For those getting married in the Catholic Church, the highpoint of the wedding day is the mass, where the bride and the groom become husband and wife in a lifelong covenant of marriage. Prayer-filled planning and participation in your ceremony will bring you many blessings in life as a husband and a wife.

We would like to make sure that your day is special and remembered as a sacrament in the presence of God, so our Parish staff need to understand quite a bit of the relationship involved, your faith history, marriage history and other pieces of information that allow the faithful adoption to the Catholic Church. Please read the following “Guidelines for Weddings” for additional information.

Weddings

Guidelines for Weddings

  1. Contact church and arrange date for wedding that is at least six months in the future. If it must be sooner, please contact the Parish Office and speak to the pastor. It will be likely that the requirements for weddings in the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Great-Falls Billings in Mary Queen of Peace Parish may not be able to met in a timeframe of less than six months.

  2. Inform our Pastor immediately if either party was married before. We may have to seek annulment of the previous marriage, which can take 9 – 12 months - sometimes even longer. There is a detailed process on the Diocesan website - click here.

  3. One of the parties must be a Baptized Catholic; the other party need not be Catholic but needs to understand the implications of marrying someone of the Catholic faith. This discussion can be facilitated with the Pastor. The non-Catholic may choose to become a Catholic prior to the wedding.

  4. Weddings are celebrated Friday evenings, Saturday morning and afternoon until 3pm and Saturday evening at 7pm.

  5. Couples need to attend an “Engaged Encounter” weekend or meet 5 times with a sponsor couple, which the church will assign.

  6. Catholics must bring a recent copy of their baptism certificate which are issued from the church of baptism. If one of the parties was baptized in another denomination they need to provide the following items:

    their baptism date; and,
    the name and the city of the church
    in which they were baptized.

  7. Engaged couples need to complete a self-reflection of their understanding of the commitment of marriage which can include a questionnaire.

  8. Financial fee paid to Mary Queen of Peace prior to wedding for building use and preparation is $300 for non members; $200 for active registered parish members. Or $100 prep to be married in another church or city. Additional tips are customary for the Parish wedding assistant, the Priest, the altar servers, and the custodian.

  9. Contact MQP music director for availability, fees, music suggestions. If other musicians are utilized, please contact our music director for set up. NO taped music.

  10. Rehearsal takes place the evening prior at 5pm and takes 30 minutes.

  11. NO ALCOHOL at the church or church grounds, unless served at a reception held in Little Flower School. For School rental contact the parish office.

  12. Photographers are NOT to move church furniture, altar, pulpit, and decorations and they must remain out of sight during the ceremony. If you have concerns about photographers, visit with the Church’s wedding assistant.

  13. NO rice or birdseed. Bubbles are a good alternative. Flower petal distribution is allowed, but they must be picked up immediately following the ceremony.

  14. A white, main-aisle runner is optional. Opportunities to take measurements of the Church will be facilitated by Parish staff.

  15. Dressing rooms are available in Little Flower School. It is your responsibility to tidy up the room after use, preferably before the ceremony begins. If the reception is held at the School this guideline is still in effect.

  16.  Decorations already in place are NOT to be moved by you or your photographer. Please be respectful of our Faith Community

  17. A Marriage License must obtained from the Yellowstone County Clerk of Court. The cost is approximately $53 (November 2024). You will need your birth certificates to obtain the Marriage License from the County. Please bring your Marriage License to the rehearsal.

  18. A wedding assistant from the church will be on site at the rehearsal and day of the wedding to assist the wedding party with structural support for the wedding, they are not there to be your personal assistants.