Weddings
๐ Weddings
Congratulations on your engagement!
Marriage is a beautiful and sacred vocation—a lifelong commitment rooted in faith, love, and God’s grace. We are delighted to welcome couples as they prepare not only for their special wedding day but also for a lifetime of love and commitment together.
Planning Your Wedding
Because preparation for a Catholic wedding takes time, couples should contact St. Ann’s Cathedral at least 6 months before the desired wedding date and before plans with venues, photographers, caterers, or other vendors are finalized.
To request an appointment, contact our office by phone at 406-761-5456 or by email at office@stannscathedral.org. Our office hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
Our parish staff will help you understand the Catholic marriage preparation process, available wedding dates, necessary paperwork, and the planning of your wedding liturgy.
We also invite you to explore our Wedding FAQ and Marriage Prep/Pre-Cana tabs for helpful information about preparing for and celebrating your wedding at St. Ann’s Cathedral.
We're Here to Help!
Have questions or need additional information? We would love to hear from you! Please don't hesitate to contact our parish office. We look forward to helping you begin this wonderful new chapter of your lives.
*image courtesy of the following vendors:
Alyssa Knox Photography
Life In Bloom
https://www.lifeinbloommt.com/
Silhouette Bridal Studio
Wedding Guidelines
Your wedding liturgy should reflect both the joy of your marriage and the sacred nature of the celebration.
During your initial appointments with us, we will help you select:
• Scripture readings
• Prayers and blessings
• Liturgical music
• Readers and other participants
• Processional and recessional music
• Other appropriate elements of the celebration
Our wedding planning resources will guide you through these choices and help make the process simple and meaningful.
Liturgical Music and Musicians
Our Music Director, Dawn Harant-Bushard, will help you select appropriate music for your wedding and will also organize all musicians requested. At St Ann's Cathedral, we can offer an organist, pianist, and flutist upon request. Availability is dependent on the musicians' schedules.
Fees for musicians are not included in the fee schedule mentioned on the Wedding Fees tab. During your initial appointment with us, we can give you more details so you can make the best selection for your big day.
Marriage Convalidation:
Already civilly married? If you are Catholic and were married outside the Catholic Church, you may be interested in having your marriage recognized by the Church through a process called convalidation.
Please contact us regarding your desire for convalidation. We would be happy to talk with you privately about your circumstances and help you understand the next steps.
If you have any additional questions or concerns, we are here to help!
Contact us at:
Phone: 406-761-5456
Email: office@stannscathedral.org
Office hours: Tuesday - Friday, 10am - 2pm
Wedding Fees
Our wedding fees vary, depending if the bride and/or groom are registered members of our parish or registered members at another parish (considered as non-registered).
Our fee schedule is as follows:
$500: Registered parishioners (you must be registered at St Ann's for at least 6 months prior to initial appointment, on-site Pre-Cana included)
$800: non-registered couples attending another Catholic parish (without Pre-Cana)
$1000: non-registered couples attending/members of another Catholic parish (with on-site Pre-Cana)
(see Marriage Prep tab for more details about Pre-Cana)
Marriage Preparation/Pre-Cana
Our marriage prep/Pre-Cana on-site classes are with Deacon Tom Miller and his wife, Susan. Marriage prep classes are typically 12 weeks in length (1 class per week) and held on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:00 pm in the Rectory office.
St Ann's Cathedral uses the Better Together series by Dynamic Catholic for all on-site Pre-Cana.
If you and your intended spouse are not able to attend in-person marriage prep classes due to scheduling with school, work, or military deployment, the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings has approved the two websites below with online Pre-Cana to fulfill the requirements of marriage prep.
For more details, please click one of the links below:
(offers a $50 discount for military members)
Scholarships are also available at CatholicMarriagePrep.com for those in dire need. For more details, click here.
Another marriage prep option is the Catholic Engaged Encounter. This marriage prep alternative offers couples the opportunity to prepare for a lifelong, Christ-centered marriage through an in-person or virtual weekend retreat experience.
Learn more on our Catholic Engaged Encounter tab.
Catholic Engaged Encounter Virtual Retreats
Catholic Engaged Encounter offers couples a weekend retreat to prepare for a lifelong, Christ-centered marriage. Currently, there are no in-person retreats in Montana, with the closest options available in Idaho and Washington.
Virtual retreats are also an option; however, the closest available virtual retreats are scheduled in the Pacific Time Zone.
You should check with our Rectory office to determine if a virtual retreat fulfills their marriage preparation requirements before registering.
For more details, view their website by clicking the button below.
