Congratulations

on your Engagement

The Catholic Church is always delighted when couples find one another, and choose to spend their lives together in holy matrimony. We hope we can be a part of this important sacrament in your lives. Still, the Church and the parish have certain policies and guidelines that we want to make you aware of as you plan to celebrate this important day. Therefore, we would like to give certain answers to frequently asked questions.

1. Who can get married at OLM? Either the bride or the groom (or both) should be a practicing Catholic in good standing and generally registered at OLM for at least six months. If either party has been married previously, they must first seek and get an annulment for each previous marriage. Each couple married at OLM will have to have received instruction as part of their preparation for this special sacrament as well, and we would ask Catholics who have not received their confirmation to do this as part of their preparation for this important sacrament.
2. What if I am not a parishioner of OLM? The parish will consider hosting the ceremony for non-parishioners, but requests must be made to the pastor, and those couples must receive adequate preparation at another parish. Also a letter of permission must be received from the pastor of the parish you are registered at.
3. What if one of us is not Catholic? Catholics marry non-Catholics all the time, but some initial paperwork is necessary for a dispensation. Talk with your priest about this. Also, if another minister wants to be present for the vow ceremonies here in the Catholic Church, please approach this issue with the priest as soon as possible in the process.
4. What are the available times for marriage at OLM? The Saturday morning mass is generally over by 10 a.m., though people may remain there after mass to make their thanksgiving. Confessions begin at 3:15 p.m. on the same day. 11:00 a.m. would be an ideal time for marriage ceremonies here at OLM. The latest should 1 p.m.
5. How do I schedule a wedding at OLM? Parishioners should contact the pastor as soon as they're engaged, so that the couple might work together with the priest to prepare for their marriage. Nothing can be scheduled without the permission of the pastor.
6. Will the priest marry us if we're having our ceremony in a winery or on a mountain top? Catholic priests are not permitted to marry couples outside, or at special event facilities. If one of the party is Protestant, and the marriage is taking place at a place of worship, the priest can then attend and even preside over the wedding.
7. What about flowers? The sanctuary is small, and flowers should be reasonable. Flowers may be delivered at your convenience as long as you have someone present to receive them. If you have flowers you wish placed before the statue of the Virgin Mary and/or St. Joseph, please contact the Parish Office (706-253-3078) so that a proper vase(s) can be made available to you. Nothing can be taped or fixed to the pews, the altar, or the ambo. All flowers must be removed after the ceremony.
8. What about pictures? Professional photographers must be discrete during the ceremony, and they are not to approach the sanctuary during the Mass. The photographer may come one hour before the ceremony and 1/2 hour after the ceremony, depending on your service time, since we have a 4 p.m. Saturday Mass.
9. What about music? OLM does not have a pipe organ, but it does have a keyboard, and our parish musicians can make themselves available for events at a cost. Again, let us be clear, our musicians can help you but you must negotiate directly with them for their fees depending upon what you want for the ceremony. Cantors may also be hired through our choirmaster. For choirmaster information please refer to our website: www.olmjasper.com
10. HOW MUCH DOES THE PARISH CHARGE FOR MARRIAGE PREP AND TO BOOK THE PARISH CHURCH? Marriage prep is free, but couples will be expected to purchase certain books and materials during the course of their time working with the priest. The parish church is free to parishioners (who have been registered and contributing to this parish for at least six months prior to setting the date for their wedding). For those who are from out of town, the parish costs $1500 (not including the parish hall). Because of an experience in the past, we must now insist that this money is paid upfront whenever the couple sets the date. For parishioners and non parishioners, there is an added $100 cost to clean the church.
11. What can I do in the meanwhile? Check out two online sources that may be of some help: first go to the website established by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: www.ForYourMarriage.org. This website includes some information about preparing for marriage. Another online source that may be of interest to you is the site operated by the Archdiocese: www.archatl.com/offices/familylife. This site can be useful for planning for as well.
12. So I think I would like to get married at OLM. Now what should I do? If you have decided to go to marriage prep here please contact the pastor of OLM, Fr. Charles Byrd at charlesbyrd@ellijay.com
13. What about the use of the Parish Hall for a Reception? Our parish hall is one of the most used rooms of our church, and so anyone who uses it would need to be a parishioner, and would need to work very closely with our parish to keep separate the items that belong specifically to the parish from those used at the reception. The room and kitchen would have to be put back together and cleaned by the family themselves. Because there are two Saturday evening vigils, and confessions begin at 3:15 p.m., any reception in the hall would have to be cleared up and cleaned out by 2:15. Even parishioners are required (by the Archdiocese) to pay a fee for insurance purposes as well. The event will have to be approved by the Archdiocese. Generally it may be easier to have a reception at a special events facility somewhere nearby, because those venues will give a family more freedom and options.