The Sacrament of Marriage

Those wishing to be married at St. Monica Catholic Church, or prepared here for a wedding elsewhere, are invited to attend one of our Marriage Information Nights that are generally held on the 4th Wednesday of each month. This is the first step in marriage preparation at St. Monica and must be completed before any specific wedding arrangements can be made. For further information, call the Sacrament office at (310) 566-1505.

After attending the Marriage Information Night, wedding arrangements begin with an interview of the couple by a priest of the parish. The sacrament coordinator will contact you to schedule an appointment. At least one of the parties must be a baptized Catholic who either lives within our parish boundaries or is an active, registered parishioner of St. Monica for at least one year. Please understand that if you do not live within the parish boundaries and are not a registered member of the parish, we must give preference to active and registered parishioners.

When do we set the date?

Provided there are no special circumstances that arise at this first meeting, a date and time of the ceremony will be set. There is at least a six-month preparation time required for marriage.

What are the times available for Weddings?

Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., as well as on Fridays at 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Weddings are not celebrated on Sundays at St. Monica.

What if we are getting married elsewhere?

For those couples being married in a Catholic Church outside the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, we are happy to assist you with your marriage preparation. (1) We will refer you to an Engaged Encounter Weekend Retreat, (2) administer the FOCCUS communication study tool, (3) have you meet with our marriage counselor, (4) complete the Pre-Nuptial Inquiry and (5) collect the requireddocuments from you and forward them with the Pre-Nuptial Inquiry to the Los Angeles Archdiocese for their approval and forwarding to the Diocesan Office where you are to be married. Please refer to the accompanying schedule of stipends for marriage preparation for ceremonies held outside the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Schedule of Offerings & Stipends

Unless otherwise noted, all offerings and stipends should be made payable to St. Monica Church.

Facility and Preparation Offering

For marriage preparation and the use of St. Monica Catholic Church: $1,000.00.

If you are celebrating your marriage elsewhere:
$350.00 for registered parishioners
$500.00 for non-registered couples

Processing Fee

Archdiocesan paper work processing fees (for marriages elsewhere) are $40 for marriages within the United States and $70 for marriages outside the U.S.  The payment must be a cashier's check or money order made payable to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Please note that there is an additional charge of $30 if this paperwork is late.

FOCCUS and Marriage Counseling

$150 per meeting. There is a 24-hour cancellation policy in effect for these meetings. Couples will be charged for any cancellation/change made within that 24-hour period.

Engaged Encounter

Information on the Engaged Encounter Weekend Retreat is given at the time you attend the Marriage Information Night.

Individual Stipends (In Addition to the Facility Offering)

The following is a list of individual stipends. Please make individual checks payable to the instrumentalist, singer, wedding coordinator and organist. These checks should be given to the wedding coordinator at the wedding rehearsal.

Wedding Coordinator: $200
Organist: $200
Cantor/Soloist: $200
Altar Servers: $40 ($20 per server - cash)
Sound Technician, if needed: $100-$150 (cash)
Unity Candle: $35 (payable to St. Monica Catholic Church)

Additional musicians are available.