Email Fr. Christopher and Deacon John to express your interest in getting married at St. Alphonsus. Briefly include:

• Which parish do you belong to?

• Let us know if you regularly attend Sunday Mass at St. Alphonsus or elsewhere

• Why do you want to get married at St. Alphonsus?

• Do you or your intended spouse reside outside the Diocese of Grand Rapids?
  

Topics to Cover:

• Determine freedom to marry

• Discuss marriage preparation process

• Complete “A” Form

• Schedule wedding date

• Discuss preparation fee

• Receive books used in preparation
  
  Schedule a meeting with Deacon John

Total fees:

• Wedding preparation with celebration at St. Alphonsus (parishioner of St. Al’s): $1,000

• Weddings conducted non-affiliated with St. Alphonsus (non-parishioner): $3,000

• Preparation at St. Alphonsus for a wedding at another parish: $300

A parishioner is anyone who has been registered and active for at least one year before scheduling their wedding date.

There is a required $500 deposit to secure your chosen wedding date at St. Alphonsus. The date is not confirmed until after steps one and two.

Final payments are due no later than 30 days before the wedding date.

All payments can be taken through check or online.

-You will be emailed a FOCCUS Inventory within one week of your initial meeting. Please be sure to check your spam folder. This is a online relationship assessment.

-Once you have finished the FOCCUS inventory, schedule a meeting with Deacon John to review your results.

-If needed, you may schedule additional sessions.

Couples are required to attend a Pre-Cana Wedding Retreat in the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

Pre-Cana retreats allow couples to enter more fully into the Sacrament of Marriage while being surrounded by others in the area who are in the same process.

We have one offering at St. Alphonsus and a preferred option if you cannot attend. The Pre-Marriage Retreat at St. Alphonsus will be held on April 11, 2026.

Cost is $125/couple. Register here

If you cannot attend, the retreat in February at St. Patrick Parnell is the primary alternative. Learn more here.

Please email the parish office with a certificate of completion for the course that you have taken two months prior to your wedding.

You will have been provided with a parish Wedding Coordinator. Expect to hear from them at least six months before your wedding day.

• Coordinators will schedule a wedding rehearsal and be your main contact point in your marriage preparations.

• Meet with the Music Director to determine who will do music and the selection of music. Contact Gabe Groh to set up a meeting.
  

• Select the readings and complete this form for the priest/officiant.

It is such a gift to enter into the Sacrament of Marriage knowing the gift of God's forgiveness. For this reason, couples are encouraged to go to confession before their wedding.

We offer Reconciliation:

• 4:30-5:15 p.m. and 6-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays

• 4:30-5:15 p.m. Wednesdays

• 11 a.m. to noon Fridays

Couples will have already set a rehearsal date with their Wedding Coordinator about six months prior to their wedding date.

We recommend rehearsals take place at 5 p.m. the day before the wedding.

Let your St. Alphonsus Coordinator know if you will be using an outside wedding planner/day-of coordinator. Our Coordinators will run the rehearsal and ceremony, allowing your planner to attend to reception set-up or other details.

We also ask you to pursue formation about Natural Family Planning. If you complete a course, please email the parish office with a copy of the certificate.

We highly recommend taking a full course in NFP in order to learn more about the beauty, truth and goodness of the female body before, during and after pregnancy.

From our experience, both men and women learn so much from these courses and walk away with a greater understanding of the complementarity of both the female and male body.

Courses typically take place over a 3-5 month time period. Different courses look at different biomarkers (cervical mucus, LH strips, basal body temp, etc).

Full Class Options:

• Couples to Couples League - Sympto-Thermal Method

• NaPro/Creighton - Cervical Mucus

• Marquette Method

We believe that full flourishing comes from healing the body, mind, and soul.

Below is a list of Catholic Counselors who might be helpful for you individually and/or as a couple as you prepare for engagement or during marriage.

• Catholic Psych Institute

• Franciscan Life Process Center

Other Resources:

• Encounter Ministries

• John Paul II Healing Center

• Catechism of the Catholic Church