Marriage
The Sacrament of Marriage is an important commitment in the life of the couple who discerns a call from God to share in this life-long vocation. We believe as Catholics that the vocation of marriage is a treasured gift of God to be shared in joy by a husband and wife. Please accept the best wishes and prayers of our parish community for your happiness in marriage. We hope that the following information will facilitate preparations for your wedding and lend dignity to its celebration.
Scheduling & Fees
Weddings at Church
Weddings at St. Andrew by the Bay are typically celebrated on Saturday afternoon with a start time between 1:00pm and 2:30pm (arrival 1 hour prior to wedding start) or Friday afternoon/evening. Alternate dates/times may be requested and are subject to priest/parish availability. Marriage preparation is typically coordinated by the priest at the couple's home parish, in coordination with the parish where the wedding is celebrated.
Wedding Fee
$1000 payable to St. Andrew by the Bay is due in two installments online payments accepted here
- Installment 1: $275 deposit due at scheduling
- Installment 2: $725 balance due 2 months prior to wedding*
*Upon request, the $725 balance may be waived for registered, active parishioners whose annual contributions exceed $1000 or non-parishioners experiencing a financial hardship..
Musician Services
After scheduling the wedding, musician services are to be contracted separately by the wedding couple, either through musicians of their own or by contacting our Director of Music, Rachel Sitomer, via email here at least 6 months in advance of the wedding.
Weddings at Local Venues
Clergy from St. Andrew by the Bay may be available to celebrate weddings at local venues. Fees and marriage preparation are coordinated by clergy after initial contact with the parish office.
Ready to set a date?
To schedule a wedding at St. Andrew by the Bay or inquire regarding clergy services at a wedding offsite in our area, please contact Chanda Manturuk, Office Manager, at 410-974-4366 or via email here.
Marriage Preparation
It is customary for the priest of the couple's home parish to coordinate marriage preparation. The logistics of this process will vary from couple to couple and will be worked out with our Office Manager at the time of initial scheduling.
Pre-Cana
Couples who wish to marry are required to participate in a formal marriage preparation program approved by the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Further information on available programs may be found here or may be discussed with at the appointment with Father Tyler, which will be set during the wedding scheduling process with our office manager.
Planning for the Ceremony
Flowers, Accessories and Decorations
The couple orders or arranges for their own flowers. Two bouquets of reasonable size suffice. Flowers are not to be placed upon the altar, but may be placed on the floor before the altar and/or ambo. Flowers are gifts to St. Andrew by the Bay and remain in the church after the wedding Mass/ceremony. The church will be open one hour before the wedding for delivery of flowers and for the arrangement of other decorations. Flowers and bows may be attached to the pews with a pew hanger. You may not use wire, pins, or tape on the pews. The use of a runner is not allowed. Church furniture and major symbols such as the altar, baptismal font, lecterns, ambo, etc. may not be moved.
Click here for a copy of our Wedding Brochure
Click here to read Life Matters: Marriage, The Sanctuary of Life