Wedding Preparation at Newman

PREPARING FOR MARRIAGE AT NEWMAN HALL

Welcome to Newman Hall and congratulations on your engagement. We hope we can be helpful to you as you nurture your growing commitment to one an other and prepare for your wedding. Two basic themes shape marriage preparation programs in the church: the maturity and the readiness of the couple to become married, and the willingness of the couple (when both are Christians) to live their lives in conformity to Jesus in the community of faith.

At Newman you'll have the opportunity to meet with one of the priests on staff and he will advise you of other necessary elements of preparation required by the parish (such as reserving the chapel for the proposed date and time) and by the Diocese of Oakland.

We advise you to begin this process at least six months prior to your expected wedding date. It is permissible to invite a priest or deacon from outside the parish to perform the ceremony, but it's still necessary to discuss arrangements with a staff priest, who will meet with the two of you, arrange for the church to be reserved, and follow through on the paper work and other necessary matters.The current staff priests are Fr. Bernie Campbell, Fr. Al Moser, and Fr. Bill Edens, all of whom can be reached at the main church phone number, (510) 848-7812, or by e-mail at the addresses listed at the staff page at our parish web site.

Couples must also complete a formal marriage preparation program. Newman Hall hosts two-day seminars in the fall and the spring on consecutive Saturdays which fulfill this requirement; registration forms with specific dates and a detailed description are available at the front desk or on the table at the foot of the stairs in the lobby. The next pair of classes will be on two consecutive Saturdays, October 17th and 24th; the spring 2010 dates have not yet been set.

If the seminars at Newman conflict with your schedule, the Family Life Office of the Diocese of Oakland offers a variety of courses which fulfill the requirement and which are briefly described on the back of the Newman seminar registration forms. Call (510) 893-4711 or visit the Family Life Office web site for more details and the dates those classes are offered. Finally, preparation classes may be taken at another Catholic parish or diocese if the closer-by options are unworkable.

In Catholic marriages that involve a person who is either a Christian of another church tradition or who has never been baptized, the Catholic party is asked to do their very best to see that their children will be raised as Catholics.

In ecumenical and interfaith marriages the church is open to the participation of a non-Catholic minister in the wedding service. It is also possible for a Catholic to be married under non-Catholic auspices.

When meeting a couple who wish to marry in the church, a priest must ask, "Were either of you ever under any circumstances previously married?" If either party has been married before, the church will need to look at the circumstances of that marriage. That "look at" may involve some time or it may be resolved fairly quickly. No firm date for a wedding can be set until there is a resolution of the matter.

Once the preparations for marriage and the paper work have been completed the priest will look at the wedding liturgy with the couple. In the case of an ecumenical or interfaith wedding it is the normal practice to celebrate the marriage with a Scriptural service with no Mass.

MUSIC AND LITURGY GUIDELINES FOR WEDDINGS AT NEWMAN HALL

Our parish director of Music and Liturgy, Colleen Lenord, is very experienced in the preparation of wedding liturgies and she will be happy to assist you in creating a celebration that reflects your relationship to each other and your faith life. If requested, she can also arrange for other singers and instrumentalists from the Newman community to participate in the ceremony. Please contact her at colleenlenord@gmail.com or (510) 848-7812, extension 216, as soon as possible after deciding with the staff priest on a date.

Our wedding coordinator/sacristan can advise you on matters related to flowers, banners, candles, and the like. Please contact her at least 2 months in advance of the wedding by leaving a note at the front desk at Newman, or Colleen will give you the contact information.

If you prefer to have outside musicians perform at your wedding, this is permissible but Colleen must be notified of such choices. If non-Newman musicians will be using Newman equipment or assistance with setting up their own, this must be arranged well in advance with her. She is also available to help you and the outside musicians make appropriate musical selections. In preparing for your wedding, please consider sacred music in harmony with and flowing from the words and symbols of the liturgy; secular selections with special meaning to you as a couple may be more appropriate for the reception.

SOME PRACTICAL MATTERS

  • Please keep in mind that the chapel is a sacred space and should be treated as such.
  • Please respect the time of all those involved and be on time for meetings with staff and for the rehearsal and ceremony.
  • Please do not use tape of any kind on the pews or the floor.
  • Please do not strew rice, confetti, birdseed, and the like either inside or outside the church.
  • We invite you to make arrangements for your flowers to be removed after the festivities are over. If you wish to leave them at Newman, please let Colleen know so that we can acknowledge the gift in the church bulletin.
  • We ask that photography and video recording during the church ser vice be limited to professionals only, and that the photographers be sensitive to the sacred space, to the ritual, and to the celebrant and musicians.
  • There is limited parking in the Newman lot directly across Dwight Way from the church building. In addition, weekday evenings after 5 p.m. and all day on week ends the University of California's Underhill parking lot, one block north of Newman and west of College Avenue between Haste and Channing, is available for public parking for a nominal fee. See http://pt.berkeley.edu/park/public for details, including a note about seasonal special events for which the lot may be unavailable or the charge greater, or call the University Parking and Transportation Department at (510) 643-7701 with any questions.
  • Although we have a lost-and-found cupboard at the reception desk, Newman is not responsible for articles left behind.

WEDDING FEES

Please check with Colleen or the priest presiding at your wedding to confirm that the charges listed below are current.

  • $650 CHAPEL OFFERING, payable to Newman Hall one month prior to the wedding, is requested as an offering for the use of the facilities and the time and work of the staff. If you wish to give a gift to the priest, $100 is the usual amount.
  • IN ADDITION, IF NEWMAN MUSICIANS ARE USED:
    • $250 MUSIC COORDINATOR'S FEE, payable to Colleen Lenord one week prior to the wedding, is for Colleen's services;
    • $150 FOR EACH NEWMAN INSTRUMENTALIST OR SINGER, if any are requested. The fee may be adjusted depending on the number and complexity of pieces chosen. Although their presence at the wedding rehearsal is rarely necessary, an extra fee of $50 each is requested if their attendance is required.
    • $150 for the Newman Wedding Coordinator/Sacristan.
  • IN ADDITION, IF OUTSIDE MUSICIANS ARE USED:
    • $100 CONSULTATION FEE to Colleen.
    • $50 EQUIPMENT FEE if outside musicians use Newman's sound equipment, plus $150 REFUNDABLE SECURITY DEPOSIT.

    Again, congratulations, and may the Lord enrich your hearts with love for each other that you will be salt and light for our world.


    The Newman Staff

    CHECKLIST:

    Have you

    • met with the Newman priest who will schedule your wedding?
    • completed a Marriage Preparation Program?
    • completed the paperwork given you by the priest?
    • contacted the Newman Music Director?
    • contacted the Newman Wedding Coordinator/Sacristan?
    • obtained your civil marriage license? (Be sure to bring this to the rehearsal.)
    • written and distributed checks for
      • Newman Hall?
      • the Music Director?
      • the Wedding Coordinator/Sacristan?

    1st Edition January, 2004; Last revision August, 2009