Preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage

Please note that we are fully booked for the year of 2025

The 2026 calendar will be open by March 2025. Please check our website at the beginning of 2025 for updates.

SCHEDULING YOUR WEDDING Photo

For destination or outside of the country weddings, it is also necessary to contact us 9 months to a year prior to the wedding date via e-mail or telephone.

IMPORTANT: If the bride or groom (Catholic or non-Catholic) have been married before Civilly or in the Church, please contact the parish closest to your home address for more information about the annulment process. You cannot schedule a wedding date until you have annulled or invalidated previous marriages. If someone is widowed, you must present a copy of the death certificate.

• Please click here to read the detailed wedding guidelines

DOCUMENTS NEEDED

   1. Baptismal Certificate: Each Catholic must present a newly issued Certificate of Baptism with notations. An original is obtained from the church in which you were baptized. A copy may not be accepted. If you have received First Communion and Confirmation but there is not a notation of these sacraments on your Baptism certificate, please provide a copy.

   2. Prenuptial Questionnaire: This form will be completed at the initial interview with a priest or a deacon.

   3. Affidavit of Freedom: This is completed by an immediate family member giving testimony that each one is free to enter into marriage at this time.

   4. Marriage Preparation Class Certificate: The Director of the Marriage Ministry will provide more information once the process starts.

   5. Natural Family Planning Class Certificate: The Director of the Marriage Ministry will provide more information once the process starts.

   6. Marriage License: A marriage license for a wedding in the state of Texas may be obtained from any license office in the state, which is typically issued and filled out at county level. A Texas marriage license may be obtained no sooner than 90 days before the ceremony and has a required 72 hour waiting period after issuing the license.
   The marriage license must be turned in at the front office as soon as it is obtained. After the wedding, the license will be signed by the priest/deacon and sent to the County Office for recording. Once recorded (usually takes 2-3 months), an official copy will be mailed by the County Office to the couple.

If you are married civilly, you only need to provide a copy of your marriage license.

PREPARATION PROGRAMS Celebrating your marriage in the Catholic church will involve making a lifelong commitment to each other. In order to help you reflect on the serious nature of the joining of your lives, you will be required to complete these programs:

   FOCCUS - For engaged couples. The couple completes a survey, and their answers are compared by a computer program. You will discover the areas in which your relationship is strong, and perhaps areas of your life together that need to be discussed.

   REFOCCUS Only for couples living together or married civilly. The couple completes a survey, and their answers are discussed with a sponsor couple assigned to them. It is ultimately about bringing awareness to major aspects of marriage.

   SPONSOR COUPLE You will be put in contact with a trained couple from our parish to lead you in a discussion of your future life as a married couple.

THE WEDDING CEREMONY

MUSIC Contact the Music Ministry to arrange an appointment to plan the music for your wedding.

DECORATING THE CHURCH All floral decorations on the Altar must be natural flowers. Florists must have all flower arrangements ready to be placed on the altar level or on the pews. Florists may not prepare or work on floral arrangements in the church. Pews may be decorated but only ribbon may be used to tie the pew markers.

WEDDING REHEARSAL It is not mandatory to have a rehearsal to celebrate a wedding, but if you would prefer to have one, then someone from the church will be assigned to assist on that day. Your wedding planner is welcome to assist as well.

PHOTOGRAPHY and VIDEOGRAPHY It is important that the photographer and videographer dresses appropriately in the church and not be a distraction to the bride and groom nor the guests. They are also asked to be discreet when moving about during the ceremony. No one is allowed to enter the Altar area during Mass. Photographers/videographers are not allowed upstairs in the choir loft. No spotlights may be used during the ceremony. After the wedding, group pictures may be taken at the Altar.

RICE, BUBBLE S PETALS, CONFETTI, BIRDSEED These items are not permitted to be used within the church building.

FEES The following fees apply to all weddings at the Cathedral.

   CHURCH USE
Active Registered Parishioners for 2 consecutive years: $800
Guests to the cathedral: $1200

   DEPOSIT - A non-refundable deposit of $300 is required to officially reserve the date.

   ORGANIST $250
   CANTOR $150
   MARIACHI $600
   (Additional Musicians - fees arranged with Organist)

Director of Marriage Ministry
Maria R. Ruiz
469-329-6232
mruiz@cathedralguadalupe.org

Marriage Ministry Assistant
Olga Jasso
469-329-6239
ojasso@cathedralguadalupe.org

Wedding Liturgy / Rehearsal Coordinator
Daniel Sanchez
dsanchez@cathedralguadalupe.org

Organist for English Weddings
Chase Ramsey
214-213-7483

Organist for Spanish Weddings
Juan Medrano
214-883-6386
jmedrano@cathedralguadalupe.org

Mariachi Reyes de Dallas
Floriberto Jamaica 214-394-1163

Mariachi Santa Cecilia
Cesar Anguiano: 214-440-7888
canguiano@cathedralguadalupe.org