Any brides with weddings at Annunciation?

monkeysip

Hello ladies,

This is my first time posting here, but I'm soon-to-be-engaged, and I'm curious as to if anyone here has been/is going to be married at Annunciation Catholic Church, downtown.  My soon-to-be-fiance and I are parishioners at another parish, but we'd like to be married at Annunciation because its closer to our possible reception venues, we love the traditional liturgy there, and its a gorgeous church.  

So, if anyone knows, I'm wondering if you have to be a parishioner there to marry there; if not, does Monsignor Golasinksi do the weddings; and any estimate as to how much it may cost.  

Thanks in advance if anyone has any info!

[Deleted User]

So you're planning a wedding w/o even being engaged?

um okay? Does your FI know this? just curious.

and to answer your question, no, you dont have to be a parishioner. You just have to make sure you're there bright and early on either January or July to get your date reserved, Annunciation books fast.

monkeysip

Haha, no we've been talking about our wedding for years.  But he's ring shopping, so he hasn't popped the question yet.  I don't want to call myself engaged until he does, although we've been wanting to get married forever.  That's why I don't want to contact the parish yet, just because its weird to start telling the priest we're engaged, when technically we're not.  It would seem to kind of ruin the surprise of my boyfriend proposing.

Anyway, thanks for telling me.  We should be able to contact the parish at least a year before our hopeful wedding date (June 2012).  Hope that'll be soon enough.

[Deleted User]

Oh okay! just checking, b/c there have been girls who plan this whole wedding and such, not engaged, and the FI/BF has NO CLUE! lol.

So, I would go Jan 2012 or July 2011. You wont believe the line that there will be.

monkeysip

Do you or anyone else here know how long it will take to set a date (assuming I can, and there's still room in their schedule)?  That's part of why I'm kind of worried about it.  I've heard it can take a while to set a date at a Catholic church, and I don't want to end up losing a chance at any of the reception venues we were looking at (I know those can book us fast too!).

Also, just curious, why do you suggest Jan or July?  Seems like Jan would be too late... or do they only receive wedding requests in those months?

Thanks again.

icekitty37

In Response to <a href="http://houston.weddings.com/main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_texas-houston_brides-weddings-annunciation?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:121Discussion:efce1741-eebf-4f68-9a7f-f0a6b0123f05Post:a95c2d7d-4600-44f4-b8bc-70797c348fb9">Re: Any brides with weddings at Annunciation?</a>:
[QUOTE]Do you or anyone else here know how long it will take to set a date (assuming I can, and there's still room in their schedule)?  That's part of why I'm kind of worried about it.  I've heard it can take a while to set a date at a Catholic church, and I don't want to end up losing a chance at any of the reception venues we were looking at (I know those can book us fast too!). Also, just curious, why do you suggest Jan or July?  Seems like Jan would be too late... or do they only receive wedding requests in those months? Thanks again.
Posted by monkeysip[/QUOTE]

<div>depending on the church, I dont think a year is unreasonable to have to book ahead. We booked at St. John Vianney one year ahead and there were already days that we could not do because they were booked! </div><div>
</div><div>Just keep in mind March/April during lent they cannot do weddings and if I were you, I'd avoid January and do June just because of how close it is to Christmas and the Advent season.</div>

Eboix518

I was married at Annunciation - pics in bio

You have to get there on July 1 of the previous year you want to be married in. So we had to get there on July 1 2008 for our Jan 2009 wedding. You have to get there bright and early - we got there for 6AM, and we were 8th in line. They only book one wedding a day there and only on Saturdays, non during lent, or the first sat of the year - and I think one other time cannot remember.  Ceremony also cannot be past 2:00, we begged for 2:30 since my reception was going to need a little more time for set up. If you have questions let me  know, good luck!

WildCntrySCWed103418

We are getting married there in a couple months.  We had to... well... he had to get there bright and early on July 1st of 2010 to book it for May 2011.  There will be a long line so plan on getting there when the sun starts to rise if you want a specific date.  It's a great church and we look forward to it.

monkeysip

Thanks so much, ladies!  That helps a lot.  Will be there bright and early!

The 2 pm wedding is a little early, but I guess we'll just try and plan some kind of cocktail hour (or more) and early dinner.  I don't think it would be very convenient for my guests to have a gap with nothing to do since most don't live downtown.

Eboix518

I thought the same thing too about the 2:00 thing, but I worked with it and it all went fine. Our ceremony was at 2:30 ran about 45 minutes reception started at 3:30 and my reception was right across the street so we had no travel time to account for. We served appetizers and did the entrances, and first dances and I think dinner started at 5, then dancing until about 7 cut the cake and did toasts and did more dancing and ended around 8, then headed to the hotel bar. Worked out perfectly.

I would have prefered to have a later wedding but I loved that church and was willing to work with it to have our ceremony there. Some Catholic churches do not have  later ceremonies since most have a Saturday service. I know the cathedral had like a 7:00 ceremony which for a ceremony is fine, but by the time everything is done and you get to the reception your guests are not eating until close to 9.

monkeysip

We're going to have a nuptial mass, so even starting at 2:00, my timeline will probably be the same as yours.  I love that Church, and my boyfriend and I are considering becoming regular parishioners there once he's done with school up in Huntsville, so I know it would be so special to have a wedding there.

Beautiful pics, btw, Eboix.

One last question... if you weren't a parishioner there already, did you have to bring in your own priest?

WildCntrySCWed103418

OUr wedding is at 2 PM and the reception starts at 6 PM in the Galleria.  We are going to have a cocktail hour at the venue so we are asking folks to get there at 5 PM.  It will work out.  Plenty of things to do around that area.

Eboix518

Thank you!

I thinki you can use the priest there, but you can bring your own. I had the priest from my church in my hometown marry us. My husband is Methodist and they were also going to allow his minister from his hometown church to co-officiate but he ended up having a wedding alreqady scheduled for that day

good luck!

BrideBling82

I'm getting married at Annunciation July 16th and I didn't have any problems getting my date. I got engaged October 24 and I think I booked the Church mid November. Your amount is $500...you put $200 down as a deposit and you pay the rest 6 months before your wedding. The priest there is not marrying us we have to bring in our own priest, alter servers, eucharistic ministers and anything else we need. I assume if your a member the resident priest will marry you. If your not sure of your date they will hold it for 10 days within that 10 days you have to pay for it or it goes back up for grabs. Same rules still apply you must go and talk to either your priest or deacon for your initial talk and schedule ur marriage prep. All your paperwork has to be to Annunciation two weeks before your wedding. Hope all the info helps you!!

monkeysip

Thanks to all of the ladies for your help!

Thanks, Bridebling.  $500 is totally reasonable compared to some other numbers I've heard.  Considering what you're saying, maybe it'd be best if my boyfriend and I just contact the Church whenever we're officially engaged (which should be sooner than July) and then if they want us to come back later on July 1st, then we'll do that.  

I don't particularly have a priest in mind for our wedding.  But if the priest there will not do our wedding without us already being parishioners, then I'm sure I can ask one from my alma mater (Univ. St. Thomas).  I don't think I'd ask either of my home parish priests because one is 80 and in poor health, and the other is pretty new and we don't really know him at all.  

Either way, I know it will work out.  By the way, this is the only part of wedding planning I've done at all.  I'm not looking at any of the other stuff until we're actually officially engaged and the date is set.  But the ceremony site is the most important part to me, so I just wanted to have all of the info prepared in my head.  

So, I really appreciate everyone's help!  And good luck to WildCntry and Bridebling for an amazing wedding!