Sacred Music at Saint Joseph
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. We are happy that you have chosen St. Joseph Catholic Church for your ceremony. All of the musicians employed at St. Joseph hold advanced degrees in music, and have years of experience performing sacred music.
Holy Matrimony is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church and, as such, is to be celebrated liturgically with great dignity and with reverence given the sacred character. As soon as your wedding date is confirmed by the parish secretary, you should contact Nori Fahrig Director of Sacred Music at norifahrig@stjosephclayton.org for information on choosing your music. She will, with your input and collaboration, have final approval of all musical selections to ensure their liturgical suitability.
The music that you select for your wedding ceremony must be sacred in character and in keeping with the Church’s directives on music in the liturgy. Popular songs, movie music, and indeed any type of secular music – even pieces with great sentimental value for the couple – should be reserved for the wedding reception and not used in the liturgical celebration of the sacrament of Matrimony.
Basic Guidelines
1. The organist and cantors on staff at St. Joseph Parish provide the music for our wedding liturgies. If you desire to hire additional instrumentalists (string quartets, etc.), the music director can suggest options from professionals with experience playing sacred music. If the bride and groom have a close friend or family member whom you would like to incorporate into the music at your wedding ceremony, you must arrange this with the music director at initial contact. Should you choose not to have the organ played at your wedding (ex. String quartet, family friend) There is an administrative fee charged of $50.00 for time spent in consultation and oversight of the liturgical music for your mass or ceremony.
2. Please contact the Music Director to plan the music at least 6 months prior to the wedding date. This is to ensure that you procure your desired singer and or instrumentalists.
3. The fees for the musicians are not included in the St. Joseph Parish wedding fees you pay for the church and wedding coordinator. All payments should be sent to the parish office to be held until the event once you have booked your musicians. All checks must be made out in the name of the contracted musician. Once the musicians have been contracted they are booked for your wedding only and cannot accept other jobs. If for any reason, you wish to change a contracted musician, half the performance fee is charged to that musician for any lost income.
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Clayton MO 