Weddings at St. Philip and St. TeresaThe doors of St Teresa of Avila and St. Philip the Apostle are open to Catholics who wish to be married, whether to another Catholic or to someone who is not Catholic. Contact us to find out how you may be able to have your wedding in one of our beautiful churches. Please call or email the Parish Office using the information on the right.
Our Parish offers two unique and historic venues for your wedding. With their historic and simple beauty, either of our churches will provide you with memories to last a lifetime. We are a non-profit religious organization and charge only an administrative fee for the use of our facility. As such, we reserve the right to refuse service in accordance with our religion's conscience (religious beliefs) as provided for by federal and state law. St. Philip the Apostle Church - Nestled in a quiet valley in the redwoods in the heart of the enchanting town of Occidental, St. Philip has been restored and retains its fine original woodwork and detail. With many local lodging options and an available hall adjacent to the church, St. Philip is the perfect location for an intimate and memorable occasion. Click here to learn more about St. Philip the Apostle. St. Teresa of Avila Church is located in the town of Bodega, just West of the Sonoma wine country and minutes away from the Sonoma Coast and Bodega Bay. St Teresa of Avila is a California State Historic Landmark and is the oldest church in Sonoma County in continuous use. It is also the subject of a famous black and white photograph created in 1953 by the famous naturalist photographer, Ansel Adams. With its historic and simple beauty, St. Teresa of Avila will provide you with exquisite and everlasting memories.
Click here to learn more about the history of St. Teresa of Avila. Click the image below to take Virtual Tours of our churches: Information and Policies The following covers our basic policy; however, you are most welcome to call the Parish Office at 707-874-3812. Weddings are generally scheduled on Saturdays, at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. Each wedding is allotted a 2-hour time slot, which allows for seating of guests, the ceremony, and pictures. Other days and times are available. Please inquire. The administrative fee for the use of St. Teresa of Avila Church in Bodega or St. Philip the Apostle Church in Occidental is $1200 and includes the services of our wedding coordinator and the services of the parish organist/pianist. The fee also supports the maintenance of the church buildings and helps to support the mission of these historic churches. For parishioners of St. Philip and St. Teresa, the administrative fee is $800. Parishioners are defined as those registered in the parish and regular donors in the weekly envelope or PayPal donor program. A $300 non-refundable deposit is required to be paid within a week of the reservation being approved and the balance due 8 weeks prior to the date of the wedding. Fees may be paid by check, or arrangements for online credit card payments can be made by contacting our wedding coordinator. The wedding coordinator will be in contact with you to assist with any questions you may have, arrange the details of your ceremony, conduct your wedding rehearsal, and assist on your wedding day. A California state marriage license valid for the date of the wedding (or proof of civil marriage for convalidations) is required. Catholic Marriages A Catholic is defined as someone who has been baptized in the Catholic church or someone who has been received into full communion with the Catholic church. A Catholic marriage ceremony can be between two Catholics, between a Catholic and a baptized non-Catholic, or between a Catholic and a non-baptized person. If you are a Catholic and wish to be married at St. Teresa or St. Philip and are not a member of our parish, you need to make an appointment with your own local pastor to begin the process. Your local pastor is responsible for filling out all paperwork required by the Church and will see that the requirements for marriage preparation and instruction have been fulfilled. Catholic Marriages are conducted by a bishop, priest, or deacon. You may request that our parish priest preside at the ceremony, or you may ask a priest or deacon of your choice. Visiting clergy will abide by all policies and requirements of the Parish and the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Rite of Matrimony The Catholic marriage ritual allows most to choose between a Nuptial Mass and Marriage Ceremony without Mass. If one of the parties is Catholic and the other is not, we usually suggest that the ceremony be celebrated without Mass. A Nuptial Mass is not an option when the non-Catholic is not baptized. The following link from the US Bishops’ Conference is very useful for planning your Catholic wedding ceremony: http://www.foryourmarriage.org/dating-engaged/planning-a-catholic-wedding/ Music The service of our musical director/organist includes a private consultation regarding the musical selections for your ceremony. This consultation is scheduled through our Parish office at (707) 874-3812. It is required that our music director be present at your ceremony to help things run smoothly. You may select music from the list provided, or other music of your choosing can also be arranged. Should you wish additional musicians, we recommend budgeting approximately $150 for each. Vocalists and instrumentalists are easily provided. Our music director works with many talented local musicians that you may wish to consider. Specific requests will be considered if the sheet music is provided by the wedding party. There is an organ at St. Teresa’s, and an electric piano and organ at St. Philip’s. The music accompanying the virtual tour on this website was recorded on site with our organist, trumpeter, and violinist. Rehearsal Time The church will be available for up to 90 minutes for wedding rehearsals the day before the ceremony. Please arrange timing with the Wedding Coordinator. No Alcohol On Church Premises Photography You may select your own photographer/videographer or we will be glad to offer names of qualified local photographers. The church will remain open for photos for 1/2 hour after the wedding. Flowers and Decorations We generally recommend two arrangements on either side of the altar. The churches do not provide an aisle runner. If desired, this item may be rented from most floral companies. We will be happy to provide you with names of local florists. The throwing of rice, birdseed, confetti, or flower petals in either the church or in the parking lot is not allowed. Artificial flower petals are allowed indoors only and it is your responsibility to see that all are picked up and disposed of immediately after the ceremony. If you wish to decorate the church or add any structures, i.e., chairs, stands, or columns, they must be approved in advance. It is traditional to leave two altar floral or plant arrangements for the Sunday mass. Special Note About St. Teresa At St. Teresa’s Church there is no center aisle; rather, there are two side aisles. We are a non-profit religious organization and charge only an administrative fee for the use of our facility. As such, we reserve the right to refuse service in accordance with our religion's conscience (religious beliefs) as provided for by federal and state law. |
Wedding ContactWedding Kit Download
Online Wedding PaymentsWe welcome credit card payments using PayPal.
Wedding Deposit (non-refundable) Clicking the "Pay Now" button below will transfer you to our PayPal site where you can pay your non-refundable $300 Wedding deposit using a PayPal account or credit card. Balance of Wedding Payment
You may pay the balance of your Wedding charges using a credit card or PayPal account by clicking the "Pay Now" button below. Please check with our Wedding Coordinator to get an updated balance before making a payment. Then, enter the balance amount in the "Item Price" box and complete your transaction. |