🎉 Congratulations on your engagement!
There are 7 steps in the marriage preparation process in the Diocese of Phoenix. Some steps involve you and your fiancé attending a workshop, seminar, or course. The marriage prep process takes some planning, so we’ve created a planning tool to help you navigate the 9 months leading up to your wedding date.
Step 1: Meet with your Pastor
When: BEFORE you set your wedding date.
Why: You are not just planning a wedding, you are planning life-long marriage! The Church is here to help you and your fiancé have a happy, holy marriage.
What: After you become engaged, contact your parish to set up a meeting with your pastor or marriage prep coordinator. During this initial meeting, the pastor or marriage preparation coordinator will discuss with you the marriage preparation process. He or she will also provide you with the information you need to complete following Steps 2 to 7 of this process. Setting a schedule to complete the individual components during or shortly after this meeting is strongly advised.
Where: Your home parish (or one convenient to you and your fiancé).
Step 2: Marriage Preparation Inventory
When: As soon as possible after meeting with your pastor or marriage prep coordinator.
Why: You are joining together two lives with different experiences, family histories, and relational platters. As a result, you may have different expectations for married life. The marriage prep inventory provides a closer look at essentials topics you may or may not have discussed.
What: After meeting with your pastor or marriage prep coordinator, you will each be given a marriage preparation inventory to complete. The inventory is a series of questions designed to assist dialogue with your fiancé regarding goals, habits, expectations and values. Your answers are then assessed by your pastor or marriage prep coordinator and you are provided with a personalized profile of your relationship’s strengths and weaknesses. The inventory is an important starting point for couple discussion and offers a map of what issues need further consideration, time and attention, and/or problem solving. Completing the inventory usually takes 1-2 hours.
Where: Most marriage preparation inventories are conducted at your parish. After your inventories are scored, you and your fiancé will meet with a mentor couple to explore your answers.
“This inventory was a huge thing for our relationship. There was so much we learned about each other here that you cannot get through dating, and certainly not through an online quiz. We were able to pinpoint potential problems in our marriage, and deal with them now.”
Step 3: Marriage Life-Skills Course
When: Seven to eight months before the wedding.
Why: We want to equip you with practical tools to be happy together!
What: In addition to a marriage prep inventory, you will complete an educational component designed to fine-tune practical skills such as conflict resolution, decision-making, financial management, and communication. These skills will build on the knowledge you gained from your marriage inventory. Various married life-skills courses are available in the diocese, with formats varying from a weekend retreat to multiple evening meetings. Your priest or marriage prep coordinator can help you select the course that best fits your needs.
Where: Several options for this step are provided by the parish and/or Diocese of Phoenix.
- Parish Course (ask your parish if they offer this option)
- Love for Life Engaged Weekend
- Engaged Encounter
Are you marrying after an annulment or widowhood? or are you seeking Convalidation?
“It was a great course and we feel even more connected as a couple because of it!”
Step 4: God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage Seminars
When: Six to seven months before the wedding.
Why: Based on Scripture and St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body,” this seminar will teach you not only what the Church teaches about marriage and sexuality, but why She teaches it. We hope you will gain a beautiful vision of the meaning of marriage and the remarkable gift of sex between husband and wife.
What: The God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage Seminar is a full-Saturday class presented by a team of ordinary couples like you along with a priest. The day is designed to enrich your understanding of a Catholic marriage and give you opportunities for fruitful discussions as a couple.
Where: Offered several times a month at various locations throughout the diocese.
Step 5: Natural Family Planning Instruction
IMPORTANT: You must attend God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage before taking NFP classes.
When: Begin your NFP course 4 to 6 months before your wedding.
Why: NFP helps you and your fiancé understand and respect each other’s fertility.
What: To ensure you have the tools to plan your family effectively and in accord with God’s plan for marriage, you will have the opportunity to learn about fertility awareness and the natural spacing for children by taking a full course in an approved Natural Family Planning method.
When and Where: Live virtual classes are available over the internet. A course is 10 to 12 weeks long and is divided into 4 to 6 sessions, with each session lasting 1 to 2 1⁄2 hours, depending on the method and learning mode selected.
How: Use the link below to learn about NFP methods available in the Diocese of Phoenix and to register for classes.
Step 6: Celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation
When: One or two months before your wedding. In addition couples often ask their priest to incorporate Confession into the Rehearsal for their wedding parties.
Why: The Sacrament of Reconciliation is an invaluable source of grace and healing, which will help you receive more of the gift of your spouse-to-be!
What: The Catholic Church invites all baptized Catholics to prepare themselves spiritually prior to their marriage by making a good Examination of Conscience and then celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation with their parish priest.
Where: Schedule a time/place with your priest prior to the wedding.
Step 7: Final Meeting with your Pastor
When: Six to eight weeks before the wedding.*
Why: Review the final details in order to have the most beautiful wedding and marriage possible!
What: This meeting will help you review your previous preparation, ensure your paperwork is complete, and finalize the liturgy for your wedding day. You are close to entering into this beautiful Sacrament!
Where: Your parish.
*Note: If you are getting married outside the Diocese of Phoenix, your completed marriage file needs to be submitted by the parish preparing you for marriage no later than ONE MONTH before your wedding date (two month minimum for weddings outside the United States). Be sure to talk to your parish contact ahead of time to make sure this deadline is met.