All expenses incurred by the church relating to items such as hosts, wine and other sacristy services and the use of sacristy equipment and vestments, salaries for the workers, cleaners and cleaning equipment are met with the contributions you make. For parishioners, the minimum charge for the use of the church is Rs. 30,000/-, and for non-parishioners it is Rs. 40,000/-.

The generous contributions made for wedding services and your continued co-operation in this regard are essential for the continued upkeep of the church.

We appreciate that the parishioners and worshippers who frequent St. Theresa’s Church come from a wide spectrum of social and economic backgrounds. While our fees are calculated to meet actual expenses incurred, we understand that some may find these charges beyond their means. Therefore, in an effort to accommodate those from within our community who are unable to meet the stipend, we encourage you to speak with the Parish Priest should financial consideration be a concern and a suitable concession could be arranged accordingly.

Nonetheless, kindly note that the use of the church and its grounds is a privilege and the actual costs incurred in returning to the original state any damage caused, consequential or otherwise, by your wedding party and guests must be reimbursed on presentation of invoices.

The rehearsal is best done few days prior to the wedding day.

Your wedding rehearsal should be conducted by the trained volunteers of St. Theresa’s Church. Depending on the language of your wedding ceremony, please contact the relevant volunteer/s from list below (in English, Sinhala or Tamil).

• Volunteers for the Wedding Rehearsals

English – Aromi (0777 799 809), Sureeni (077 537 8585)

Sinhala – Stella (077 450 0408), Chandrika (077 872 3397)

Tamil   – Kasthuri (077 344 4125), Shanthi (077 898 0897)

Please set the rehearsal date at least one month before your wedding day as it should be a date and time convenient to the trained volunteer and you. The rehearsal should not last more than 1 hour.

Required parties for the rehearsal;

1. The bridal couple
2. Readers
3. Maid of Honour
4. Best man
5. Parents of the couple
6. Retinue
7. Representative from the choir (optional)

We request that all parties required be punctual for the rehearsal. Please instruct those attending the wedding rehearsal, including non-Christian relatives and friends, about the sanctity of the church. The consumption of food, telephone conversations and chatting in the church during the rehearsal is strictly forbidden.

If the readers you have selected wish to have a separate practice reading, please ensure that there is no one else present in the sanctuary at the time.

5.1       POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

It is possible to arrange a presenter to create slides for your wedding mass (in English, Sinhala or Tamil) to guide the congregation through the mass. A separate charge is applicable for this service. Please contact the parish office for more details.

The charges are as follows:

Hymns and Mass                    Rs. 3,000/-

Hymns only                             Rs. 1,500/-

Mass only                                Rs. 1,000/-

If you wish to have a presentation, you should inform the Parish Office at least two (2) weeks prior to the wedding and discuss the contents and details.

5.2 LIVE STREAMING

Live streaming of your wedding ceremony is available via YouTube for a minimum cost of Rs. 15,000/-

Please contact the parish office for more details.

* Kindly ensure that you obtain receipts from the office for all payments made.

We request that you advise your photographers to respect the sacred precincts of the church and the solemnity of the occasion as they carry out their tasks.

Please note that:

1. Photographing the congregation during a solemn moment of the Eucharist is forbidden, such as during the Eucharistic prayer and Homily.
2. Photographers are not permitted to enter the sanctuary for any reason at any given time.

We regret to inform you that the use of confetti, flower petals and rice are not allowed inside the church, as the cleaning up effort is too overwhelming. We have also had unfortunate incidents of our older parishioners slipping and falling on the confetti strewn on the aisle.

• A maximum of four arrangements are permitted to be displayed in the sanctuary area.
• One arrangement could be placed in front of the altar at the ground level. The altar and tabernacle should be in full view of the congregation at all times.
• Oil lamps, candles and glassware are not allowed on the aisle or elsewhere in the church.
• Affixing nails or implements for hanging/suspending decor are not allowed anywhere in the church. Affixing nails or implements for hanging/suspending decor are not allowed anywhere in the church.
• Decorations on the pews should be attached with elastic bands or ribbons. The use of cello-tape or wires is not permitted.
• All flower arrangements should be placed on rubber mats.
• Linking pews with drapes or obstructing the pews is not allowed.
• NO ARCHES ARE PERMITTED INSIDE THE CHURCH.

If you so wish, a decorated arch can be placed at the entrance to the church. Besides this, no arches are  allowed inside the church.

If your wedding is held on a Saturday evening, please ensure that you do not remove the arrangements that are within the sanctuary, so that they can be used for the Sunday Liturgy.

Kindly co-operate with the church workers to ensure the cleanliness and beauty of the church at all times.

It is extremely important that all unused arrangements and/or parts of the decorations are taken away by the florists.

Kindly provide the details of your wedding floral decorator to the church office.

9.1 SETTING THE TIME FOR THE CEREMONY

Please keep in mind that the time for the ceremony given by church is the time that the ceremony begins (with the entrance hymn). Your guests should be in the church at least 15 min before the scheduled time for the ceremony.

9.2 PUNCTUALITY

We urge that you please be punctual for your wedding ceremony in order to avoid exclusion of any       hymns, homily etc. to finish the ceremony in time for other scheduled commitments.

9.3 ENTRANCE PROCESSION

(i)   THE GROOM AND GROOMSMEN

The groomsmen, groom and groom’s parents should enter the church about 10 minutes before the       ceremony begins (Entrance Hymn).

(ii) THE BRIDAL RETINUE

The ring-bearer, page boys, flower girls followed by the bridesmaids will enter the church about 5 min       before the ceremony begins.

(iii) ENTRANCE OF THE BRIDE

The bride, usually escorted by the father or both parents enters church on the scheduled time.

9.4 THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

This is the core of the wedding ceremony where you promise to commit yourselves to one another before God. Your focus should be on each other during the Sacrament especially when exchanging your vows.

We strictly remind Catholic couples (or Catholic party) to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, before your wedding so as to be in a state of grace to receive the Sacrament of Marriage.

9.5 UNITY CANDLE CEREMONY

If you wish to have a Unity Candle ceremony, you may purchase a set of personalized candles and arrange it outside of the sanctuary on the right side near the railings (Groom’s side).

• Lighting individual candles – This is done before the service/mass begins either during or after the entrance hymn.
• Lighting of the Unity Candle – The Unity Candle is lit after the rite of marriage/exchange of rings.

 9.6 OFFERTORY

Please check with the Parish office what can be offered in the offertory procession.

• In a Nuptial mass, the bridal couple can carry bread and wine (cruets and ciborium) during the offertory.
• In a service, the bridal couple can offer anything else.

9.7 HOLY COMMUNION

The priest will walk up to the couple to give Holy Communion. Others will kneel at the railing to receive Holy Communion. In a wedding service, the non-Catholic will also kneel during communion and the priest will bless him/her but should not receive communion.

Only the Catholics can receive Holy Communion.

Please be mindful that you have just received the Holy Eucharist, and due reverence needs to be given to the moment. Therefore please refrain from talking to each other.

Please instruct other parties attending your wedding ceremony accordingly.

9.8 REGISTRATION

Registration happens immediately after the mass, on the left-side of the altar (bride’s side). The couple followed by the retinue, parents and witnesses should walk to the registration table arranged on the side after the Final Hymn.

• Refrain from talking to one another during the Service, especially after receiving Holy Communion.
• Everyone (all Catholics) should participate in the mass and answer the prayers with reverence.
• If it is a service, the non-Catholic party should, as a sign of respect, follow the Catholic party in sitting, standing or kneeling when required during the mass (Presentation slides are recommended)
• Non-Catholics should not receive holy communion or not do any readings at the mass
• Refrain from using any electronic/digital devices and engaging in any kind of telephone conversations within the church either before, during or after the ceremony.

Please note that we do not tolerate the offering of tips or gifts to church staff for carrying out special favors.  We insist that this practice is very strictly enforced and expect you to respect this rule at all times. This practice could result in the cancellation of your wedding ceremony.

Please keep in mind when you select your bridal and bride’s maids attire that it should be appropriate and suitable for church. Bridesmaids should be comfortably dressed to be able to assist the bride during the ceremony.

Please remember that you are in God’s presence, therefore please refrain from wearing immodest, conspicuous and inappropriate clothing to Church. It is essential that modesty and decorum are exhibited in keeping with the propriety required for the solemnity of the ceremony.

¤          On Sundays and on days of Obligation.

¤          During the season of Lent.

¤          During the season of Advent, between 17th December – 25th December

Please feel free to contact our office staff for any bookings/clarifications. The office is open from Tuesday to Sunday during the following times:

Tuesday                      : 8.00am – 12.30pm

Wednesday to Friday : 8.00am – 5pm

Saturday and Sunday : 8.00am – 12.30pm

3.30pm – 6.30pm

Our contact information:

Phone: 011-2583425/ 2502530/ 5516116

Email: stcitclub@gmail.com

Website: www.sttc.lk