Weddings at Saint Vincent Basilica Parish
beginning a life of
faith together
We are thrilled that you are considering the Saint Vincent Basilica for your wedding ceremony! We welcome parishioners and non-parishioners, as well as Saint Vincent College alumni. Please review the information below and contact us when you are ready to begin booking your wedding!
There are several guidelines for the Catholic Mass or ceremony that must be followed in the Basilica. This time of engagement will be special for you and your fiancé, as you prepare to celebrate your marriage to each other in Christ.
Guidelines for a Wedding at Saint Vincent Basilica Parish
The Eucharist at the Center
The wedding day is a time of rejoicing, not only for you, but also for your families and friends and for the parish family of Saint Vincent Basilica. We look forward to celebrating with you.
Our time of preparation together will hopefully prepare you not only for your wedding day but be the beginning of a wonderful and holy marriage.
It is in this spirit that Saint Vincent Basilica Parish provides these guidelines as an aid to both of you as you make the necessary preparations for this special day and your marriage.
Please know that we will be keeping you in prayer as you move closer to your wedding day at the Saint Vincent Basilica!
We will be keeping you in our prayers as you prepare for your life together. We require at least a six (6) month notice so that we can help you prepare for your marriage.
Please review this entire page and submit any inquiries you may have and we will reply to you as soon as possible.
Marriage Preparation
It is a Diocesan policy that every couple preparing for marriage complete this course. Attendance at the Sponsor Couple Program, Engaged Encounter or online at catholicmarriageprep.com will also satisfy this requirement. For more information, contact Holly Sigut at holly.sigut@stvincent.edu, or (724)539-8629, ext. 14.
Weddings at
Saint Vincent Basilica Parish
Organist and Musicians
Only Saint Vincent organists are permitted to play the organ for Basilica weddings. Please contact John Szalewicz, Music Director, at (724) 539-8629, ext. 21 to discuss the wedding music and fees. Even if organ music is not utilized at your wedding, all instrumentalists, vocalists and music selections must be approved by the Parish Music Director. The Bridal Chorus from the opera ·Lohengrin' ('Here Comes the Bride") is not approved for use at wedding liturgies in the Basilica. Days and times for music rehearsal must be scheduled with the Parish Music Director. Musicians are not present at the wedding rehearsal.
Scheduling Your Priest
Couples who are parish members may contact our Pastor,
Fr. Richard Ulam, O.S.B. to find out his availability.
Couples who are not parish members must supply a priest. Other priests are welcome to celebrate the marriage service, but according to Canon Law, they must send us a letter of good standing from their home diocese.
Altar Servers
Parish altar servers will be scheduled unless the bridal couple requests otherwise. A stipend for their services is collected when the wedding is scheduled.
Flowers, Bows/Crash, Unity Candles
Live floral decorations may be placed in bobeches around the candles at the altar and/or an arrangement may be placed in front of the lectern. No flowers may be placed on the altar itself. All floral decorations become the property of Saint Vincent Basilica Parish, and remain In the Basilica for Sunday Mass without exception. None of the Basilica's seasonal decor may be removed. Artificial flowers are not permitted to be used in the Basilica.
Bows may not be used to decorate/reserve pews in the nave of the Basilica. The use of a crash or aisle runner is not permitted in the Basilica.
The Unity Candle is not a part of the Liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. If a couple wishes to use a unity candle, the church will provide a stand. The candle will be placed on a stand in the sanctuary, but not on the altar itself. Couples are advised that the Unity Candle consists of two (2) tapers and a pillar candle. Couples using a Unity Candle in the wedding ceremony are required to bring the three candles to the wedding rehearsal.
Handicapped Accessibility
Handicapped access to the Basilica is available through the Parish Center via an elevator.
Wedding Coordinator
The Parish Wedding Coordinator will attend the rehearsal and ceremony to assist the wedding party and clergy. A stipend for her services is collected at the time of the wedding rehearsal. While couples are free to employ a wedding planner for other aspects of their wedding day, such wedding planners have no authority on the grounds of Saint Vincent, and may not be involved with any aspect of the ceremony or rehearsal.
photography & Video
The taking of photographs or videos is permitted in the Basilica. However, photographers and videographers are not permitted to use the galleries and may not enter the sanctuary during the Liturgy. Couples are expected to share this information with their photographer and/or videographer. Because other liturgical celebrations are scheduled in the Basilica, the following schedule is to be strictly observed:
For a 12:30 p.m. wedding, bridal parties may have access to the Basilica beginning at 12:00 noon, and must vacate the premises no later than 2:00 p.m. For a 2:30 p.m. wedding, bridal parties may have access to the Basilica beginning at 2:00 p.m., and must vacate the premises no later than 4:00 p.m. Bridal parties do not have access to the Parish Assembly Room or the Crypt. Those taking pictures or videotaping are asked to keep in mind that people have gathered to pray. The church is a house of prayer, not a photography studio.
Wedding Rehearsal
It is the responsibility of the bridal couple to schedule the rehearsal time. Times for rehearsal are 6:00 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. Rehearsals are held the evening before the wedding. Please be on time for the rehearsal, otherwise your rehearsal time will be forfeited. Forty-five minutes are allotted for the rehearsal.
Everyone is reminded that the church is a house of prayer. Therefore, proper attire and conduct are required at the rehearsal. The bridal couple is responsible for ensuring that their ushers, attendants and guests behave appropriately.
Rice, Confetti, etc.
Flower petals, rice, confetti, birdseed, balloons, bubbles and similar items such as props (little red wagons, arches, etc.), may not be used in the Basilica or on Saint Vincent premises. Living creatures, including birds or butterflies, may not be released in the Basilica or on Saint Vincent premises, nor may pets and/or other animals serve any role in the wedding.
Marian Devotions - Chapel of the Immaculate Conception
Private devotions are normally celebrated outside of the Church's liturgy. If both parties hold a special devotion to Mary, a presentation of flowers may be considered. For those who would like to place flowers before a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception is located to the right of the vestibule.
Directions and Parking
There is plenty of parking in front of the Basilica below the Boniface Wimmer statue. Please stay in this lot to avoid parking fees from the college security.
Contact us with any Questions or if you are ready to schedule your Wedding!
Cancellations
All wedding date cancellations are to be made in writing. If a cancellation is received more than one (1) month in advance of the wedding date, one-half of the reservation fee and all of the pre-paid stipends will be refunded. If a cancellation is made less than one ( 1) month before the wedding, the entire reservation fee will be forfeited,
but the pre-paid stipends will be refunded.
Contact Holly Sigut in the Parish Office for more information:
(724) 539-8629 ext. 14 or holly.sigut@stvincent.edu
300 Fraser Purchase Road | Latrobe, PA 15650
Special thanks to Stanley & Marie Photography