Congratulations on your engagement! We offer this brief guide to assist you in making the arrangements for your marriage at Magnificat Church.
Who can be married at Our Lady of the Magnificat? In order to be married in the Catholic Church, one or both spouses must be Catholic - and free to marry according to the laws of the Catholic Church.
What is required for marriage at Our Lady of the Magnificat?
To be married at our parish, you must provide a New York State Marriage License. The license must be issued no more than 60 days before the date of your ceremony and at least 24 hours before the ceremony. The license can be secured at any town hall in the State of New York. Please bring the license to your rehearsal.
Since Our Lady of the Magnificat is a summer mission rather than a parish, you will need to complete the wedding paperwork at the home parish of either spouse. Please contact your home parish as soon as possible. As part of the process with your home parish, you will need to secure baptismal certificates for both spouses. Likewise, as part of the process with your home parish, you must attend either a Pre-Cana or Engaged Encounter program.
Facilities Please keep in mind that the facilities at Our Lady of the Magnificat are limited. The Church is not air conditioned or centrally heated. While there are no public bathroom facilities at the Church, there are public restrooms one block north at the Ocean Beach Community Center. There are also facilities at the end of Denhoff Walk near the lifeguard station.
Flowers The altar in the Church is decorated with artificial flowers. If you wish to have other floral arrangements, please make those arrangements with the florist of your choice.
Photography Photography and video recording are permitted during the wedding, although photographers may not enter the sanctuary. You are responsible for making any such arrangements. Subject to the schedule of other weddings or events the Church may be available after your ceremony for further pictures.
Music In order to arrange for the music at your ceremony, please contact our parish organist, Mrs. Ginny Horton at 631-583-8523. The music used in the wedding must be religious music and is limited to Mrs. Horton’s repertoire. If you plan to have other musicians or singers for the ceremony, please consult with Mrs. Horton.
Rice Our Lady of the Magnificat does not have a maintenance staff. Please refrain from the use of rice, confetti, flower petals, etc.
Celebrant There are several priests who staff Our Lady of the Magnificat over the summer season. One of those priests will be available to celebrate your wedding. If you wish to invite another Catholic Priest or Deacon, please be sure to inform the administrator when you book your date.
Nuptial Mass or Ceremony? You have the choice of a wedding ceremony alone, or a wedding ceremony that takes place in the context of a Mass. Please keep the following in mind:
On Sundays, only ceremonies are permitted. On other days, Nuptial Masses or ceremonies are permitted.
In cases of a wedding between a Catholic and a non-Catholic, it is recommended to have a ceremony without Mass.
Confession It is customary for the bride and groom to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation some time before the wedding. As your rehearsal may not be conducted by a priest, we respectfully request that you make arrangements to celebrate the sacrament in advance of your arrival on Fire Island.
Offerings The musicians fee for our Church organist is $100. If you choose to hire additional musicians, you are responsible for seeing to their payment. The Church offering is recommended at $300. This is an offering, and not a fee. If you have financial hardship, we would be happy to discuss a smaller offering. And if you wish to contribute more than $300 to the support of our summer mission, your generosity is always appreciated.