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Weddings at Bellarmine Chapel
CHRISTIAN MARRIAGE
The Church has always seen Christian marriage as a holy covenant, a permanent and faithful partnership of love between people who belong not only to each other but also to God. Marriage is a sacrament in which two baptized persons are the ministers of the sacrament for each other.
Before you accept the responsibilities of marriage in the Catholic Church, you need to understand and appreciate the full significance of what you are promising. In a series of interviews and conversations we will discuss together the dignity and responsibilities of married life and also help you reflect on the faith dimension of your lives that prompts you to ask to celebrate your wedding in this community. top
We normally schedule weddings at Bellarmine, when the bride or groom are:
- registered members of Bellarmine
parish
- current full-time students at Xavier University
- recent graduates of Xavier University
- faculty members of Xavier University
Our pastor or his delegate will be the official witness of the wedding of parishioners. As a parishioner you are also free to invite a priest or deacon from among your family or acquaintances to preside as official witness with the pastor's delegation.
If you are not a Bellarmine parishioner, we ask you to invite a priest or deacon to preside at your wedding whom our pastor will delegate as official witness. The presider you choose will also be invited to take part in the marriage preparation.
We do encourage everyone to consider your own parish as the proper place for your wedding. That is where your faith life is nourished; that is where your children will be initiated into the Christian community; that is the parish where your marriage is most appropriate. top
A fee of $500 is required for a wedding at the chapel. A $200 deposit is due at the time of reservations; complete payment is due one week prior to the wedding. $50 is non-refundable.
If you are holding your marriage ceremony elsewhere, but wish to take part in marriage preparation with our staff, the fee is $250.
The chapel fees do not include music. You will need to make separate payment to musicians and vocalists who are providing the music for your wedding. top
At least six months prior to your anticipated wedding date call the office at Bellarmine (745-3398). Call even earlier if you can so that there is no rush during the months of preparation.
You will be asked to schedule an appointment with a Bellarmine staff member. During the first meeting you will become acquainted with the requirements of our marriage preparation program.
You will be introduced to FOCCUS, an instrument designed to help you recognize the strengths and weaknesses that each of you is bringing to your marriage. To take advantage of this, we will arrange for you to meet with a married couple from the parish and talk about your responses to FOCCUS. It is very helpful for an experienced married couple to be part of your marriage preparation.
Then you will meet again with a staff member from Bellarmine. There will be further discussion about the spirituality of marriage and its dignity as a sacramental way of life.
According to a policy of the Archdiocese, you are to attend a pre-marital program in addition to the preparation in the parish. We will provide information about Pre-Cana days and Engaged Encounter weekends so that you can make a reservation for one of these programs. An opportunity for each of these is offered almost every month. top
Both Church law and civil law requires certain documents before a marriage.
For the Church you need a recently issued baptismal certificate. To obtain this, contact the parish where you were baptized. Do this six months before the wedding and bring it to the office where it will be filed.
If either of you has been previously married, you will need either a statement of a Church annulment or a certificate of the death of your former spouse.
If your marriage involves a partner who is not Roman Catholic, the Catholic party must sign a pledge to continue to practice his/her faith and to do all in his/her power to share that faith with the children by having them baptized and reared as Catholics, If one of the parties is not baptized, a special dispensation must be obtained from the Archdiocese.
For the State of Ohio, you need an Ohio
marriage license issued not more than sixty days before the wedding. There is no
waiting period and no blood test is required. The license is obtained at
Hamilton County Probate Court, James Cissell, Judge 230 E. Ninth St., 10th Floor
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2145. Contact information: 513-946-3590
(24 Hour Recorded Information Line), 513-946-3589
(Office Extension Between 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM) or
you can visit their website at www.probatect.org/marriagelicenses/index.htm.
The license is good for 60 days.
An important part of the preparation process is planning the wedding ceremony. The priest or deacon who will officiate should be involved. You will also need to contact the music director at Bellarmine. The goal of liturgy planning is to prepare a ceremony that authentically expresses your love and your religious identity. We will give you a booklet with suggested readings, blessings, and other prayers. This will give you guidance in making your selections.
If one of the parties is not a Roman Catholic, it is usually recommended that the ceremony be limited to the Liturgy of the Word and not include the Eucharist. In that way the unity that does exist between the couple (and their families) can be emphasized--rather than the differences of their faith traditions.
In selecting the music, remember that
its purpose is to nourish the prayer of those
present, either through attentive listening or actual singing. Your
musical selections, therefore, should be of a religious nature, expressing your
faith and voicing the prayers of the entire community. Ideally, there will
be some songs that the congregation
will sing. Music that is merely popular or secular
may not be used.
The Director of Music Ministry at Bellarmine is responsible for liturgical music at all parish functions whether he plays for the liturgy or not. Do not make any commitments with other musicians or vocalists until you have checked with him. He is to be contacted at least two months before the ceremony. Follow this policy and avoid any awkward situation that could otherwise develop. top
Your wedding liturgy is a religious event and your guests have been assembled in Church for prayer; a prayerful tone should permeate the ceremony. To maintain an atmosphere of prayer, your guests should be asked to refrain from taking flash pictures. If someone plans to video tape or make a movie of the wedding, noextra lighting is to be brought in and all equipment is to be stationary during the ceremony. There is time to take pictures before and after the ceremony. The strict policy is that nothing--including picture taking--should distract the community while it is gathered for prayer. top
Since the chapel was dedicated in December, 1962, there have been hundreds of weddings here in Bellarmine. With this experience we hope to anticipate some of your questions by offering these suggestions and guidelines.
In planning your ceremony, look for meaning behind what you do. Don't do things simply because they were done at a friend's wedding. Plan a ceremony which reflects your faith in God and love for each other.
The chapel is built in a theater-in-the-round style. Sight lines draw your attention to the altar area. The center aisle is 40 feet long and contains 7 pews on each side, with one row of moveable chairs in front. The chapel seats 450 people.
The dominant colors in the chapel are ivory and ochre. In daylight a pale blue comes through the stained glass windows. This might influence your choice of flowers.
A simple plan for decorations is very
effective. The back shelf area remains in shadow from the seasonal artwork
on the cross, it is advised that you not put
flowers there. One option is 1 or 2 tall arrangements placed about halfway
back on either side of the altar
platform. You may want to have your florist come
look at our space before deciding on arrangements.
If you intend to have a candle-lighting ceremony, please discuss this moment and the placement of the candles with the person who is presiding at your wedding.
If you do intend to use aisle tapers, each taper must be free standing and encased in a hurricane lamp.
The florist should contact the office to find out when they can set up arrangements, so that there is no conflict with other functions in the chapel. Please note: Florists are NOT to use double sided tape for the aisle runner (duct tape or masking tape is preferred), nor any tacks or tape that would mar the wood.
We encourage you to take as many pictures before the ceremony as time allows. The taking of family pictures before the ceremony allows you and everyone else to arrive at the reception hall earlier.
The throwing of rice, birdseed, or confetti, is not allowed inside or outside the chapel. These become dangerous when wet and are a nuisance and eyesore which we would rather not have to deal with in the midst of other weddings and preparation for the next day's Masses. Please inform your friends of this policy.
It is important that your wedding party be on time for the rehearsal. Often there are other rehearsals the same evening. When you come for the rehearsal, please bring the Ohio wedding license (two parts) and the envelope addressed to the judge, and any other formal papers still outstanding.
Bellarmine has a Multipurpose Room which is available for use by the bridal
party as a dressing/waiting room. It has a door which opens directly to the
adjacent women’s restroom.
Bellarmine does not have a bride's dressing room. There are rest rooms adjacent to the vestibule but no private dressing rooms. The offices are not available as dressing rooms.
Parking at Bellarmine can be a problem, especially if your guests are not
familiar with the neighborhood. Be
sure they are aware Bellarmine is on a college campus and there is no parking
lot immediately adjacent to the church. We will inform campus security about
both the wedding and the rehearsal, so there should not be ticketing in any of
the campus lots. It is best to park in the lots at the end of
When composing the text for your wedding
invitations, keep in mind that our mailing address
(3800 Victory Parkway) is different from our actual location (3801 Ledgewood
Drive). Sometimes people get very frustrated
looking for Bellarmine Chapel on Victory
Parkway.
After your ceremony the official records of your marriage will be kept here at Bellarmine Chapel. If, in the future, you need copies of your marriage license or record, contact the Bellarmine Chapel office. top