Getting Married at the Cathedral
All are welcomed
If you are considering having your wedding ceremony at the Cathedral,
the first step is to contact our Pastoral Associate, Sharon Secor, at (315) 422-4177.
Sharon can answer any questions you may have, review available dates, and go over the criteria necessary for a Cathedral wedding.
Please do not make any other arrangements until you have contacted Ms. Secor.
Wedding Personnel
Initial Contact
Sharon Secor
Coordinator of Wedding Arrangements
Tel: (315) 422-4177
Follow-up Contact
Mary Emily Alibrandi
Wedding Sacristan/Coordinator
Tel: (315) 882-2633
Wedding Music Contact
Brian DuSell
Cathedral Director of Music
Tel: (315) 422-4177, ext 6431
Times for Weddings
Friday – 4:00 PM
Saturday – 11:00 AM
Saturday – 2:00 PM
Pre-Cana Seminars
Pre-Cana Seminars are held every March and October
Fees
Total Cost – $1,500
Initial Deposit – $750
Pre-Wedding
1. One party must be Catholic
2. If either party is divorced he/she must have an annulment before being married again in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church recognizes marriages from other faiths and thus if you are not Catholic and are divorced you may have to seek an annulment before being allowed to marry in the Catholic Church. Be advised this process may take 9 months.
3. Pre-Cana is required of both parties. Dates will be provided by Sharon Secor.
4. Book at least six months in advance.
5. The wedding paperwork must be completed with Msgr. Neal E. Quartier.
6. The Sacrament of Confirmation is not a requirement but if you have not been confirmed you may be able to receive this Sacrament during the Easter season before your marriage.
Parish Office, Sharon Secor, Coordinator of Wedding Arrangements to determine if desired date is available – (315) 422-4177 ext. 29, ssecor@syrdio.org.
If you plan on having a wedding with a full mass at the Cathedral, please complete the form below.
If you plan on having a wedding ceremony at the Cathedral, please complete the form below.
The fee for a wedding at the Cathedral is $1,500. A $750 Deposit secures the day and time of the wedding and the remaining $750 is due one month before the wedding. Checks should be made out to “The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception” and are non-refundable unless we are able to schedule another wedding for that date and time.

This fee covers the expenses for the Church, the Celebrant (if you use Cathedral personnel), the Cathedral’s Music Director/Organist, Wedding Sacristan/Coordinator, Maintenance and Security, and the Pre-Cana class.

No additional Church fees will be charged. However, there may be additional charges for the wedding music as wedding cantor and instrumentalist stipends are not included in this fee.
Msgr. Neal E. Quartier will officiate at the wedding. You may invite another priest to officiate. If so, please have him call Msgr. Quartier to discuss arrangements.  In the event a priest is not available because of an emergency, a Deacon of the Church may be called upon to perform the Catholic Ceremony and Vows.

To make an Appointment with Msgr. Quartier:
After your deposit and baptismal records are received, Ms. Secor will refer you to Msgr. Neal Quartier to complete the wedding forms and make initial plans. Msgr. Neal can be reached at 315-422-4177 extension 12 or email nquartier@syrdio.org,to book your appointment. Both Msgr. Quartier and Ms. Alibrandi are available to meet with couples on a Sunday following 9:45 Mass.

Outside Priest:
Any priest in good standing with his diocese is welcome to celebrate a wedding at the Cathedral. The bride and groom will be responsible for any stipend to the visiting priest. A letter from the priest’s home diocese is required if the priest is not serving in the Syracuse diocese.
When you meet with Msgr. Quartier, he will give you a copy of the book, “Together for Life” from which you may choose all the prayers and readings for your wedding service. The Selection Form at the back of the book is to be completed and forwarded to Ms Alibrandi. 

After your initial meeting with Msgr. Quartier, Ms. Alibrandi will review the overall logistics of the church, rehearsal and wedding day and guide you on planning your ceremony.
Brian DuSell, our Director of Music and organist at the Cathedral must be consulted regarding and must approve all wedding music. Please contact him by email: bdusell@syrdio.org or by telephone (315) 422-4177 ext. 6431 at least six weeks prior to your wedding. Brian will help you choose appropriate music and hire a cantor (or cantors) as well as instrumentalists. Music can either come from the list of approved music or music that fits the guidelines for music that were mailed out to each couple.
The wedding rehearsal is usually the evening before the ceremony. Ms. Alibrandi will book the rehearsal time at your initial meeting for either 5:45 pm or 6:30 pm. Please be considerate of your rehearsal start time, it is very important that you and your wedding party be on time. There may be more than one rehearsal scheduled on a Thursday or Friday evening so if you are late, your rehearsal will be limited. Please note: Rehearsals do not include musicians’ rehearsals, professional videographers or photographers.  There is no drinking allowed in the church or waiting area before, during or after the rehearsal.
Please make sure that you obtain a Marriage License at least 48 hours before the ceremony. It must be brought with you at the time of the rehearsal. The Maid of Honor and the Best Man will sign it at the rehearsal as your witnesses.
Wedding Day
If you are marrying a non-Catholic we encourage a wedding ceremony without a Mass so as not to make it uncomfortable for the non-Catholic members of the congregation. If one of the parties is not baptized, there can not be a Mass. The wedding ceremony without the Mass is very similar to the Nuptial Mass with the exception of the Eucharistic prayer and the distribution of communion.
Many couples include this ceremony at their wedding. The mothers (or whoever the bride and groom choose) light individual candles and after the exchange of rings the newly married couple light the wedding candle. The set of three candles is provided by the couple. ( A holder for candles should also be included to ensure correct size)
Msgr. Quartier will invite the couple to write a letter to their spouse about their hopes and dreams for the marriage. This is strictly voluntary but adds a nice touch to the ceremony. He uses these letters in the homily. The couples usually do not share their letters with each other. The letters are usually one page double spaced.
You are welcome to order flowers for the altar. Please consider a local florist to service your flowers at the Cathedral. It is requested that at least one bouquet be left at the church as a gift for the many blessings God has bestowed on you this day.
Due to liability concerns and safety issues, the use of aisle runners, petals, candelabras, particularly lit candles or glass are not permitted on the floors at the Cathedral.
If you wish to have a receiving line at the end of the ceremony, the Cathedral offers a lovely urban feel right outside the front doors or the prayer park next to the church.  No bird seed, confetti or rice can be thrown outside of the church.  During inclement weather the church vestibule is used for this purpose.
The taking of pictures and videoing the ceremony is permissible. Please ask your technology people not to be intrusive.
Please discuss the availability of Cathedrals lots with Msgr. Neal and Ms. Alibrandi at your initial meeting.