Preparing for Marriage at All Saints

 

There are three components to marriage preparation at All Saints: 

1. Mentoring/FOCCUS
Every couple preparing for marriage at All Saints takes a pre-marriage inventory and discusses the findings of that inventory with a parish-trained mentor couple. The FOCCUS Inventory is a highly reputable survey that will aid you and your future spouse in discussing more than a dozen key issues in married life. Data strongly supports that couples who have discussed and reached some level of agreement on these issues are less likely to struggle during the first decade of marriage. The role of the mentor couple is to meet with you 2-3 times (usually after the retreat) to discuss with you important aspects of healthy married life. Mentor couples are trained to use the FOCCUS Inventory results to facilitate a conversation around areas of growth and have the desire to share with you the wisdom that has come from their own marriages.

 

2. Pre-Cana Retreat
Our pre-Cana weekend retreat is held three times a year and focuses on an important element of married life. The retreat is designed with a mindset towards a healthy Christian marriage, as well as meeting the requirements of pre-marriage formation recommended by both the Archdiocese and the state of Minnesota. You must complete the formation at least 12 weeks before your wedding date. Combined with the facilitated conversation using the FOCCUS results, the retreat provides engaged couples with practical and fruitful tools to support their first years of marriage. Couples who complete these pre-marriage formation elements at All Saints can request 4-6 weeks before wedding documentation from All Saints to receive a MN marriage license $75 discount.

 

3. Wedding Liturgy Planning
Your wedding liturgy/ceremony planning will happen in collaboration with the priest/deacon and the Director of Music. Each couple, following their participation in the pre-Cana retreat, will be equipped to plan and discuss their liturgy/ceremony. Each couple will meet one-on-one with the Director of Music to complete liturgy/ceremony planning. Finally, couples will meet with the priest/deacon (2-4 weeks prior to the wedding) to finalize any details or Church paperwork.

Additional MN State Requirements
Any marriage in MN requires a license. Prior to your wedding, you are responsible for obtaining a marriage license, which is signed by the priest/deacon after the ceremony, and then they will mail it into the state. MN Marriage License Information