Determining the venue of your wedding and what you will wear are important details to plan for. But, more important than these are the things you need to do to lay the groundwork to ensure that you will be able to get married in the Catholic Church. 

Couples getting married in the Catholic Church are required to begin sacramental preparation at least six months (some parishes require 12 months) prior to the wedding.

During that time couples must:

• Meet with a "preparing priest" or deacon to complete all the necessary paperwork for the marriage and to receive spirtual counseling in preparation for the Sacrament.
• Meet with pastor or staff of the wedding location to plan for the wedding ceremony
• Participate in a Marriage Preparation Program, such as Three to Get Married.

You’ll still enjoy a memorable weekend with your future spouse growing more deeply in love and knowledge of each other, but also in your love and knowledge of God and His plan for your marriage. We hope you will see that these loves are intimately related—it takes three to get married!

Trained speakers will present each topic throughout the weekend and you will be encouraged to spend time talking to each other about the topics that will be presented and how they relate to your relationship. 

FORMAT OF THE WEEKEND

The weekend is a mixture of talks, questionnaires, and time for personal reflection and private discussion that allows couples to deepen their understanding of Catholic marriage—with all of its possibilities and challenges. The program begins by focusing on the practical aspects of marriage and then moves toward the spiritual aspects, concluding on Sunday with a day-long couple’s retreat, with opportunities for confession* and Sunday Mass. This weekend is about YOU and is designed to help you initiate those critical conversations needed to lay a solid foundation for your future.

SUNDAY MASS

Sunday’s schedule includes Mass.

Confessions on Sunday

The Sacrament of Confession will be available on Sunday.  If desired, priests will also be available for outside confession.

Just like the in-person sessions,  live speakers will present each topic throughout the weekend and you will be encouraged to spend time talking to each other about the topics that will be presented and how they relate to your relationship.  The only difference is that couples and speakers will participate virtually, via Zoom.  

You’ll still enjoy a memorable weekend with your future spouse growing more deeply in love and knowledge of each other, but also in your love and knowledge of God and His plan for your marriage. We hope you will see that these loves are intimately related—it takes three to get married!

Format of the Weekend

The weekend is a mixture of talks, questionnaires, and time for personal reflection and private discussion that allows couples to deepen their understanding of Catholic marriage—with all of its possibilities and challenges. The program begins by focusing on the practical aspects of marriage and then moves toward the spiritual aspects, concluding on Sunday with a day-long couple’s retreat, with opportunities for confession* and Sunday Mass. This weekend is about YOU and is designed to help you initiate those critical conversations needed to lay a solid foundation for your future.

Remote Attendance

We will be utilizing a Pro version of ZOOM to connect everyone to the program throughout the weekend. Attendance at all talks is mandatory in order to receive the certificate of completion. We will require cameras to be on during the talks.  This will allow the speakers to "see" their audience and not feel like they are talking into a blank computer screen. 

If you and your fiancé will be attending from different locations

A critical aspect of our program is the time you will spend in conversation with your fiancé talking about the different topics that we will present to you and sharing with each other your responses to the questionnaires that we will provide. 

We realize that everyone is in a different situation during this time of isolation and lockdown. If you are both able to attend from the same location, then you will be able to have these conversations face to face. But, if you and your fiancé are isolated in separate locations during this time, it’s important to find the ability to talk to each other during the questionnaire times. We are sure you have a preferred platform for commicating with each other. Please let us know if you have any questions via this email.

Sunday Mass

Sunday’s schedule will not include Mass on virtual sessions. Participants are encouraged to attend their local parish for mass or take advantage of a live-streaming mass (see our list of virtual resources in the sidebar of our Upcoming Events listing.)

Confessions

For those located near Our Lady of Bethesda Retreate Center, Confessions can be scheduled by contacting one of our priests. 

Typical Program Schedule
Schedule may be subject to change. The following is for general information.

• Thursday night: 6:45-9:45 pm
• Friday night: 7:00-9:30 pm
• Saturday: 8:30 am – 5:00pm
• Sunday: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Attendance at all talks and activities is mandatory in order to receive a certificate of completion.

Sunday Mass
Sunday’s schedule for in-person session includes Mass. Those attending our virtual sessions are encouraged to attend their local parish for mass or take advantage of a live-streaming mass (see our list of virtual resources in the sidebar of our Upcoming Events listing.)

Integration with Witness to Love

The Three to Get Married Marriage Preparation program is now integrated with Witness to Love!

Witness to Love is a parish-based international marriage formation ministry that is being adopted by many local parishes. It features engaged couples choosing a mentor couple from their parish to accompany them through their engagement period and assist them in building a relationship and marriage skills, while their preparing priest or deacon helps them delve into the theology of marriage.

The Three to Get Married weekend fits perfectly into the Witness to Love model and fulfills the “retreat” portion of the recommended curriculum. Plus, the Mentor couples are welcome to join the engaged couple during the weekend, fostering deeper conversations between both couples.

We look forward to welcoming Witness to Love participants to our upcoming weekends! And, Mentor Couples are invited to attend on Sunday of the program.

The FOCCUS Inventory

FOCCUS is a self-diagnostic inventory designed to help couples learn more about themselves and their unique relationship. It is a tool to help couples identify and work through issues before marriage. It is not a test nor meant as a predictor of success or failure, but a discussion instrument intended to maximize the marriage preparation process by tailoring it to the individual couple and by providing comprehensive content to assist the couple preparing for marriage and those working with them.

Approximately one week prior to the weekend, each couple will receive instructions via email to access their on-line FOCCUS Inventory session. The results of the FOCCUS Inventory will be sent to the priest who is preparing them. Additionally, each couple will have the opportunity to schedule a consultation with a local marriage counselor to review the results of the FOCCUS; this meeting is a great complement to the counseling already being provided by the preparing priest and usually takes place in the week following the marriage prep session.

Couples who have already taken the FOCCUS also may take the opportunity to schedule a feedback consultation.

Certificate of Completion

Upon completion of the weekend, each couple receives documentation to give to the priest who is preparing them.