Weddings
&
Marriage
Please begin marriage preparation with your own parish before contacting us to schedule your wedding.
To schedule your wedding with the Cathedral, please email Abel Cobo at acobo@denvercathedral.org
Read the entirety of the Requirements & Information section below before contacting the Cathedral.
Requirements & Information
The Archdiocese requires an eight-month preparation period before the wedding.
Please click here to learn more about the steps of marriage preparation in the Archdiocese of Denver.
The Cathedral requires that a couple begin at least the first step of marriage preparation with their own parish before reaching out to schedule the wedding.
A couple's parish is understood to be the Catholic church where they attend Mass on Sundays or whatever Catholic Church is nearest to the bride's or groom's place of residence.
The full completion of your marriage preparation is absolutely necessary to have your wedding here or at any other Catholic church. If all the items of marriage preparation are not complete in time for your wedding, your wedding may be cancelled or postponed.
The Cathedral recommends that couples schedule a wedding at least eight months in advance to allow for time to complete marriage preparation.
In the Archdiocese of Denver, couples are required to take a Marriage Prep Class and a Natural Family Planning Class. Additionally, the couple’s parish will help them take the FOCCUS questionnaire and assign them mentors. At the initial meeting with their priest, they will have a pre-nuptial investigation to ensure there are no impediments to their marriage. Please follow up with your parish to ensure that you know everything that is expected of you for marriage preparation.
For Couples who live outside the Archdiocese of Denver, they will go through Marriage Preparation in their home Diocese.
For those who are making a second attempt to contract marriage, the status of the first attempted marriage must be fully accounted for, either by a certificate of death or by a decree of annulment.
Please read the requirements for marriage preparation above before contacting the Cathedral to schedule a wedding.
To begin the process of getting married at the Cathedral, email Abel Cobo at acobo@denvercathedral.org
In your initial meeting, you will go over the expectations of the Cathedral Basilica for weddings. During that meeting, you have the opportunity to schedule your wedding officially by paying the $500 non-refundable down payment.
To schedule your wedding with us, you must sign a formal agreement to the norms for weddings at the Cathedral and place a non-refundable down payment of $500. This $500 is part of the $1750 fee. It is a non-refundable commitment.
The Cathedral schedules weddings exclusively on Saturdays at two time slots: 10am and 1:30pm.
The Cathedral staff avoids scheduling weddings during the penitential seasons of Lent and Advent.
Please click here to read the "So Great a Mystery" book, which governs the Cathedral's weddings and marriage preparation.
Please click here to read the Cathedral's norms and expectations for weddings.
Please click here to view the formal agreement contract form.
The Cathedral's wedding fee is $1750. There is an additional security deposit of $500. This includes the use of the Cathedral and staff, a security officer, an organist, and the cantor. It does not include the marriage preparation programs which are independent of the Cathedral.
If the Cathedral wedding fee is a substantial financial burden to a couple, you may present your financial difficulty and ask for a lower price and we will work with you. These exceptions are not likely to be granted if your reception venue is high-end.
Some parts of marriage preparation have fees associated with them, since they are offered by independent sources. The total cost of all parts of preparation does not usually exceed $500.
A marriage between two Catholics is usually celebrated within the context of Mass.
A marriage between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic is usually celebrated outside of Mass.
A marriage between a Catholic and an unbaptized non-Catholic is always celebrated outside of Mass.
When meeting with the priest or deacon who will be witnessing your marriage, you should discuss the readings and any other questions regarding your ceremony.
Only Eucharistic Ministers who are mandated to the Cathedral may help distribute Holy Communion. Friends or family members mandated to their own parish may not distribute Holy Communion at the Cathedral.
Music for weddings is provided by the professional Cathedral musicians. Other musicians are not permitted, with some exceptions.
Couples are encouraged to bring their own priest or a priest from their parish to officiate at their wedding. The Cathedral does not automatically provide a priest, though you may ask one of the Cathedral priests to officiate.
Outside videographers are forbidden from recording Cathedral weddings.
Please click here to read the norms for Cathedral weddings.
Please know that there are various unusual circumstances that may affect your marriage process. Don't be afraid! If you have any of the following circumstances, we can help you to have your marriage validly blessed by the Church. Please contact Abel Cobo to discuss these issues if you have any of the following circumstances which would affect the normal process:
One of the parties is opposed to being married in the Catholic Church
One of the parties is excommunicated (because of an abortion or some other reason)
There is an unintended pregnancy which makes the couple want to expedite the process of marriage preparation
The original ceremony was celebrated improperly (not according to canonical form)
One of the parties has had a previous marriage of any kind:
Civil marriage
Ecclesial marriage (i.e., in any Church or religious institution)
Informal Marriage (i.e., marriage agreement made between two persons without any ceremony, without any authority officiating)
The couple was civilly married outside the Church
There are children born outside of wedlock
