You are welcome to celebrate your wedding at Our Lady's Church. The following information may be helpful to you.

1.       BOOKING

Please book your wedding at least six months in advance. In order to confirm your wedding, complete the wedding application form and forward it to the parish office, together with a non-refundable booking fee of $150.00. This amount will be deducted from the total amount payable (see 10. Schedule of Fees). The final payment must be made at least one month before the wedding or you may pay the full amount at the time of booking. If you decide not to have your wedding here, please notify us as soon as possible, so that the church can be made available to others.

2.       PRIEST

If you live outside the parish of Our Lady’s Sunshine, you are free to choose your own Catholic priest or Our Lady’s will provide the celebrant. When the celebrant is not a priest from Our Lady’s please make sure that you provide us with his name.

3.  PREPARATION FOR MARRIAGE

As well as preparing for your wedding day there is a much more important preparation needed: preparing for the rest of your lives together.  Information about marriage preparation courses can be found on the Melbourne Archdiocese website: https://melbournecatholic.org/live/marriage-and-family/marriage-preparation You have a serious obligation to attend one of these courses.

4.       DOCUMENTATION

You need to provide the following documents to the priest preparing you for your wedding:   

a.   Full Birth Certificates (not extract)

b.   Baptism Certificates (no older than 6 months) for Catholics and other Christians.

c.   Permission to Marry and Letter of Freedom from the parish where you live (if you are not a resident of Sunshine.)

d.   If you have been married previously, full Marriage Certificate, Decree of Divorce and Decree of Nullity are to be provided.

Confirmation certificates are no longer required to be produced before marriage. However, those who have not been confirmed may wish to take the opportunity of arranging for Confirmation preparation, while they are seeing the priest who is preparing them for their marriage.

5.       NUPTIAL MASS OR WEDDING CEREMONY?

Couples need to consider whether it is preferable to have a Nuptial Mass or Wedding Ceremony. The Sacrament of Marriage is more appropriately celebrated within a Nuptial Mass for those who are practising Catholics. However, in other circumstances the Wedding Ceremony is more suitable, as a significant number of your guests may feel they cannot fully participate.

6.       PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEOS

These are allowed in the church provided they are unobtrusive and those responsible for them do not behave in an undignified way. The decorum due in a church is sometimes forgotten by those in these capacities. They may not enter the sanctuary at any time but if they consult with the priest before the ceremony, he will suggest places they might use for some good shots of the ceremony.

7.       MUSIC AND YOUR WEDDING

You will need to make your own arrangements for music. You may choose to use our organist Marian Pham, ph. 9366 7950, 0438 059 080.

All copyright laws are to be observed and respected.

Only music and hymns covered by the ‘Word of Life’ Copyright Licence may be used in Our Lady’s Church. All written hymns must contain Licence No. Please notify celebrant, musicians and singers of this copyright law. Recorded music must have copyright approval.

8.       FLOWERS & DECORATIONS

You may provide your own flowers. Seasonal and liturgical signs and symbols (displays, banners, etc.) are part of the Church’s decor and cannot be removed for weddings.

9.       NO CONFETTI

Confetti, rice, rose petals or soap bubbles may NOT be used inside or outside the Church. Please notify your guests.

NO LIT CANDLES are to be used as decorations anywhere in the Church, excluding the sanctuary area.

NO PINS OR STAPLES are to be used to affix decorations to the pews.

FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION please consult your priest.