Congratulations! We are honored that you have chosen to celebrate

your wedding here at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish. We offer our prayers, support and congratulations as you begin your prep-aration period for the vocation of marriage.

We have assembled this Wedding Guide in order to help make this preparation easier and more understandable. We are always ready and willing to discuss or help you with any part of your church planning process. More information regarding your wedding preparations may be found on our website at www.goodcounsel.org. After you have reviewed this information together please contact us with any questions or concerns you may have.

We realize that each couple is unique with different backgrounds and experiences. We ask that you keep an open mind as you pre-pare for the Sacrament of Matrimony, a sacrament you will give to each other not just on your wedding day, but every day of your lives from that day forward.

Our prayer for both of you is that, as you join with God in a covenant of Marriage, and pledge yourselves to God and to each other, that you will do so completely, freely, without reservation and open to life. Fur-ther we pray that everyday will be filled with the greatest possible joy!!

God bless & best wishes!

Wedding Guide Our Lady of Good Counsel

Roman Catholic Church

Pastor: Rev. Darwin Lastra Wedding Coordinator: Car la Troast

155 West Parkway, Pompton Plains, NJ 07444 973-839-2447

Meeting with the Presider (Priest or Deacon)

If you have not done so already, you will need to secure a date and time for your wedding and the rehearsal with the Wedding Coordina-

tor. The latest a Saturday wedding can begin is 2:30pm, this is to ensure that we are able to prepare for the 5:00 pm Vigil Mass. Your next step is to choose the Presider for your wedding ceremony. We suggest that you contact the wedding coordinator as soon as possible, in order to check the presiders availability and to schedule an initial appointment with him.

Visiting clergy from other denominations are more than welcome to vest and to participate in your ceremony, however you will need to inform the Presider that this will occur.

At your initial meeting with your Presider, the process of marriage preparation will be discussed. You will need to bring original updated copies of your baptismal certificates, with notations, which can be obtained by contacting the parish in which you were baptized . If you were baptized in another Christian denomination, you will need a copy of your baptismal certificate. If there is a deceased spouse, you will need to have an original copy of the death certificate. If there was a previous marriage annulled by the Catholic Church, you will need an original copy of the annulment. If a previous marriage was not annulled that must be done before the new marriage can take place. All of this will be reviewed with you at your first meeting.

Your Presider will complete the Pre-Nuptial Investigation of the Bride and Groom (PNI) with you. This form includes your decision as to whether you would prefer a Nuptial Mass (marriage within a Mass), or a Marriage Ceremony (marriage without a Mass). Either of these options is perfectly acceptable, and both are beautiful. You should choose the option that both of you are most comfortable with. You will receive a book that is meant to help you with this preparatory period, and can be an extremely useful tool. Your Presider will review its use with you.

You will need to schedule a final meeting with your Presider, six to eight weeks prior to your wedding; however, you are certainly welcome to meet with him sooner if you have questions or concerns. At this final meeting, your Mass or Ceremony will be finalized. Your wedding day will be your day, so please be prepared with your preferences, and be open with your Presider regarding these preferences.

You will need to obtain your Marriage License within 30 days of your wedding date. You can obtain it through either of your municipalities, as long as you are a New Jersey resident. If you are both from out-of-state, you can obtain it in Pompton Plains. You need to present it to the Wedding Coordinator at least one week prior to your wedding rehearsal. This is imperative, since no priest or deacon may officiate your wedding without it.

Wedding Rehearsal

Usually scheduled for the evening be-fore the wedding, we try to keep your rehearsal as short as possible, approxi-mately 45 minutes. Your cooperation is important in order to do this. We recommend that the readers of the scriptures be present. Also, please complete the form in the back of the Marriage Preparation Book that you were given by your Presider, and pre-sent it to your Presider at your final meeting with him. This information includes the order of your procession; the order in which your bridal party processes, and with whom they are partnered. Please plan to bring the following items to the rehearsal: Unity Candle (if applicable) Programs (if applicable) Bubbles, etc. (if applicable) Present these items to your Presider or to the wedding assistant at the start of the rehearsal.

Wedding Preparation

In the Diocese of Paterson all engaged couples are required to attend two sessions in preparation for their wedding. These sessions are designed to help you under-stand and embrace a Catholic vision of married love.

The sessions are: Pre-Cana Life Skills, which focuses on the practical aspects of Marriage and

Gods Plan for a Joy Filled Marriage, which focuses on what sex, love and marriage are accord-ing to God’s design. Please register for both classes through the Diocesan Evangelization Center, St. Paul Inside the Walls, online at www.insidethewalls.org.

FOCCUS: Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Under-standing & Study, an online pre-marital inventory. The inventory should be completed prior to your first appointment with the Pastor. The goal is to increase open com-munication in areas known to be important to a successful marriage, and to improve the depth of your understanding of each other, to help prepare you for your married life together. You will be registered for FOCCUS after your initial meeting with the Wedding Coordinator.

Meeting with the Director of Music

Our Director of Music is Susan DePalma. Please plan to contact her at least three months prior to your wedding for an appointment to discuss your wedding music and the guidelines set by OLGC. Susan can be reached via e-mail at musicministry@goodcounsel.org.

Please see our website for more information at: http://www.goodcounsel.org/pdf/weddingpacket.pdf

Our Lady of Good Counsel Fee Schedule

For Parish Members For Non-Parish Members

Music Minister 220.00 Music Minister 220.00 Cantor 200.00 Cantor 200.00 Altar Servers 10.00 each Altar Servers 10.00 each Celebrant Celebrant (Priest/Deacon) Donation (Priest/Deacon) Donation Church - offering of $300 suggested Church - offering of $500 suggested

All fees must be paid at least one week prior to the rehearsal.

Please prepare one check to cover the Music Minister,

Cantor and Church. Checks should be made payable to OLGC.

Fees remain the same in the case of a visiting priest or deacon.

Altar Servers may be paid in cash ($10.00 ea.).

For additional information contact Carla Troast in the parish office at

973-839-2447 or ministries@goodcounsel.org.

Directions to

Our Lady of Good Counsel Church

From Route 287 North or South: Take Route 23 South (Exit 52A) toward Wayne. Take Boulevard/West Parkway exit prior to 2nd traffic light. Bear right onto West Parkway. Continue straight after 1st stop sign Church is on the right.

From Route 80 Eastbound: Take Route 287 North, proceed as above.

From Route 80 Westbound: Take Route 23 North (Exit 53) toward Wayne. At 4th light take jug-handle exit (Alexander Ave.) Follow this to the end. At light, turn right onto Turnpike. Proceed to next light and turn left onto Sunset Road. At the end turn right onto West Parkway. Proceed straight after stop sign; Church is on left.

From the Garden State Parkway:

Southbound Exit 160, Route 80 West. Proceed as above. Northbound Exit 155, Route 19 North to Route 80 West. Proceed as above.