Sacrament of  Matrimony

So, You Want to Get Married in the Catholic Church

​

Congratulations! The entire Church—and especially all of us here at Our Lady of the Valley—rejoices with you.

​

Now you may be wondering what you need to do to reach the altar on your wedding day. We have some very good news for you. But first, we need to slow down and consider some bad news.

​

When we understand how bad things can be, we begin to appreciate how good they can become. This is also true of our faith. To understand how good the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, we must first recognize the gravity of sin. Because of sin, our default destination is as bad as we can possibly imagine: eternal separation from God. But because of Jesus, salvation is now possible. God has come to rescue us from sin and death and to bring us into communion with the Blessed Trinity, both here on earth and for all eternity.

​

This is why we pray at Mass:

“Lord, graciously accept this oblation of our service, that of your whole family; order our days in your peace, and command that we be delivered from eternal damnation and counted among the flock of those you have chosen.”

​

The bad news is truly bad. And the Good News of Jesus is not merely good—it is absolutely explosive.

​

Now, back to marriage.

The bad news about marriage is that many marriages do not endure. Although researchers debate the precise numbers, divorce remains tragically common. The rates are even higher among second and third marriages. Among Catholics, the situation appears somewhat better, but divorce still affects far too many couples.

​

Even one broken marriage is a tragedy. What can we do about it?

​

There is no magic solution, of course. But we can make a meaningful difference by taking marriage preparation seriously. That is exactly what we are doing here at Our Lady of the Valley.

​

Here is the good news: Our Lady of the Valley is committed to providing you with the best marriage preparation possible. We want to help you begin a happy, healthy, fruitful, and Christ-centered Catholic marriage.

​

Our marriage-preparation program consists of three phases.

​

Phase One: The Rescue Project

The first phase is The Rescue Project, an eight-week series led by Fr. John Riccardo. It is intended to give you and your fiancé or fiancée a solid foundation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

​

Your marriage here on earth is meant to reflect God’s desire to draw each of us into communion with him. The Rescue Project will help ground you in this reality—in God’s love, mercy, and work of rescue.

​

Phase Two: Better Together

The second phase is Better Together, a 12-session program from Dynamic Catholic. It addresses a wide range of theological and practical topics that are essential to a healthy marriage, including the expectations gap, the seven levels of intimacy, prayer, family, money, and forgiveness.

​

You will not be alone on this journey. A team at Our Lady of the Valley is ready to guide you through these lessons. You will be paired with a mentor couple and will walk alongside other couples who are also preparing for the altar.

​

Phase Three: A Couples Retreat

The third phase, which may be completed at any point during these months, is a two- or three-day couples retreat.

This retreat offers flexibility while serving one important purpose: to help you step away from your busy lives and focus your attention on God and his love for you.

​

Naturally, this plan may seem intimidating. Perhaps you are asking, “We have to complete 20 weeks of marriage preparation?”

​

Consider it this way: Priests typically spend six to ten years preparing for ordination—and even that preparation cannot address everything they will encounter. Of course, preparing for priesthood and preparing for marriage are not exactly the same, but they share something important: both are lifelong vocations that deserve serious preparation.

​

The basic point is simple: You are preparing to spend the rest of your lives together. What could be more important than taking the time now to build the strongest foundation for your marriage that you possibly can?

​

If you are ready to invest in your marriage, we are ready to walk with you.

​

To begin, follow the steps below.

​

Please keep two important points in mind:

First, do not schedule your wedding date before meeting with our team and completing the initial paperwork. This takes place during step three of the process.

​

Second, the entire process generally takes five to ten months, depending on class schedules and your availability. If you hope to be married within the next six to 18 months, now is the right time to begin.