Through the Sacrament of Matrimony a community of love is formed. For Catholics, marriage is not merely a civil contract; it is a covenant of life and love between a man and a woman and God. If both are baptized, the marriage is a sacrament; a symbol of unity and fidelity between Christ and the Church. A sacramental marriage is a means of grace, giving strength to husband and wife to live their commitment and help each other on the path to holiness.

Learn more about what Catholics believe about marriage and how you might be able to make your own marriage stronger at foryourmarriage.org.

Congratulations! You're engaged! And now begins a time of more immediate preparations, not only for a wedding day, but for something that is so much more: a life-long, faithful, and fruitful marriage!

The sacred covenant in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is a symbol of the union between Christ and his Church; therefore, marital love must be permanent, life-giving, and freely shared. The different components of the marriage preparation process strives to help you and your future marriage to radiate Christ's unselfish love and grow ever closer to God and to one another. Those components include:

1. Spiritual Preparation

Direction by the priest including: discussions about the theology of marriage and your relationship, taking an inventory for engaged couples, called Prepare and Enrich, and completing the required marriage documents.

2. A Marriage Retreat

PRE-CANA

Ames- Dcn. Charles & Rindi Bernhard 515-817-3521, 515-509-6867

             This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.         This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

             St. Thomas Aquinas Church 2210 Lincoln Way

             9:00am - 4:30pm Saturday, March 6, 2027

             9:00 am - 4:30 pm Saturday, May 1, 2027

Cedar Falls- 

             St. Stephen the Witness Catholic Student Ctr. 1019 W 23rd St. 

             Time: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday, January 23, 2027

Cedar Rapids- Deacon Scott and Mary Zogg 319-210-2891 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

             St. Pius X Church, Parish Hall 4949 Council St. NE Cedar Rapids
             
             9:15 am - 5:30 pm Saturday, September 12, 2026

             9:15am - 5:30pm Saturday, October 10, 2026

             9:15am - 5:30pm  Saturday, March 20, 2027

             9:15am - 5:30pm Saturday, June 12, 2027

             St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, 1350 Lyndhurst Drive, Hiawatha

             9:45 am - 6:00 pm Saturday, June 13, 2026

 Dubuque- Saturday, Ted & Tricia Borelli 563-213-4259 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

             St. Anthony Church O'Malley Hall 1870 Saint Ambrose St.     

             8:30 am-4:00 pm Saturday, November 14, 2026

             8:30am - 4:00pm Saturday, February 6, 2027

             8:30am - 4:00pm Saturday, April 10, 2027

             8:30am - 4:00pm Saturday, May 15, 2027

Dyersville- Michael & Katie Wade    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

             St. Francis Xavier Basilica Hall 104 Third St. SW       

             Time 9:30 am - 6:15 pm Saturday, February 20, 2027

Clear Lake- Deacon Tom & Julie Blomme 641-585-3296       This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

             St. Patrick Catholic Church Parish Hall 1001 9th Ave. S.

             Time: 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Saturday, February 13, 2027

New Hampton- Deacon Victor & Nancy DeSloover 

             563-429-2773 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

             Holy Family Church, Hynes Hall 216 N Broadway Ave.     

            8:00 am-4:30 pm  Sunday, August 2, 2026 

           8:00am - 4:30pm Sunday January 31, 2027 

Virtual - Matt Selby 563-556-2580, ext 233 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

          Online registration: dbqarch.org/precana/

TWO BECOME ONE (in the cases of remarriage)

              St. Patrick Catholic Church 705 Main St. Cedar Falls IA 50613

               8:30 am - 5:00 pm Saturday, October 17, 2026

                8:30am - 5:00pm Saturday, April 17, 2027 

              Online registration: dbqarch.org/TwoBecomeOne

 3. Mentor Couple

A Mentor Couple of your choosing will work with you through the marriage preparation process using the Witness to Love program.

4. Natural Family Planning

Engaged couples are encouraged to take a class(es) with instructors online or in-person to learn more about NFP, including why it is beneficial and how to practice the moral methods approved by the church.

5. Planning the Wedding Liturgy & Music

The priest will direct the engaged couple to prayerfully consider the meaning of the different components of the marriage rite, such as the consent and the readings, and the Director of Music and Liturgy will help the couple navigate the different options regarding the sacred music.

Please contact your parish's office at least six to twelve months prior to the intended wedding date.

It's time for a wedding! Couples planning a Catholic wedding will be expected to discuss the liturgy with the priest and/or deacon who will be celebrating the wedding, as well as to meet with the Director of Music & Liturgy to plan and approve the ceremony's music.

Below are a few documents that couples should complete as part of their preparations, as well as a range of resources that should assist in making those decisions. It is always important that couples first speak with the priest, as well as the Director of Music & Liturgy, before making any arrangements, and addressing any and all questions and concerns firstly to them.  Blessings on all the planning!

1. Items to be completed and discussed with the priest:

To be completed:          pdf A Wedding Liturgy Planning Sheet(78 KB)

Resources & Guidelines:

Marriage Preparation Document.pdf

pdf A List of Possible Readings for Celebrating Holy Matrimony(120 KB) :

pdf Old Testament Readings(2.13 MB)
pdf New Testament Readings(3.33 MB)
pdf Gospel Readings(2.19 MB)

pdf A List of Possible Prayers of the Faithful(310 KB)

pdf Sample Wording & Ordering for a Wedding Program(90 KB)

 2. Items to be discussed with the Director of Music & Liturgy:

To be completed:           pdf A Music Selection Worksheet(28 KB)

Resource & Guidelines:

Wedding Music Aid 2025 

There are many opportunities throughout the Archdiocese of Dubuque for couples who are currently married to enrich their relationship and so better their marriage and their family life through a program called Marriage Encounter. These experiences are designed to help married couples communicate more intimately with one another in order to deepen and enrich their love for one another. Be sure to check out those opportunities and more at http://www.dbqarch.org/offices/family-life/ministry-to-marriage/.

Natural Family Planning (or NFP) uses the signs during a woman's cycle to help them know whether they are fertile or infertile. Couples learn to observe, record, and interpret these signs with a very high degree of accuracy and so can be very effective at either achieving or postponing a pregnancy.  It is a natural, safe and inexpensive method that does not compromise the heath of the woman's body; instead, it works with her body to indicate her reproductive health. Methods are easy to learn and supports the total marriage of a couple:  both their family, as well their relationship, improving communication and supporting a couple's intimacy.

For more information and a list of NFP methods and instructors, visit the Archdiocese of Dubuque's NFP website.

Archdiocese of Dubuque NFP Website