The Sacrament of Marriage

The clergy, staff, and parishioners of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul rejoice with you in your engagement to one another, and we will walk with you as you approach one of the most important days in your life, the beginning of the Sacred Covenant of Christian marriage.

In asking to be married in the Catholic Church, you are publicly proclaiming your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and asking to live as disciples of Christ in the Sacrament of Marriage. The sacred liturgy of your wedding, which begins your married life by the solemn exchange of marital consent, is above all else an act of worship, and we will help you prepare both for that happy day and for the lifetime of marriage that follows your nuptial liturgy.

We understand that you are concerned to have every detail of your wedding carefully planned and well-executed, and we will work with you to ensure that the sacred liturgy is a beautiful and memorable event for you and your families and friends. We ask you to remember that your wedding, although an intensely personal moment for you, is not a private event; rather, it is a public celebration of one of the seven Sacraments given to the Church by the Lord Jesus. For this reason, we must take care to ensure that the sacred liturgy is celebrated according to the mind of the Church and in conformity with liturgical law and local custom.

Policies

The Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul is not a "venue"; we are a parish that offers the sacraments.

• We must serve the needs of our own parishioners. 
• Due to parish schedule, weddings are normally Saturdays at 2pm, 2:30pm, or 3pm. Rehearsal is Friday at 6pm.
  
• Non-parishioners seeking a wedding at the Basilica will be required to meet in-person with our Basilica priest before the request can be approved.
• Weddings for the next calendar year can only be scheduled after the annual parish schedule is established in the fall.
• Due to space and time constraints, no more than 8 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen will be allowed.
• Extra things that are not part of the Catholic wedding liturgy cannot be accommodated.

For complete details and for all policies, please locate the "Documents" section on this page and download the "Policy and Procedures" document. You can also download the complete Scripture Readings and Propers for weddings, as well as the forms you will need to fill out with information about your wedding liturgy.
 

Marriage Preparation

The Basilica's preparation program conforms to the Marriage Preparation Guidelines in the Diocese of Knoxville. Preparation for marriage at the Basilica requires reading and preparing documents, a pre-nuptial investigation, catechesis, and liturgical preparation, including several meetings with the priest or deacon and other marriage preparation staff.

Steps for Marriage Preparation at the Basilica - Please Read

IMPORTANT Guidance Regarding Previous Marriages:  We cannot initiate wedding scheduling or marriage preparation for any couple with a previous marriage (while the former spouse(s) are still living), until such time as a decree of nullity has been issued by the Catholic Church. Unless a decree of nullity is issued by the Catholic Church through the Tribunal process, past marriage(s) are regarded by the Catholic Church as binding for life, even if there has been a civil divorce or annulment. Visit the Tribunal of Knoxville website for more information on annulments and initiating the annulment process. 

Baptism Certificates

It will be necessary for both bride and groom to obtain current certificates of baptism from the church where you were baptized. (Your original certificate is not sufficient, unless you were baptized less than 6 months prior.) Please request a currently issued certificate with notations of all other sacraments you have received, including any previous marriages in the Catholic Church. This is needed to help establish your freedom to marry. If your subsequent sacraments were done at a different parish and did not get recorded at your parish of Baptism, you may need to ask those other parishes to submit your sacramental records to your parish of Baptism, so that they can record it there. (This information should have already been transferred by the parishes where you received the other sacraments, but it sometimes gets overlooked.) If after pursuing these certificates, you are unable to obtain them, a parent or other family member can submit an affidavit attesting that you were baptized. If the bride or groom has not been baptized, exceptional special permission from the Bishop would need to be granted before you can marry. 

Resources
 

• Our Basilica clergy highly recommend watching the Beloved series on FORMED when preparing for the sacrament of Holy Matrimony. You can sign up for a free FORMED  account with the Basilica's FORMED subscription at  www.stspeterandpaulbasilica.formed.org and locate our parish name and address in the list. 

 

• Short videos from the Better Together marriage preparation series by Dynamic Catholic

 

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