Planning your Wedding
Congratulations on your engagement and thank you for inquiring about celebrating your wedding here with us at Saint Andrew Roman Catholic Church. Except for registered parishioners, all off Island couples must receive permission from their home parish to be married at any other Church. Therefore, we have established the following guidelines to determine your intent and preparations:
Requests for a wedding date cannot be processed until it is one year or less before the actual date of the wedding.
It is strongly urged that you marry in your home parish where your family and friends live and celebrate the sacramental Life.
Please complete the following two documents to begin your registration:
a. To begin your registration, we require you to complete a Wedding registration form, you can click here to register online, or alternately click this link to print and mail: Wedding registration form.
b. Home parish permission form-this information must be supplied by your home pastor/priest. Scheduling cannot be continued until both forms are complete and returned to St. Andrew Parish.Please take into consideration the weather as a major aspect of planning your wedding here on Block Island.Over the years, many weddings have had serious delays or complete cancellation because participants and/or guests could not reach the Island on time or at all. It is strongly urged that members of the wedding party and your most important guests should plan to arrrive at least 24 hours prior to your planned events.
St. Andrew Church building on Chapel St. seats 300 persons and is opened year round. The Parish also has a chapel on Spring St. which seats 75 persons. Both facilities are fully handicapped accessible.
Music choices are left to your preference within the guidelines of the Dioceses of Providence. You may contract with our experienced parish musicians or engage your own if they are trained in liturgical music. Under separate cover you will be receiving a mailing from the Parish Music Director.
Floral pieces can be ordered from an Island arranger or your own. As a guideline, simple but beautiful is suggested. For both safety and insurance reasons, a white runner for the main aisle is not permitted. The aisle is carpeted.
Alcohol consumption is not permitted on Church property.
We ask you to refrain from throwing rice, confetti, bird seed or other such materials on Church property or in the Church building. Bubbles are permitted outside.
Photographers and video technicians must have the utmost respect for the solemnity of your wedding and the sacredness of the space.
The license to marry must be obtained from your town hall or the Office of the Town Clerk, Block Island; call (401) 466-3200 for full details. Please bring that license with you to the rehearsal. It must be signed by the witnesses and the celebrant.
The stipend for the use of the Church and the wedding service is $1,000.00; a non-refundable deposit of $500.00 must be sent with the wedding registration form. The final balance is due 60 days before the date of the wedding. Real financial hardship will be considered on a case by case basis. The checks are made payable to: St. Andrew Catholic Church.
Cancellation policy: Refunds of 50% of total stipend will be granted when a cancellation occurs more than 30 days prior to your wedding date. Refunds will not be allowed for cancellations of 30 days or less.
One final thought: St. Andrew Parish presumes that your own Pastor or Parish Priest has instructed you on all the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church with regards to your courtship and future marriage and obtained all the necessary documentation. We trust them to fulfill these essential obligations.
May you find this helpful in the important planning that lies before you and be assured of the help you may need from this Parish. If you have any additional questions, please inquire using the form below.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Joseph Protano, Jr., Pastor