The Journal

How to Get Married in the Catholic Church in the Diocese of San Bernardino (2026 Checklist)

Gabe Gessler
Gabe Gessler
Posted on October 27, 2026

The short answer

To get married in the Catholic Church in the Diocese of San Bernardino, which covers Riverside and San Bernardino counties, contact your parish priest or deacon 9 to 12 months before your wedding and before you book a reception venue. The Diocese does not publish a required notice period online, so your parish will tell you its timeline. Expect to need a newly issued baptismal certificate for each Catholic, freedom-to-marry statements from witnesses, a prenuptial interview with your priest or deacon, marriage preparation your parish approves, and a California marriage license obtained within 90 days of the wedding.

If only one of you is Catholic, you can still marry in the Church. Under canon law, a baptized Christian partner needs permission for a mixed marriage, and an unbaptized partner needs a dispensation from disparity of worship. If either of you was married before, the Church must first confirm that the earlier marriage is null or dissolved, and no wedding date can be set until it does.

Marriage is a sacrament and a vocation, not just a ceremony. The paperwork below exists so the Church can confirm you are both free to marry and ready to make vows for life.

What makes a Catholic marriage valid

Every requirement in this checklist serves four conditions the Church holds for a valid marriage, everywhere in the world:

  • You are both free to marry. Neither of you is bound by a prior marriage or another impediment (canon 1085).
  • You both consent freely. No one is pressuring or forcing either of you.
  • You both intend marriage as the Church understands it: for life, faithful to one another, and open to children. At the wedding, the priest or deacon asks you about each of these before your vows.
  • You exchange consent in the proper form: before a properly authorized priest or deacon and two witnesses (canon 1108). Any exception, such as a different officiant or place, needs the bishop's approval.

A marriage between two baptized people is a sacrament. A marriage between a Catholic and an unbaptized person can be valid and holy, but it is not a sacrament.

When can we get married?

Church law allows weddings on most days of the year. They are avoided altogether only on Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Some dioceses and parishes do not schedule weddings on Sundays, holy days, or during Lent, so confirm your date with your parish before you book anything else.

Timeline: how far in advance to start

Canon law requires that, before any wedding, "it must be evident that nothing stands in the way of its valid and licit celebration" (canon 1066). The Diocese of San Bernardino leaves the exact timeline to your parish, so ask when you first call. Contacting the parish 9 to 12 months ahead gives you room for paperwork, preparation, and any permissions. Contact your parish before booking a reception venue.

  1. 9 to 12 months out: contact your parish. Meet the priest or deacon, confirm you are both free to marry, and request a date.
  2. 9 to 12 months out: choose your marriage preparation. Ask your priest or deacon which program counts before you register or pay.
  3. About 6 months out: gather documents. Request newly issued baptismal certificates and ask your witnesses to complete their freedom-to-marry statements.
  4. 3 to 6 months out: interviews and preparation. Complete your prenuptial interview and finish your preparation program.
  5. 2 to 3 months out: permissions and liturgy. Your priest or deacon requests any mixed-marriage permission or dispensation. Plan readings and music.
  6. Within 90 days of the wedding: get your marriage license. A California license is valid for 90 days. Bring it to your parish before the wedding.
  7. After the wedding. Your marriage is recorded in the parish register, and each of your baptismal churches is notified so it can be noted on your baptismal record.

Checklist: if you are both Catholic

The Diocese of San Bernardino does not post a central document checklist online, so these are the standard items canon law and Church practice call for. Your parish will give you its exact list. Everything in the later checklists builds on this one.

Sacramental records (each of you)

  • Newly issued baptismal certificate. Request a new copy from the parish where you were baptized, not your original. Its notations are how the Church confirms you are free to marry. Ask your parish how recent it must be.
  • First Communion and Confirmation records, if they are not noted on the baptismal certificate.
  • Not confirmed yet? Canon 1065 says Catholics are to receive Confirmation before marriage "if it can be done without grave inconvenience." Tell your priest early. It is usually not a barrier to setting a date.

Freedom to marry

  • Freedom-to-marry statements. Witnesses who know you well swear that you are free to marry. Ask your parish how many it needs and who may sign them.
  • Prenuptial interview. Your priest or deacon interviews you. It confirms that you are marrying freely and intend a permanent, faithful marriage open to children.

Preparation

  • Marriage preparation certificate from a program your parish approves (see below).

Civil and logistics

  • California marriage license, valid for 90 days.
  • Liturgy planning. When both of you are Catholic, the wedding is normally celebrated within Mass.

Checklist: if one of you is Catholic and the other is a baptized Christian

A Catholic marrying a baptized Protestant, Orthodox, or other Christian is a mixed marriage. It is valid and sacramental. Canon 1124 requires the "express permission of the competent authority." The Diocese of San Bernardino does not publish its own mixed-marriage form online, so your priest or deacon prepares and submits the request.

Complete everything in the both-Catholic checklist, plus:

  • Baptismal certificate from the non-Catholic partner's church, if at all possible. If the baptism or its validity is in doubt, ask your priest whether the case should be treated as disparity of worship (next section).
  • Permission for a mixed marriage. Under canon 1125, the Catholic declares they will remove dangers of falling away from the faith and promises to do all in their power to have the children baptized and raised Catholic. The non-Catholic partner is informed of these promises but makes no promise themselves. Both of you are instructed on the purposes and essential properties of marriage.
  • The rite. A mixed marriage ordinarily takes place outside of Mass, so that one spouse is not left unable to receive Communion. A Nuptial Mass is possible only with the bishop's permission, and Communion is not given to the non-Catholic spouse.
  • One wedding, not two. Canon 1127 forbids a second religious ceremony to give or renew consent, before or after the Catholic one. It also forbids a joint service in which the Catholic and non-Catholic ministers each ask for your vows using their own rites.
  • The other partner's minister (optional). Ask your priest how a non-Catholic minister may take part. The Catholic priest or deacon receives your vows.
  • Want the wedding in the other partner's church? Under canon 1127, that requires a dispensation from canonical form from the bishop, granted for a serious reason. Without it, the marriage is not valid in the Church.

Marrying an Orthodox Christian: the Orthodox Church has its own rules for its members' weddings. Ask your priest early whether a dispensation from canonical form is the right path so the marriage is recognized in both Churches.

Checklist: if one of you is Catholic and the other is not baptized

A Catholic marrying someone who was never baptized (for example, someone who is Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or of no religion) needs a dispensation from the impediment of disparity of worship, also called disparity of cult. Under canon 1086, the marriage is invalid without it. Your priest or deacon requests it. The marriage is valid and holy, though not a sacrament.

Complete everything in the both-Catholic checklist, plus:

  • No baptismal certificate is needed from the unbaptized partner. They still complete the prenuptial interview, and their witnesses still complete freedom-to-marry statements.
  • Request for a dispensation from disparity of worship, submitted by your priest or deacon. Allow extra time in case it must go to the Diocese.
  • The Catholic party's promises. Canon 1086 requires the same conditions as a mixed marriage: the Catholic promises to remain faithful and to do all they can to have the children baptized and raised Catholic.
  • The rite. The wedding is celebrated outside of Mass, using the rite for marriage between a Catholic and a non-Christian.
  • One wedding, not two. The same canon 1127 rule applies here (canon 1129): no second religious ceremony and no blended service with two officiants each receiving your vows.
  • Location. Canon 1118 allows this wedding "in a church or in another suitable place." Ask your priest before assuming a non-church venue will be approved.

Marrying a Jewish partner: ask your priest about your options early. If you want a rabbi to officiate in a Jewish setting, you will need a dispensation from canonical form as well as the disparity dispensation.

If either of you was married before, or you are already civilly married

Previously married, Catholic or not. Under canon 1085, a person bound by a prior marriage cannot validly marry, and a civil divorce does not end that bond in the Church's eyes. The earlier marriage must be declared null or dissolved first. In the Diocese of San Bernardino, the Office of Canonical Services serves as the Tribunal, and its main work in the United States is evaluating "the claimed invalidity of a marriage." The Diocese has more than 60 trained lay advocates, and the Office asks you to speak with your parish priest to find the advocate for your parish. This applies even if your fiancé's earlier marriage was between two non-Catholics.

What a tribunal handles:

  • Prior spouse has died: no case is needed. Bring the death certificate.
  • A Catholic married outside the Church without a dispensation (lack of canonical form): a shorter documentary process.
  • Consent may have been defective (formal declaration of nullity, often called an annulment): a formal case with testimony from you and witnesses who knew the marriage.
  • Both spouses were unbaptized, and you now seek baptism (Pauline Privilege): a dissolution in favor of the newly baptized spouse.
  • At least one spouse was unbaptized throughout (Favor of the Faith): a dissolution decided in Rome.

The Diocese does not publish Tribunal fees or timelines online, so ask your advocate when you begin. The Diocese's Pastoral Center is at 1201 E. Highland Ave., San Bernardino, (909) 475-5300.

Already civilly married to each other (convalidation). If neither of you has a prior marriage, the Church can recognize your civil marriage. Under canon 1160, you exchange consent again in the Catholic form. Start with your parish, and complete the same paperwork and preparation as above.

Marriage preparation (Pre-Cana) options in the Diocese of San Bernardino

Canon 1063 calls every diocese to prepare couples for marriage. In San Bernardino, the Office of Marriage and Family Life Ministry "offers support and provides resources for preparation to the sacrament of matrimony," including formation for engaged and cohabiting couples. The Diocese does not list specific programs, schedules, or prices online, so your parish will tell you which preparation it uses.

  • Start with your parish. Your priest or deacon tells you which program counts. Do not register or pay for an outside program until he confirms it.
  • Ask about Spanish-language preparation if you need it. Your parish or the Office can point you to options.
  • Questions: Office of Marriage and Family Life Ministry, (909) 475-5391, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Both of you attend every session together.

Costs, venues, and your California marriage license

Church fees. Fees are set by each parish, not by the Diocese, so ask your parish for its schedule early. Most parishes charge a few hundred dollars. Large or landmark churches can charge $2,000 or more. Musicians, flowers, and photography are usually separate. Add the cost of your preparation program. If money is tight, talk to your pastor: you do not need to postpone the sacrament because of cost, and the Church does not require expensive flowers, attire, or extras.

Can we get married outdoors or at our venue? Almost never. Canon 1118 says a wedding between two Catholics, or between a Catholic and a baptized Christian, "is to be celebrated in a parish church." Any other place requires the local bishop's permission, which is rarely granted for outdoor or venue ceremonies. That includes resorts, wineries, and desert venues. A wedding between a Catholic and an unbaptized partner "can be celebrated in a church or in another suitable place," still with approval. Plan the ceremony at the church and the reception at your venue.

California marriage license (Riverside County):

  • The Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder issues licenses in Riverside, Palm Desert, Hemet, Temecula, and Blythe (locations). Appointments are recommended, and both of you must be present together.
  • Both of you bring valid, current government photo ID. If either of you was divorced within 90 days before the license is issued, bring a copy of the final dissolution.
  • Fees are $111 for a public license and $122 for a confidential license.
  • The license is valid for 90 days.

California marriage license (San Bernardino County):

  • Complete the application, then book an in-person appointment with the San Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk. Service is by appointment only, at the Hall of Records in San Bernardino or the High Desert Government Center in Hesperia.
  • Both of you appear in person with government photo ID, such as a driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID.
  • Fees are $120 for a public license and $135 for a confidential license (fee schedule, July 1, 2026). Card payments add 3.5%.
  • The ceremony must take place within 90 days of the license being issued.

Either county: a public license needs at least one witness to sign. A confidential license needs no witnesses but requires that you already live together (California Department of Public Health). Ask your parish which one it prefers.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a Catholic marriage valid?

You must both be free to marry, consent freely, and intend a lifelong, faithful marriage open to children. You exchange consent before an authorized priest or deacon and two witnesses, unless the bishop approves an exception.

How far in advance do we need to contact the church in Riverside or San Bernardino?

Contact your parish 9 to 12 months before your wedding, and before you book a reception venue. The Diocese of San Bernardino leaves the exact timeline to each parish.

What documents do we need to get married in the Catholic Church in the Inland Empire?

Each Catholic needs a newly issued baptismal certificate with First Communion and Confirmation records. You also need freedom-to-marry statements, a prenuptial interview, a marriage preparation certificate, and a California marriage license. Your parish gives you its exact list.

Can a Catholic marry a non-Catholic in the Catholic Church?

Yes. A baptized Christian partner needs permission for a mixed marriage. An unbaptized partner needs a dispensation from disparity of worship. In both cases, the Catholic promises to remain faithful and to do all they can to raise the children Catholic.

Do I have to be confirmed to get married in the Catholic Church?

Canon law asks Catholics to receive Confirmation before marriage if it can be done without grave inconvenience. Tell your priest early so he can help you prepare.

Can we have a Catholic wedding outdoors in Temecula or Palm Springs?

Almost never. Weddings between Catholics, or between a Catholic and a baptized Christian, take place in a parish church unless the bishop grants permission, which is rarely given. A wedding with an unbaptized partner may be approved for another suitable place.

How much does a Catholic church wedding cost in the Diocese of San Bernardino?

Fees are set by each parish. Most charge a few hundred dollars, while large or landmark churches can charge $2,000 or more. Add the cost of your preparation program.

How do we start an annulment in the Diocese of San Bernardino?

Talk with your parish priest. He will connect you with one of the Diocese's trained lay advocates, who helps you prepare your case for the Office of Canonical Services.

How much is a marriage license in Riverside and San Bernardino counties?

Riverside County charges $111 for a public license and $122 for a confidential one. San Bernardino County charges $120 and $135. Both licenses are valid for 90 days.

Planning your Catholic wedding? Cana is built for couples getting married in the Church. Keep this checklist, your registry, and your vendor search in one place.

Sources

Requirements can change. Always confirm with your parish priest or deacon. Last checked October 27, 2026.

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