to meet you.

-The Pastoral Staff at St. Paul Parish, Kensington CT