What happens during the six-month preparation period? Required documents Each person completes a personal witness form (Form A). A second witness, usually a parent or close relative, completes a questionnaire (Form B). Each Catholic person must submit a recent copy of his/her Baptismal Certificate (issued within the past six months). People who have been baptized in another Christian Church must also present a certificate of Baptism. Finally, a valid California Marriage License must be obtained from City Hall or any county government office. This license is valid for ninety (90) days. Pre-Marriage Inventory Each couple preparing for marriage will complete the FOCCUS premarital inventory. This usually takes one hour to complete. This is usually followed by several sessions with the priest or deacon to go over the responses to the inventory. Marriage Preparation Each couple is required to participate in one of the following preparation programs: The Engaged Encounter, which is held on different weekends throughout the year, takes place at Mt. Alverno Retreat Center in Redwood City. The weekend begins Friday evening and concludes Sunday afternoon. Participants live at the retreat house during the weekend. Engaged Encounter brochures are available at the parish offices. OR The Parish Marriage Preparation Program, which is led by couples who have received training from the Archdiocese, is held once a week for four weeks. Planning the Ceremony The final segment of the Marriage Preparation Program is the planning of the wedding ceremony. Couples will be given Together for Life to help in planning the various parts of the ceremony. Flowers Flowers are the responsibility of the couple. No tape of any kind may be used. Couples are encouraged to share flowers when there is more than one wedding on the same day. Please note: flowers are to be left on the altar after the wedding as a gift to the worshiping community for the Sunday Masses. No flowers, rice or birdseed may be thrown in or outside the Church. Runner A cloth aisle runner is available. The cost of the runner is $32.00 which the cleaner charges for laundering, ironing and re-rolling. Leave a message at the parish office for Mark Ohlander if you wish a runner Music Music must be coordinated by the parish music director, Mario Balestrieri. He should be contacted at least three months before the wedding. His telephone number is (415) 333-1767. The fee for music is $300.00		Donations Donations to the Church should be in proportion to the amount spent on the wedding. The suggested donation for the Church is $350.00. $75.00 for the Rehearsal Coordinator. Ordinarily there are two altar servers assigned for a wedding who are usually given $10.00 each from the wedding party. You may give a separate gift to the Priest or Deacon. Who can get married at Church of the Epiphany? The proper place for a wedding is the parish of either one of the Catholic parties. If neither party is a current parishioner of Epiphany there must be some connection to the parish (went to Epiphany School, grew up in the parish, etc.) and permission must be given by the current parish before the date can be entered on the calendar. Both persons must be free to marry according to Church law before setting the date. What days and times are weddings celebrated? Weddings take place on Saturdays at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm. The dates are arranged with the priest or deacon performing the ceremony. The couple must contact the parish at least six months before the proposed wedding date. GUIDELINES FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS STILL PHOTOGRAPHY Pictures may be taken in or around the Church before the wedding ceremony. If there is a prior wedding, please respect their time. Pictures with flash may be taken while the bridal party comes up the aisle. Once the wedding party is in the sanctuary no flash photographs may be taken. During the ceremony pictures (without flash) may be taken from the choir loft, the side aisles or from the center aisle behind the congregation. Photographers are not allowed in or around the sanctuary or in the front of the center aisle during the wedding ceremony. There is limited time for photographs following the ceremony. Each wedding is allocated one and one-half hours for the ceremony and pictures. This means that photographers must be completed at 12:30pm (11:00 Wedding), 2:30pm (1:00 Weeding) or 4:30pm (3:00 Wedding). No exceptions will be made to this policy. VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY The videographer may set up a camera in the side of the sanctuary. It may be rolled out for the entrance procession. After the wedding party enters the sanctuary, the camera must be rolled back to the side of the sanctuary. No special lighting may be used at any time. The groom may wear a wireless microphone. No other microphones are allowed. A second camera may be placed in the choir loft or in the side aisles. All cameras must remain stationary once the wedding party has entered the sanctuary.