Getting Married
at the
Cathedral Church of St Francis Xavier

1. Your Wedding Ceremony
You have chosen St Francis Xavier Cathedral for your wedding. Our Cathedral is the oldest Catholic Cathedral in Australia and has a rich history. It is a place made lively by the faith and prayers of people since 1858. The information in this booklet will assist you as you prepare for your wedding ceremony.

Two ceremonies are available :

1. the wedding ceremony within the celebration of the Eucharist (often called a Nuptial Mass). Where both parties are Catholic they usually choose the Nuptial Mass.


2. the wedding ceremony within a celebration of God's Word. This ceremony does not include Holy Communion and is most often chosen by couples of different Christian traditions or mixed faith.

Please discuss with the Priest officiating at your wedding which is the more appropriate ceremony for your situation. He will also assist you in selecting the Scripture Readings, Prayers and Vows for your wedding.

2. Marriage Preparation
All couples getting married at the Cathedral are encouraged to participate in a Marriage Preparation Course. The enclosed leaflet gives details of those provided through our Catholic Family Services - Centacare - at 33 Wakefield Street Adelaide.

3. The Celebrant of Your Wedding
Some 120 couples marry in St Francis Xavier's Cathedral and St Patrick's Church each year. It is normally the responsibility of the Parish Priest of the parish you reside in, to prepare and marry you. Please contact your local Parish Priest. If he is unable to marry you, please ask him to arrange for another priest for you. Where one of the couple lives within the actual City of Adelaide or regularly attends the Cathedral, one of the priests of the Adelaide Parish will be available.

4. Costs
As you would appreciate, the running and maintenance of the Cathedral and Parish is very costly - over $1000 a day. Money for this work is primarily borne by those who worship at the Cathedral. To give added and essential support it is necessary to make certain charges for the use of the Cathedral for Weddings.

By Church tradition the Archbishop sets a uniform stipend (or offering) for all weddings in the Archdiocese which forms part of a central fund to support the priests.

The bond money is to ensure the Church and grounds are left in an appropriate condition and to ensure the requirements set out here are met.

Nothing at all is to be thrown inside or outside church grounds after the wedding ceremony ie no confetti, no flower petals, no rice, no sugar almonds or similar tokens.

The throwing of anything at all within the church grounds will result in the bond being forfeited. It is your responsibility to ensure your guests are informed of this condition.

The bond money will also be forfeited if the ceremony is more than 15 minutes late starting or the wedding party has not left the grounds 90 minutes after scheduled starting time.

If you as a couple are having difficulties in meeting these costs please speak to the Administrator or Assistant Administrator.

5. Times of Weddings
To ensure that each wedding can be celebrated with dignity and without undue haste the following times are available:

10.00 am
1.30 pm
3.30 pm

It is essential that your wedding start on time. This is because:

1. Saturday is always an extremely busy day in the Cathedral and


2. people involved in your wedding - Priest, Organist, Singers, Bell-Ringers can themselves be on a tight schedule.

We recommend that the bride arrive 5-10 minutes before the start of your wedding ceremony, allowing unhurried time for photographs. Your co-operation in this matter is most important.

6. Music For Your Wedding
Music and song will greatly enhance the dignity and celebration of your wedding ceremony and add to its spirit of prayer. What you choose needs to be respectful of the fact that your wedding is a religious ceremony. Popular love songs etc are more appropriate for your Reception. Your choice of hymns will need the approval of the priest or deacon officiating at your wedding.

The Cathedral Parish is fortunate to enjoy the services of talented musicians and singers.

Organist: Bookings are made through our Principal Organist Mr Ashleigh Tobin. Ring him on 8431 5459. He will arrange an organist and assist you in the selection of your music and hymns. It is essential that you observe the legal requirements associated with copyright. Please discuss the organist's fees with Mr Tobin.

Because of the value of the organ only accredited Cathedral Organists may play the organ.

Singer If you require a singer at your wedding this can be arranged through Mr Tobin. Please discuss the singer's fees with Mr Tobin.

Choir The Cathedral Choir is available to sing at weddings. This is arranged through Mr Ashleigh Tobin. Please discuss appropriate fees with Mr Tobin.

Other Musicians Some couples choose string quartets for their wedding. This is quite acceptable. Please inform the Parish Office in advance.

Recorded Music The use of recorded music, CDs, tapes etc is not permitted for weddings in the Cathedral.

Bells The Cathedral rejoices in having the largest peal of bells in Adelaide, installed in 1996 when the Tower was completed. The Bell-Ringers can be booked for your wedding - a minimum of six people will ring for 20 minutes, starting as you leave the altar at the conclusion of the ceremony. The cost of $250 helps to maintain the bells and the ringing-ropes. The bells are booked through the Parish Office and the booking accepted on receipt of the $250. Please note that bellringing time will be shortened if the ceremony is delayed due to late arrival.

7. Copyright
The Laws of Australia concerning copyright place upon us all legal and moral obligations. It is imperative that everyone who prepares booklets for liturgies in the Cathedral, including for Weddings, observes these laws.

Video Recordings If any music is played or hymns sung which are still under copyright then a license must be purchased for making a video which includes such music or hymns. This license is to be organized by the makers of the video. The organization to approach is Australian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society Association Tel. 02 9954 3655 Fax 02 9954 3664. Playing of the video, even in a private home, constitutes a public performance.

8. Decoration of the Cathedral
While the Cathedral florist prepares two arrangements for the Cathedral for weekends (except during Advent and Lent) many couples like to add their own decorations.

Flowers Additional floral arrangements can be delivered to the Cathedral one hour before your wedding. The Sacristan will advise the florist where to place them. The Cathedral has four brass pedestals which may be used. No arrangements are placed directly on the floor or on/in front of the altar itself.

Candelabra Candelabra fitted with gas fired candles may be included in the decoration of the Sanctuary in the area behind the altar.

Occupational Health and Safety regulations forbid the placing of candelabra or floral arrangements between the pews or along the aisle.

Pew Decorations Decorations on the centre aisle ends of the pews are permitted. They are to be attached by elastic or tying. No drawing pins, masking tape etc are to be used. There are 23 pews on each side of the centre aisle.

9. Photographs and Video
Knowing that every couple wishes to keep a photographic (and often video) record of their wedding, photographers and video camera persons are permitted in the Cathedral. However, we would ask you to remind those responsible to respect the sanctity of your wedding ceremony and to be discreet at all times. Photographers and camera people are not permitted within the sanctuary (the stepped area around the altar) at any stage during the ceremony. They may enter when you are signing the marriage documents.

It is important that you also discuss this matter with the priest officiating at your wedding.

10. Rehearsal
Most couples find it helpful for the bridal party to have a short rehearsal. Within reason, we will make the Cathedral available for rehearsals but please understand that we have a shortage of staff.

Rehearsals take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings immediately following the 5.45pm Mass - at approximately 6.15 pm. Arrangements for rehearsals are made through the Parish Office Only.

11. Car Parking
Ample car parking is provided in the underground car park of the Diocesan Centre. Entry by a left hand turn only from Wakefield Street is permitted by law.

The Sacristan will direct the wedding cars to a reserved area close to the side porch doors.

There is to be no parking on the driveway in the Cathedral grounds. It must be kept free as an emergency entrance/exit at all times.

12. Toilets
Toilets are situated in the Cathedral Hall area. Entrance is across the lawns on the eastern side of the Cathedral.

If you wish to clarify any matters contained in this booklet,
please contact the Parish Secretary, Mrs Marie London,
Monday to Friday 8.30 am - 4 pm
on 8232 8688
All correspondence to The Parish Secretary,
GPO Box 1364, Adelaide, South Australia, 5001

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