Welcome to the Wedding Ministry of
Risen Christ Ministries
Traditional Christian Weddings for Catholics and all Christian Denominations
Marriage is a living, sacred contract between a husband and wife which includes but also extends beyond the exchange of vows to the entire life of the relationship. This covenant or agreement is sacred because the love of husband and wife signifies the love between Christ and His Bride, the Church. Its sacredness is also attested to by the fact that it helps the partners and those who know and love them to reach their destiny of life with God.
When we believe marriage is a sacrament. There are two purposes of marriage. One is mutual love and support, which is a generous gift of the physical, emotional and spiritual self to a partner. This second purpose of marriage is also powerfully evident when a couple allows its love to overflow into the new life of a child.
Those who seek to become husband and wife should understand that the marriage relationship is a covenant of exclusiveness and permanence. If a marriage commitment is exclusive, it means that both husband and wife fully intend to reserve the beautiful intimacy of their relationship to one another alone. If it is permanent, a husband and wife intend to enter a bond that will last a lifetime.
If your faith makes you ready to celebrate the joys and responsibilities of Christian marriage, then we are ready to assist you in the preparation and planning of your wedding ceremony.
What Risen Christ Ministries offers to you the couple:
1. A legally ordained Priest to officiate at your marriage.
2. The freedom to have your wedding in the setting and location of your choice.
3. We help you with ideas for the ceremony; we will guide you and your wedding party at the rehearsal and we will officiate your wedding.
4. We offer the Focus Marriage Survey, which helps you to understand more about each other, it also helps confirm what you already know about each other (Optional).
5. We provide marriage counseling (Optional).
6. Your marriage will be recorded in our Ministry Records in case you would ever need proof of your marriage.
What
you really need to know about
Wedding Ministers:
The State of Wisconsin Does Not
Regulate Wedding Ministers!
So what does that mean to you?
● There is a possibility that your marriage could be invalid, potentially affecting your spiritual, legal and financial future.
● Anyone can sign and send in your license. But is your marriage valid?
● Most wedding ministers only have internet ordinations, not real ordinations by a real church denomination. Meaning they pay a small fee over the internet usually
$15 - $25, they get a business card and a certificate of ordination saying they are ordained. No training is involved, they just pay their fee. Others self appoint themselves as wedding ministers and still others will be anything people want them to be, anything from Buddhist to New Age and even Christian, all in one minister. Thats just not possible, a real Christian minister can only be a Christian minister.
How can you know who is a legitimate minister?
Two ways:
(1) By a priest or pastor who belongs to a real church denomination where you see that they are under the authority of a Bishop.
Why is this important? Because by being under the authority of a Bishop means that they have to be accountable to someone, thereby providing you at least some safety in knowing that the people under a Bishop are being held accountable to do things morally and legally right.
(2) A Justice of the Peace (this is usually a lawyer or a retired judge).
General Wedding Information
Catholic and Non - denominational
Divorced couples welcome
Any location
We truly take pride in making your wedding a beautiful and memorable day in the American Catholic tradition.
Requirements:
Minimum of one meeting with our priest to get to know each other and discuss your wedding plans.
Optional:
Couple Focus survey no charge
Counseling no charge
Honorarium
The normal honorarium is $350.00
A $175.00 deposit is due at the time of application to reserve the date and time, with the balance being due thirty days before your wedding date.
For more information contact:
Risen Christ Ministries
Father Michael Messina
W9535 Skogen Road
Cambridge, WI 53523
608.228.0984
Email: rcm1@ymail.com
Places we have Officiated Weddings
Monona Terrace Madison
Olbrich Gardens Madison
St. Marks Lutheran Church Madison
Lake Windsor Country Club Windsor
Heidel House - Green Lake
Oaks Country Club Cottage Grove
Tyrol Basin Mount Horeb
Memorial Union Madison
Windwood Country Club Watertown
Private Homes of Couples
State Capital Madison
Gates of Heaven Chapel Madison
Kalihari Resort Wisconsin Dells
Betty Lou Cruise Ships Madison
Stoughton Opera House Stoughton
Pres House Madison
Willerup Methodist Church Cambridge
East Side Business Club Madison
Rotary Gardens Janesville
Koshkonong Mounds Country Club Fort Atkinson
Wintergreen Resort Wisconsin Dells
Glacier Canyon Lodge Wisconsin Dells