The Sacrament of Marriage

For Catholics, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a public sign that one gives oneself totally to this other person. It is also a public statement about God: the loving union of husband and wife speaks of family values and also God's values.

Welcome to St. Francis of Assisi Marriage Preparation Page

If you are interested in hosting your wedding here at St Francis, we welcome you. Please notify us at least 6 months in advance of your wedding date in order to properly prepare for your special day.

About the process

You will first need to contact the Parish Office to set up a meeting with our pastor, Fr. Dick Hayatsu. Then you meet with Margaret Eley, our wedding coordinator. Margaret will be with you after you meet with Father until the day of your wedding, to guide you through the process.

You will be required to attend either one of these two programs:

Evenings For The Engaged: This marriage preparation program is developed for couples preparing for the sacrament of Matrimony. You will meet with other married couples from our parish for 1.5 hours, one night a week for 6 weeks.

Catholic Engaged Encounter:  This weekend experience is designed for the engaged couple to concentrate exclusively on each other (ceeseattle.org).

Additional information

The Catholic Engaged Encounter program is not held at St. Francis so please visit their website (ceeseattle.org) in order to learn more about the program.

Contact the Parish Office for information on how to get started (206) 242­-4575 or email:

Marriage Encounter Weekend

Couples who attend Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends not only rediscover the joy, intimacy & romance in their relationships, but also often become more active in their parish. Together, we are making marriages, families and our Church stronger & healthier. 

The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter weekend is scheduled for June 10 - 12 in Seattle.  For more information, please refer to the Event Flyer.