Married Christians, in virtue of the sacrament of matrimony, signify and share in the mystery of that unity and fruitful love which exists between Christ and his Church; (Ephesians 5:32) they help each other to attain to holiness in their married life and in the rearing and education of their children; and they have their own special gift among the people of God.

The Cathedral

Saint Patrick’s Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta. It occupies one of the most historic sites in our country where Catholics have worshipped for over two hundred years.

Completed in 2003, the Cathedral is designed to seat 800 people. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel was restored to its present state from the shell of the former Church, which was destroyed by fire in 1996. The Chapel is ideal for smaller congregations up to 100 people.

All funding required for the operation, maintenance and preservation of the Cathedral is entirely dependent upon the generosity of the Catholic people of Parramatta, visitors and others who use it for special occasions or celebrations.

Celebrant

It is the responsibility of the Bride and Groom to organise a Celebrant. He will guide you through the process of preparation for marriage and will be responsible for all the formal paperwork required for both the Government and the Church. If you are not a resident of the Parramatta Parish you will need to engage your own celebrant. You may wish to have your local Priest celebrate your wedding. If you choose a Priest/Deacon who is not from the Parramatta Diocese he must forward a letter to the Dean of the Cathedral stating that he is authorised by the Parramatta Diocese to perform the ceremony and that you, the couple, are free to get married. Due to Parish activities, the Priests from St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish may not be available for Weddings on Sundays.

Confirmation of Booking

Before your booking can be made, the Celebrant must sign the “Declaration by Celebrant” section of the Wedding Application Form. The Wedding Coordinator must receive this fully completed Application Form and your Booking Deposit before a booking is made and confirmed.

Pre-Marriage Education Courses

As part of your marriage preparation you are required to attend a Pre-Marriage course. The celebrant will usually work with you on this, but there are many such courses conducted by Centacare at several venues in and around Sydney. Please book early, as numbers are limited. Diocesan contact numbers for Centacare are as follows:

• Diocese of Parramatta: 9630-7788
• The Archdiocese of Sydney: 9660 2044
• Broken Bay: 8425-8707
• Wollongong: 4254-9336

Books to assist you in preparing for your wedding ceremony are available at some of the Pre-Marriage courses or at Catholic bookstores.

The Cathedral Wedding Coordinator

If you wish to discuss any matters relating to the Cathedral and your Wedding, please contact our Wedding Coordinator on (02) 8839 8414 usually on Tuesdays and Thursday between 9 am and 2.30pm or ring the office at other times on (02) 8839 8400. Our email address for weddings is This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Music

Our Director of Music must approve all music and musicians. It is a policy of the Cathedral that only the Cathedral’s Director of Music or someone delegated by the Director of Music is permitted to play the organ in the Cathedral. Playing CDs and/or cassette tapes is not permitted in the Cathedral. Once you have begun your marriage ceremony preparation please contact the Cathedral’s Director of Music who will be happy to discuss and advise you on musicians, instruments, singers and your choice of music.

Acolytes / Senior Servers

It is important to have someone to assist the Celebrant, particularly if he is not one of the Cathedral Priests. Our Acolytes and Seniors Servers have been fully trained and are familiar with the Cathedral. They will ensure the Church is prepared correctly and that requirements regarding the use of the Cathedral are strictly adhered to. For a Nuptial Mass you may require an Acolyte and for a Wedding Service you may require a Senior Server. Arrangements will be made by the Wedding Coordinator as necessary.

Flowers

It is a policy of the Cathedral that the Cathedral Florist only is responsible for decorating the sanctuary with flowers for Weddings. Contact should be made direct with the Cathedral Florist, who will advise you of the cost and arrange payment from you. The flowers remain in the Church and may not be removed as the vases containing them form part of the artwork for the Cathedral. During the season of Lent - Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday - floral decorations are required to be very simple.

Pew Decorations

Should you wish to decorate the pews, you will need to arrange a suitable time to access the Cathedral with the Cathedral Wedding Coordinator. Pew decorations must be put on just before your ceremony and removed immediately following your ceremony. This is particularly important when services are scheduled to take place before and/or following your ceremony. Great care should be exercised in attaching pew decorations. Sticky tape, pins, blu-tack and similar methods, which can cause damage to the pews, are not permitted under any circumstances. It may be more beneficial to employ the services of the Cathedral Florist if you are interested in decorating the pews.

Photographs and Videos

Having regard for the sanctity of the Wedding Ceremony and of the Cathedral, still photographs and video filming may only be taken from specific locations within the Cathedral. Please advise your photographer to speak to our Wedding Coordinator or Celebrant on arrival at the Cathedral prior to the ceremony, for instructions on the locations from which they are permitted to use their cameras or video equipment. The use of floodlighting is not permitted within the Cathedral.

General Information

Times usually available for Wedding Ceremonies

Saturdays

• 10:00am
• 12:00pm
• 2:00pm
• 4:00pm

Sundays

• 2:00pm
• 4:00pm

Rehearsals

Contact our Wedding Coordinator to arrange a time for your rehearsal. There is no charge for using the Cathedral for rehearsals. Preferred time allocated for rehearsals is one hour.

Punctuality

It is extremely important that your ceremony starts on time as there may be another service following on the same day. Your Celebrant and/or those people associated with organising your ceremony at the Church may also have other commitments following your ceremony.

Car Parking

Car parking is provided for guests in the grounds of the Cathedral. Entry is from Victoria Rd. Bridal cars and Photographers cars only may park in the forecourt area of the Cathedral. Entry to this area is from Marist Place. As other services could be following on the same day, you are asked to ensure that your quests vacate the car park without unnecessary delay.

Throwing Confetti etc

The throwing of confetti, rice, streamers, flowers, petals or any other items is NOT PERMITTED in, around or near the Cathedral precincts.

Behaviour

It is the responsibility of the Bridal Party and Families to ensure that you and your guests behave in a manner that is respectful of the Church and the Sacrament of Marriage. The drinking of alcohol on the steps and forecourt areas of the Cathedral is NOT PERMITTED.

Wedding Receptions

“The Cloisters” function room (our Parish Hall), is available for hire. Air-conditioned, with off-street parking and access for the disabled, the hall is ideal for special occasions such as Wedding Receptions. A Recommended Caterer is available with formal and informal packages to suit your needs, to add that special touch to a perfect function. For more information regarding catering and packages available, contact our Hall Coordinator.

The Cathedral Precinct is a designated NON SMOKING AREA. Please ensure you advise your guests accordingly.

Payments

Booking Deposit

At the time of making your application, you will be required to pay a Deposit of $350.00. This Deposit is non refundable.

Offering for use of the Cathedral

An Offering to the Church of $900.00 for the use of the Cathedral is payable. Your Booking Deposit will be used towards this Offering. The remaining $550.00 of your Offering should be paid no later than three months prior to the date of the ceremony.

Cancellation

If you find it necessary to cancel your booking, the initial Deposit of $350.00 will be forfeited. However, any additional payments made towards your Offering would be refunded in full.

Music for the Ceremony

Cost for music services are not included in the above amounts. Discussions regarding music should be made with the Director of Music as soon as possible and no later than 3 months prior to the ceremony. Payment for music should be made to the Wedding Coordinator. The cost for an organist only at a Nuptial Mass is $250.00 and for a Wedding Service is $230.00. Cost for other musicians and/or cantors services will be in addition to the above fees and should be discussed with the Director of Music.

Acolyte / Senior Server

If you are going to use an Acolyte or Senior Server to assist at your Nuptial Mass, it is customary to make an offering for the services of either an Acolyte ($50.00) or Senior Server ($30.00). These offerings are in addition to the offering for the use of the Cathedral and should be discussed with the Cathedral Wedding Coordinator.

Flowers

Cost for flowers for the Cathedral are not included in the above amounts. Contact and payment should be made direct to the Cathedral Florist as soon as possible and no later than 4 weeks prior to the ceremony. Current cost for flowers is $150.00.

Payment Methods

Payments can be made using cash, MasterCard, Visa card, cheque or money order. You can make your payments in person at the Parish Office or mail them to St Patrick’s Presbytery, 1 Marist Place Parramatta 2150. Cheques should be made payable to St. Patrick’s Cathedral Parish. For your convenience, payments for the Booking Deposit and for the balance of the Offering for the use of the Cathedral may be made by Credit Card using the authority forms on the back page of this booklet.

Bookings / Cancellations

Our Wedding Coordinator must receive your Deposit and Fully completed Application Form within 21 days of you receiving our information pack. If the date and time you have enquired about are still available a booking can then be made and will be confirmed in writing. The declarations on the back of the Application Form contained in this booklet must be fully completed when we receive it in order to secure a booking. Any incomplete Application Forms will be returned for you to following up and your booking will remain an enquiry until the forms are completed correctly and returned.

Correspondence

Any correspondence regarding your Wedding Ceremony should be directed in writing or by email to

The Wedding Coordinator
St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish Office
1 Marist Place Parramatta 2150

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Download Application form for the celebration of marriage