Welcome!
We have designed this website to assist you in planning your wedding ceremony at Saint Clement Church. Here you will find information on our parish wedding procedures, as well as help in planning your liturgy and music. We invite you to acquaint yourself thoroughly with the materials and guidelines presented here. They have been prepared with an eye toward making your wedding day both beautiful and memorable, and we hope you will find them most helpful in that regard.
It is our hope that this website will answer most of the questions you might have about your wedding ceremony. If not, be sure to check the "FAQs" area on each page to see if your questions are answered there. If you still need help, feel free to get in touch with us by clicking on the "contact" link, where you will be taken to a list of e-mail addresses for various staff members who will be happy to assist you.
Getting Started
The first thing you'll want to do before planning your ceremony is to schedule the date and time of your wedding with our parish Wedding Coordinator
Gael Day at 773-281-0371 if you have not already done so. Since our wedding calendar fills up so quickly at Saint Clement, we suggest scheduling your wedding at least
six months in advance. In addition to scheduling the ceremony, Gael will schedule you for a general information meeting for engaged couples. After that, you will have private, follow-up meetings with one of the parish priests or premarital ministers to discuss premarital preparation classes and wedding planning.
Parish Wedding Procedures
We have prepared a booklet called "Your Wedding at Saint Clement Church" in which you will find all of our wedding policies, procedures and guidelines. You'll want to be sure to read this booklet very thoroughly. You can download a copy
here or click on the link to the right below "Your Wedding at SCC". This booklet contains general information and guidelines on the wedding day schedule, church facilities, parking, the wedding rehearsal, the wedding liturgy, wedding programs, and introductions to the various staff members who will be working with you along the way. Also included are our parish policies and procedures with regard to music, photography and videotaping, flowers and decorations, safety issues, wedding fees and necessary documentation. Church and civil requirements are outlined as well.
Planning Your Wedding Liturgy
You probably already have a lot of ideas about the kind of wedding ceremony you would like to have. One of the first things to consider is whether you will have a full mass (with communion) or a liturgy of the word (without communion). Your priest will help you determine which option is best for your circumstances, and he will also assist you in planning many of the other details for your ceremony. More information on the wedding liturgy begins on page 11 in the "Your Wedding at SCC" booklet.
Wedding Musicians
It's never too early to start thinking about the musicians you would like to have for your wedding liturgy. Your parish wedding fee already includes the required services of our Director of Music, Director of Worship and Organist, and we will be happy to secure a fine cantor (required if you are planning a full mass) and other instrumentalist(s) for your ceremony if you wish. For more information on wedding musicians (including fees), please visit our
Wedding Music page.
Wedding Music
Once you have an idea about the various musicians you'd like for your ceremony, it's time to start planning the music itself. Here is where the real fun begins! Before you start, make sure you're familiar with our wedding music policies found on page 16 in the "Your Wedding at SCC" booklet. Then visit the "Wedding Music Planning" page on this website. There you can learn about and listen to lots of great music for the various parts of your wedding liturgy. This part will take a while, so you might want to come back and visit the music page several times before you finalize your selections. For more information, please visit our
Wedding Music page.
