Marriage Preparation

MARRIAGE PREPARATION

As a couple planning marriage at St. Hugo of the Hills Parish, we welcome you. St. Hugo follows diocesan guidelines which require a minimum six-month preparation period. Please contact Patty Sinta, Marriage Preparation Coordinator, at 248-644-5460 to begin this process.

Priests at St. Hugo generally require the following steps. Note: If you are having a guest priest, please follow his marriage preparation requirements.

Step 1: Initial Meeting: A meeting will be set-up with the priest who will marry you. In preparation for this meeting, you should bring with you updated Baptismal Certificates (with notations) issued within the last six months. Please contact the parish where you were baptized to receive these. A pre-marriage information form (Form A) will be filled out at this initial meeting. Its purpose is to provide a legal statement of your freedom and proper intention to marry. Also, if a Catholic marries a non-Catholic, the Catholic party will be asked to do all in their power to have any children of the marriage baptized and reared in the Catholic Church and, that they will continue to live their faith in the Catholic Church while also respecting the religious preference of the non-Catholic party.

Step 2: Couple Inventory: This is a required pre-marriage inventory conducted either at St. Hugo or online designed to identify the strengths and growth areas in your relationship. You should arrange to have the inventory as soon as possible after you have scheduled a date for your wedding and met with the priest for the first time. This couple profile is not a test, but designed to help you examine your thoughts and expectations about entering marriage. Once the results are received, a second meeting will be set-up with the priest to discuss. 

Step 3: Marriage Preparation Program: You must complete a formal marriage preparation program (pre-cana). Options are provided on a separate page that is given to you by the priest. Please choose one. Please provide your priest with the certificate of completion afterwards.

Step 4: Ceremony Planning/Music/Program: You will be provided with a copy of the book, Together for Life, to help plan your liturgy within or outside of a Mass. A meeting with the Director of Sacred Music and Associate Director will be offered several times per year and attending one session is required. The forms, Marriage Liturgy Planner and Wedding Music, need to be filled out prior to the meeting. A Wedding Program (Worship Aid) will be provided by St. Hugo free-of-charge and printed in color to help your guests participate fully in your Sacrament of Marriage.