Marriage in the Catholic Church is a sacrament, a permanent, faithful relationship between a man and a woman that is for life.  In the Church, such an important life decision should not be entered into lightly and requires adequate preparation and planning.  You can expect the process to take nine months.

Because this is a Catholic Christian marriage, there are certain prerequisites necessary before a date of marriage can be established:

• Both parties are free to be married in the Church.  If there has been a previous marriage of any kind by either party or both parties, even though a civil divorce has been granted, a declaration of nullity of the previous marriage(s) must be granted by the Church.  No date will be set until this declaration has been obtained.  For more information on annulments, visit the Archdiocese of Detroit Metropolitan Tribunal webpage by clicking here.
• If there are other obstacles to marriage, such as a need to complete the Sacraments of Initiation and return to active participation in the life of the Church, these can be discussed with the pastor to explore options leading to a Catholic marriage.
• One or both of the contracting parties must be registered and active members of St. Daniel Parish for a minimum of six months;  or the parents are registered members of St. Daniel and the adult children who live away from the parish are registered or practice their faith where they reside. 
• Secure the wedding date with the church before reserving any reception facilities. The church may not be able to honor dates that were previously set at reception facilities.

For more information about celebrating the Sacrament of Marriage at St. Daniel Parish, please complete and submit the form below.

*Validation of an existing civil marriage

If a couple is already married outside the Church, by civil authorities or in a non-Catholic Church without special dispensation through the Catholic Church, then the couple may wish to validate - or "convalidate" - the marriage by taking the marriage vows in the presence of a priest or deacon and two witnesses. Usually this quiet ceremony takes place in the church on a Saturday afternoon. There is no cost whatsoever; however the couple must be free to marry in the Church and complete the interview with a pastoral minister.