Sacrament of Marriage
The New Jersey Bishops have agreed to a Common Policy which requires that a couple make their arrangements one year in advance of their wedding. Call the rectory for an appointment. If you are to be married outside of Our Lady of Lourdes, outside of the Archdiocese of Newark, or outside the U.S., you are required to work with a priest at Our Lady of Lourdes for marriage preparation, and this process must also begin at least one year before the wedding.
Pre-Cana
A one day series of talks and prayer for couples preparing for the Sacrament of Matrimony. The team includes couples who give talks and also couples and individuals who provide hospitality.
POLICY ON FLOWERS, AISLE "RUNNER", OUR "ENVIRONMENT POLICY"
(1) ENVIRONMENT POLICY - To keep our church interior, our church exterior, and our property clean, we ask that you DO NOT THROW OR RELEASE any confetti, rice, birdseed, flowers, flower petals or anything inside or outside the church. Please do NOT release any birds or doves. You may use bubbles, by asking your guests to blow bubbles. Please be sure to collect and discard the bubble containers.
(2) LOCATION - We prefer that all flowers be located inside the altar rail on the marble and not on the carpeted areas of the church.
(3) FLOWER GIRL / PROCESSION - We would prefer that the flower girl would not drop flower petals or rose petals in the procession, especially if these are live / organic flowers as these are very difficult to clean from the fabric of the carpet. Silk flower petals are easier for us to clean. I am concerned that either type presents a walking / tripping hazard especially at a formal occasion and all guests in their shiniest shoes.
(4) PROCESSION AND WHITE RUNNER - We also ask that you would walk on the carpeted area itself and not roll out a white runner. In our experience, it is dangerous to walk on this surface. While the runner is traditionally extended only for the bride, it remains for the rest of the ceremony and does become hazardous.
(5) FLOWERS ATTACHED TO THE WOODEN PEWS - Some couples wish to decorate and adorn the pews themselves with flowers. If so, we ask that you would do this with a minimum of adhesive and you would remove these after your wedding. If you are adorning the pews BEFORE your wedding, please note that this could be done in the 1-2 hours before your wedding starts. If you try to do the adornment 1 or 2 days in advance so that this is place during your rehearsal, there is no guarantee everything will remain in place, if there is another major liturgy that takes place between your rehearsal and your actual wedding.
(6) FLOWERS FOR THE ALTAR - Yes, you may provide. Some couples also wish to have a special bouquet as a prayerful presentation to the altar of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We do not permit any flowers on the surface (mensa) of the altar. We also do not permit flowers on the altar rail.
GENERAL NOTE - We urge you to think carefully about how much it is really worthwhile to spend on flowers that will be seen only from a distance and may be captured minimally - if at all - in photographs in church. Your investment in flowers might be better spent at your reception.
