This will be a time for you to meet with a Priest or Deacon from your Parish and discuss marriage preparation requirements, complete the PNI (pre-nuptial investigation), and potentially set a wedding date in the next 6-12 months. 

Complete an inventory that helps you learn about yourself and your significant other. This assessment provides an overview of strengths and weaknesses in your communication. This is usually done with a priest deacon, or mentor couple from your parish. 

Connect with a mentor couple to explore life skills and virtues that foster successful, thriving marriages. These are typically couples from your parish who have been married for at least 5 years and are active in their faith. 

Most priests will ask you to attend a retreat that provides an opportunity for you to encounter Jesus as a couple and more fully understand what the Church teaches about Sacramental Marriage. The Archdiocese offers many opportunities for couples to attend a Marriage Preparation Retreat. To register, simply click the link below associated with the retreat you want to attend, and it will take you to the information and registration page.

Click here to view the retreat schedules

Complete at least an introductory session on Natural Family Planning (NFP), which covers NFP from a moral perspective and gives an overview of cycle charting. It is strongly encouraged to take a full class with a certified NFP instructor and begin charting a few months before your wedding. 

Click here for more information about natural family planning

Choose lectors, altar servers, clergy, music and readings for your Nuptial Mass or ceremony. Plan a wedding rehearsal before the actual wedding and talk to parish wedding planner, if applicable. 

This will be a time to finalize wedding Mass/ceremony details, discuss any concerns, ask questions or seek additional counseling if needed. 

The day you've been planning and working toward has finally arrived! Give thanks to God as you begin your married vocation.