Planning Your Wedding at Most Holy Trinity
Welcome to Most Holy Trinity! Our beautiful church is a wonderful place for couples to begin their new life together as husband and wife. The church is air conditioned. Please contact our parish office at 313-965-4450 or weddings@mhtdetroit.org for more information and to get started with your planning.
Requirements
At least one member of the bridal couple (bride or groom) must be Catholic.
If either party (Catholic or not) has been married before, previous marriages must be annulled or the proper paperwork finalized. This includes weddings that took place outside of the Catholic Church. Inform Most Holy Trinity of previous marriages when inquiring about available dates. Please do not let a previous marriage deter you from inquiring about getting married in the Catholic Church. Our priests are willing to assist you with the annulment process if necessary.
Couples who wish to be married at Most Holy Trinity do not need to be registered parishioners but need to obtain the permission of their pastor.
Weddings must have a minimum of six month notice to comply with the required six months of marriage preparation in the State of Michigan.
Both bride and groom must be able to be married in the Catholic Church.
Other rites (Chaldean, Maronite, etc.) may be able to marry at Most Holy Trinity. Please call the office for more details.
If both the bride and groom are Catholic the wedding ceremony will include Mass.
While other parties may make initial inquiries, the couple must book the church themselves.
Ceremony Times
Weddings are celebrated on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Friday weddings can be held at either 5 p.m. or 6 p.m (but not both).
Weddings consist of a two-hour time block, to include arrival, any necessary vendor setup, couple and guest arrival, ceremony, and all photos inside the church.
The two-hour segment begins 30 minutes before the scheduled wedding time and ends 90 minutes after the scheduled wedding time.
Weddings are permitted during the seasons of Lent and Advent.
Sample Saturday Timeline:
| 11:30 a.m. | Wedding Party A arrives |
| 12:00 noon -1:00 p.m. | Wedding Party A Ceremony |
| 1:00 p.m. -1:30 p.m. | Wedding Party A photos and clean-up |
| 1:30 p.m. | Wedding Party B arrives |
| 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Wedding Party B Ceremony |
| 3:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Wedding Party B photos and clean-up |
| 3:30 p.m. | Wedding Party C arrives |
| 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Wedding Party C Ceremony |
| 5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Wedding Party C photos and clean-up |
To respect parish events and ensure multiple couples have the ability to celebrate on a given day, the timeline must be respected.
The couple and guest are expected to be prompt.
Cost
The wedding fee for Most Holy Trinity Church is $1,850. This includes the following.
- The use of the church on the wedding date for a two-hour block. One hour for the ceremony bookended by one half-hour before the ceremony for primping and details, one half-hour after the ceremony for formal photography.
- A wedding rehearsal the day or two before the ceremony.
- A wedding hostess who will walk you through both the rehearsal and the wedding.
- A celebrant (if needed).
- Organist for the sacred music for your wedding. (Other musical artists are allowed, with permission). Please call the office for more details.
- Utilities and maintenance for you and your guests.
- Upkeep of the historic Shrine.
A $925 nonrefundable down payment holds the date of the wedding once the couple has submitted their formal request. The balance is due two months before the wedding date.
Please note that there is an additional charge of $300 for weddings that take place on holidays or holiday weekends. These holidays are New Years Eve, New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, and Christmas.
Hostess
One month prior to the wedding, a hostess will be assigned to your wedding. Your hostess will be present at both the rehearsal and the wedding ceremony, assisting the family and answering questions.
Rehearsal
A rehearsal is required. Please note that everyone involved with the wedding should be present at the rehearsal. Usually the musician and presider are not present at the rehearsal.
Rehearsals are scheduled by our office. They tend to be a day or two prior to the wedding but can be earlier if the schedule requires. If you have a rehearsal preference, you may let our office know. We try to accommodate preferences as much as we can, but it is not always possible.
Celebrant
We have two priests and a deacon who can perform your ceremony. Languages available by our celebrants include English, Spanish and Italian. Family members or friends who are priests or deacons are welcome to conduct the ceremony as well; we just require necessary paperwork to be filed beforehand. Celebrants must follow the guidelines of the Archdiocese of Detroit and be ordained for Catholic ministry. Non-Catholic clergy are welcome to participate according to the guidelines of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Contact the parish with questions.
Musicians
Arrangements must be made with our Music Director at least three months prior to the wedding date. All music for the ceremony must be sacred or classical in nature. Visiting musicians are welcome. Any and all visiting musicians including organists, singers, and instrumentalists must by approved by the music director. There are no exceptions to this policy. If you are planning on having a guest organists or mariachi, the music director must be notified, informed of selections, and approve them.
Marriage Preparation
Marriage preparations may take place at Most Holy Trinity or at another parish. More details about marriage prep at Most Holy Trinity can be found here.
Before the wedding takes place, Most Holy Trinity requires the following.
- Completed diocesan questionnaire
- Sacramental records dated within the past 6 months
- Adequate marriage preparation
If marriage preparations take place at another parish, you are asked to follow the requirements of the church where you are being prepared. The pastor of where you are doing marriage prep is required to send the marriage file to Ste. Anne Parish de Detroit (our sister parish, just about a mile away) so that appropriate permission and dispensation can be obtained and so the information can be accurately entered into our sacramental records.
If marriage preparations take place at Most Holy Trinity, the couple will participate in the highly acclaimed Witness to Love program, a very special mentor-based formation process that most couples find enjoyable and helpful for their marriage.
Marriage License
Marriage licenses must be obtained by the couple no later than two weeks prior to the wedding. We ask that you bring all original copies of the marriage license to Ste. Anne Parish de Detroit (our sister parish, just about a mile away) once they are obtained so that the marriage certificate can be properly prepared.
Wedding Day
Please arrive a half hour before your ceremony to ensure the prompt start of the service.
Most Holy Trinity is a place of sacred worship. Out of respect for this, dresses must have sleeves or straps. If there are no straps or sleeves, the shoulders must be covered via a shawl, capelet, topper etc.
Please be aware that due to our clergy and their schedules, the priest or deacon who prepares you for marriage may not be the celebrant on the wedding day.
Decorations
Flowers and adornments are allowed, but nothing that leaves a mark on our historic church. Tape, tacks, pins, nails, staples, wire, and glue are not permitted.
Decorations may be free-standing or attached with pew clips or ribbons in a way that respects the historic space.
Church furnishings must not be moved.
Aisle runners are allowed.
You are not allowed to throw petals, rice, birdseed, glitter, confetti, etc. inside or outside the church. Clean-up is difficult and time-consuming, and poses a safety hazard for those coming to worship.
Items, such as bubbles, sparklers etc, may be used outside the church building in the plaza, provided the entire space is completely cleaned up after their use. The couple is responsible to ensure this cleanup occurs.
Be respectful of the space keeping in mind other liturgical celebrations will occur on the same day.
If visiting the space is helpful, you are free to make an appointment with by calling 313-965-4450 or emailing weddings@mhtdetroit.org. Appointments can be made Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We find that most brides decide that the historic beauty of the soaring architecture is stunning enough, and additional decorations may not be necessary.
Photography
Photographs are permitted before, during, and after the ceremony.
Photographers are expected to be as unobtrusive as possible. Movement in the sanctuary, beyond the communion rail, and flash photography during the ceremony are not permitted.
Flash photography and respectful movement is permitted during the entrance processional and recessional. Photographers must be respectful of the space; appropriate attire is expected.
Pre-ceremony photographs may be taken. The church and grounds surrounding the church are available one half-hour before the wedding ceremony starts.
Post-ceremony photographs may be taken. The photography session following the wedding will end 90 minutes after the scheduled beginning of the wedding, in consideration for later weddings, parish events and parish staff. (For example: a 2 p.m. wedding will have until 3:30 p.m.).
Respect for the historic nature of the church is required. You may not alter, damage, or misuse any part of the church space to take pictures.
Photographers are not permitted in the organ loft except during the homily and solely at the discretion of the music director.
Contact
Contact the parish office at 313-965-4450 or weddings@mhtdetroit.org. More details can also be found on our Wedding Process page.
We welcome any additional questions you may have and wish you God’s blessing as you prepare for this special day!
