Please complete and submit the online wedding registration form.  It is important to include email addresses for both the bride and the groom, as well as the wedding date and time you are requesting.

Our wedding coordinator will contact you to set up an initial meeting with both the bride and groom. This initial meeting should occur as soon as possible, as the date and time of your wedding cannot be secured until we have this initial meeting and discuss the wedding process with you.

We are concerned that you have a long and prosperous marriage.  To that end, the Archdiocese of Chicago requires that you take a day long Pre-Cana class before you are married.

WEDDING CHECKLIST as of September 2025
Please note that all documents with an * are required to be married at Church of the Holy Family.

The name of your priest (Mass) or deacon (service/ceremony only) must be provided to COTHF no less than 90 days prior to your wedding date. 

The following documents are required 60 days before your wedding date:

• *Pre-Cana Certificate of Completion

• *Baptismal Certificate
  The certificates may not be dated more than six months prior to your wedding date. Make copies of the documents before submitting them to Church of the Holy Family as they will not be returned to you.
  If you are Catholic, you will need to contact the parish where you were baptized or visit the Archdiocese of Chicago's website here to request a baptismal certificate.  These certificates must be "current" and not the original ones received by you or your parents.
  
  If you are of another Christian denomination, please provide a copy of your baptismal record.

• *Marriage License (Purchase your marriage license at least one, but no more than 60 days (about 2 months) before the ceremony)For information on purchasing a license in Cook County, please click here.
  Note: After you are married, the priest will sign your marriage license. Church of the Holy Family will send it to the Clerk of Cook County’s office. You can obtain a certified copy of the marriage license by contacting the Clerk of Cook County’s office 15 business days after your wedding.
  
  If there has been a previous marriage no date can be set or held until Freedom to Marry has been established. In addition to the witness affidavits,  A NEWLY-ISSUED Certificate (DATED WITHIN THE LAST SIX MONTHS), a copy of the previous marriage license, a copy of a divorce decree, annulment decree or a death certificate from the previous marriage must be provided. Once the documentation is submitted, the wedding office will explain the next step.

• *Prenuptial Investigation and Witness Affidavits
  A pre-marital questionnaire for both the bride and the groom will be completed by the consulting priest or deacon.
  Witness forms to establish freedom to marry are required. Parents are the preferred witnesses, but close relatives or friends of long standing may also be witnesses. This is a total of four witnesses. Your witnesses must sign the affidavits in front of their own priest, deacon or clergy and have them stamped with the church’s seal and sent directly to Church of the Holy Family.

• Ask your priest to send your COMPLETE marriage file at least TWO MONTHS (60 DAYS) prior to the celebration to:
  Cathy Hooper, Wedding Coordinator
  Church of the Holy Family
  1080 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL  60608

• In some cases other documents may be required. The consulting priest or deacon will advise and assist in this regard. **In order for a priest or deacon to celebrate your wedding who is from outside the Archdiocese of Chicago, a letter of endorsement is required from his local bishop or superior. This letter should be sent to:
  Cathy Hooper, Wedding Coordinator
  Church of the Holy Family
  1080 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL  60608

Once you have submitted your documents and completed Pre-Cana, please contact our wedding coordinator, Cathy Hooper at [email protected] to set up your rehearsal date and time. She will be onsite for your rehearsal and wedding to facilitate and manage the ceremony. 
 

• After you have all your documentation in hand and have completed Pre-Cana, please contact your presider to complete any remaining paperwork and/or to plan your ceremony.
• We can provide you with a list of musicians that we work with on a regular basis and who are familiar with music for Catholic wedding ceremonies. Family friends/relatives are also welcomed to perform for your wedding day. Arrangements should be made with the primary musician you retain for the ceremony. 
• We can provide you with a list of scripture readings for your ceremony. These are suggested readings, but you can choose others if you so wish. Please discuss your choices with your presider.
• We have also worked with several wedding planners who are very familiar with both Catholic weddings and the procedures we follow at Church of the Holy Family. Contact our wedding coordinator if you would like that list.

• Deposits are non-refundable if you cancel less than six months prior to the wedding date.
• Throwing of rice or any other food product is inappropriate at modern wedding celebrations.
• Alcohol, open or sealed, cannot be brought into the church.
• If one or both parties have been married before, we cannot set a wedding date until annulment decrees are made available.
• We do not discuss your wedding with wedding planners, parents, or anyone other than the bride and groom.  If there are questions concerning the ceremony or issues that need to be resolved the bride and/or groom needs to contact us.  We will not respond to the inquiries of others concerning your wedding.