St. Mary Magdalene's Retreat, Yreka, Siskiyou, Northern California, State of Jefferson

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St. Mary Magdalene's Retreat
WEDDINGS and WEDDING SERVICES

LOCATIONS + COUNSELING + WEDDING + LICENSES + FEES + OTHER SERVICES

Renewal of Vows

As the priest of Shepherd of the Woods Church and director of St. Mary Magdalene's Retreat, Reverend Chris Enda-Luke is available to perform weddings and other services. Many couples who have been married for several years seek a celebration to make a renewal of vows or the blessing of a civil marriage. Others would like to have their infants or children baptized, but are not members of a particular church or are far from their home parishes. In many cases, the priest will perform these services in addition to the counseling that may be requested or even required by the State of California.

Locations:
There are several quaint churches in the local area that welcome wedding parties. In addition to the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, which is well suited to very small wedding parties, there is the newly opened to the public St. Mark's Church in the St. Mark's Community Square located in downtown Yreka, which will seat up to 100 people. The Little Shasta Church, located approximately eight miles east of Montague, California, seats approximately 200. This church was built in 1873. Although the church itself is quite rustic, the setting is beautiful.

Outdoor weddings are very popular during the warmer months and many locations provide a beautiful and scenic backdrop. St. Mary Magdalene's Retreat will soon be opening a beautiful outdoor chapel, Our Lady of the Forest. The courtyard and gazebo behind St. Mark's Church is also available. Many weddings are held in Greenhorn Park or in other public access areas in and around Yreka. Some couples prefer to hold small outdoor weddings in their own backyards. These choices should be prayerfully made to insure that there is room enough for all the guests and family, but still remain affordable.

Counseling:
Although pre-marital counseling is not required by the State of California if both the bride and groom are over 18 years of age, those couples seeking spiritual direction sessions for marriage preparation may meet with the priest individually or as a couple. Fees for spiritual direction are negotiable based on financial need.

Wedding:
Most weddings are conducted using the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, however, couples may chose from several different services or, with the consent of the priest, write their own wedding vows, prayers, and blessing. Medieval themed weddings may prefer an old English version, and others a ceremony with Celtic or Native American roots.

Licenses:
If the ceremony is held in the State of California, a wedding license must be obtained from a county office within California prior to the wedding ceremony. The priest will complete and mail all the required paperwork and couples will be provided with a certificate of Holy Matrimony from the church. One witness is required by the State of California.

In the case of the Renewal of Vows or the Blessing of a Civil Marriage, a copy of the existing marriage license will need to be presented to the priest prior to the ceremony.

Fees:
There is no fee, per se, to marry couples who are members of Shepherd of the Woods Church. Performing marriage ceremonies is part of the duties of a priest, though many times couples do provide an honorarium or gratuity.
The church building or courtyard, however, will require a rental fee and this must be arranged directly with the Yreka Committee for Historic Perservation.
Weddings performed for non-member couples are charged a fee of $150 which covers the initial meeting, rehearsal, and ceremony. It is customary to pay this fee at the time of the wedding rehearsal.
If the wedding is held at an off-site location such as a park, home, or another church building, travel fees are paid at 60 cents per mile.

Other Services:
As stated on the Chapel page, many other services can be provided such as renewal of vows, blessing of a civil marriage, private baptism, and various rites of passage. Specifics can be discussed with the priest regarding type of service, location, and liturgy.

This page last updated on 29-jan-2012

St. Mary Magdalene's Retreat
Yreka, California
Rev'd Chris Enda-Luke CCS, Rector
vicar@stmarymagdalenes.org
530.643.0858