Preparation for marriage is of great importance for the good of the Church. Marriage is a vocation and the more thoroughly a couple is prepared for it, the better it is.

The Code of Canon Law states that there should be "personal preparation for entering marriage, so that the spouses are disposed to the holiness and the obligations of their new state". (CIC can. 1063, 2, CCEO can. 783)

As the marriage vows bind a couple to a life-long commitment, we presume that you have pondered seriously enough before you approach us to begin the immediate process of preparing for marriage.

Sequence of Events Leading to Your Wedding

The couple must contact the Parish Office at least 9 months prior to the anticipated wedding date if they plan to marry in Church of St. Francis Xavier (SFX), Petaling Jaya.

If the couple is made up of a Catholic and non-Catholic (Protestant-Christian or other religious tradition), then the Catholic partner must reside within the boundary of the churches in the Petaling Jaya district, namely

1. Church of St. Francis Xavier
2. Assumption Church
3. St. Ignatius Church
4. St. Thomas More and
5. Church of the Devine Mercy

If both partners are Catholics, then one of the two must reside within the boundary of one of the churches named above.

Where you reside determines the parish you belong to.

If you reside outside the boundaries of these parishes and wish to have your marriage solemnised in SFX, you must give us all the relevant original documents from your own parish church before your marriage can be solemnised here.

• Letter of consent from your parish priest to marry in SFX
• Catholic Marriage Preparation Course certificate
• Latest extract of baptism certificate
• Complete pre-nuptial enquiry form
• Despensation letter (if required)

Civilly Married or Divorced
If a couple is already civilly married; or one of them is from a divorced background, a preliminary interview with the Parish Priest is necessary before proceeding further.

Catholic Marriage Preparation Course (CMPC)

The couple is required to register and attend the CMPC. The CPMC stretches over a period of 6 weeks; one session per week and the duration of each seesion is approximately 2 hours.

There is also a weekend CMPC but only for couples who work irregular hours or if one of the partners works out of town. Presenters of the CMPC will contact you personally on the actual date and venue of the course nearer to your wedding date.

If the couple is working outstation or overseas, the CMPC ought to be done at the parish where the couple resides. The Pre-Nuptial Enquiry is also to be completed there. Should a Dispensation be required, it is to be obtained in the diocese within which the parish is located.

A certificate will be presented to the couple on the last day of the marriage preparation programme.

This course is a pre-requisite for marriage in the Catholic Church.

Pre-Nuptial Enquiry

1. The Catholic couple residing in the territories of St. Francis Xavier Church (SFX), St. Thomas More (STM), Assumption Church, St. Ignatius Church (SIC) and Church of the Devine Mercy (CDM).
2. In the case of a mixed marriage, the Catholic partner must be a resident of the above-mentioned location.

• For the catholic couple/partner - a latest extract of your baptism certificate (i.e. within 9 months of your proposed wedding date).
• For the Protestant partner - a photocopy of his/her baptism certificate.
• Photocopies of the couple's and two (2) witnesses' identity cards/passports. It is not necessary for the witness to be Catholics.
• A passport-sized photograph each of the couple (for Church Marriage banns).
• If the couple is already civilly married, a photocopy of the civil marriage certificate (the original to be sighted by the Parish Office).

Civil Registration

Upon completion of the PNE, the couple will be required to register their marriage with the Registrar of Civil Marriages at the government office.

Payments to Church

1. A stipend of RM50.00 is charged for the Wedding Mass/Service.
2. A fee of RM150.00 is payable to cover cost of administrative expenses. For wedding on Mondays and Public Holidays, an extra service fee (staff overtime payment) of RM200 will be charged.
3. A deposit of RM100.00 for wedding booking not exceeding six months or RM200.00 for wedding booking exceeding six months is collected. This deposit is fully refundable if a couple confirms the booking two months before the wedding date and this will be refunded after the wedding is over. Your ORIGINAL receipt is required for a refund.
4. Organist fee/choir fee is to be paid directly to the organist/choir.
5. The couple will have to make their own arrangements with regards to decorations and flowers. If there happens to be two weddings on the same day, the cost of flowers could be shared with the other bridal couple. Kindly inform the Chief Co-ordinator of the Altar Ladies Society if the flowers will be left behind for the weekend Masses. There is also a red carpet available for rent at RM200.00. The shorter piece is rented at RM120.00. Kindly liaise with the Altar Ladies for this.
6. A Room/Hall/Front Porch may be rented for lunch/tea reception.

Preparation of Wedding Booklet

A sample wedding booklet (according to the guidelines given by the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur) is available on a CD/email.

Please observe strictly to the liturgical format given within and note that lighting the unity candle is not part of the liturgy.

The draft copy is to be submitted to the Parish Office for vetting before the printing can be done.

The wordings "baptised and practising Catholics may now come forward to receive Holy Communion" should be included in the wedding booklet, at the appropriate section of the liturgy.

For Rehearsals
Please contact the Parish Office to fix a date for the wedding rehearsal.

Wedding Do's and Don't's

• Make sure that your wedding does NOT fall on the following days as SFX does not solemnise marriages on these days:

1.  
   1. Sundays
   2. Mondays & Public Holidays (Note: for exceptions please refer to the Parish Office)
   3. Lent: due to the penitential character of the season, weddings are not generally encouraged. If a marriage is celebrated within Lent, the service and decorations (flowers: violet, purple, lilac and white) are to be minimal or low key.
   4. Advent: The same as above for Lent applies to Advent

• The bridal couple should come personally so that they can be briefed properly. Do not send a third party to make the wedding booking for the couple.

• Remember to confirm your wedding booking two months before your wedding date. Your booking deposit will be forfeited if you fail to do so.
• Do not have your marriage civilly registered BEFORE you have completed the PNE with the priest. The Pre-Nuptial Enquiry is done to make sure that you do not have any impediments to the marriage.
• You are advised not to send out invitations until the PNE has taken place and dispensation (if any) has been obtained.
• Please ensure that the bride, bridesmaids and lady lectors are attired appropriately to be in a place of worship, e.g. no plunging necklines, bare backs, mini skirts, high slits, etc.
• The throwing of confetti, rice, petals or flowers is strictly not allowed in Church. It is difficult to clean up in time for other Masses.
• Do not make last minute changes to the names of your witnesses oce they have already been recorded in the Marriage Register.
• Please be punctual for your special day. Do not be late as it may affect other Mass arrangements or disrupt the priest's other schedules.
• The commentator and reader are to be selected by the couple. They must be Catholics.
• It is necessary that the Catholic partner receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before the Sacrament of Matrimony.