Clergy for Weddings

Note: for applications submitted before August 10, 2009, please refer to Pre-08/10/09 Clergy for Weddings.

It is the responsibility of the couple to arrange for an officiator. Clergy and Justices of the Peace, licensed to officiate in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, are welcome to conduct weddings in Abbey Chapel. Please note that the officiator has to attend the rehearsal as well as the wedding, so please make sure she/he is able to attend both events during your first contact with the officiator.

The Chaplains of the College may also be available to officiate. Should you desire their services, please consult with them personally. They each require a series of conferences of preparation for marriage prior to the ceremony. Please make your arrangements and discuss any fees well in advance of your wedding date.

Only those persons authorized by the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to officiate weddings may do so. Non-resident clergy have to obtain authorization to solemnize a marriage in this state. Details may be obtained by calling the office of the Secretary the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in Boston at 617-727-7030.

A Note to Couples Wishing to be Wed in the Roman Catholic Faith:
In accordance with the Roman Catholic regulations for weddings, special permission must be granted to a wedding couple to be married outside of their residential parish. The Bishop of the Springfield, MA Diocese can only give special permission for marriage at Mount Holyoke College’s Abbey Chapel to those Catholic wedding couples with a connection to Mount Holyoke College. Such a connection would be as a MHC faculty, staff, student, alumnae or their immediate families, i.e., mother, father, daughter, son, sister or brother.  For more information contact, Father Richard Bondi at 413-532-3228 x11.The completed wedding application will be reviewed by the Catholic Priest at Mount Holyoke College for approval.

If either party has been previously married, please notify your officiator at the first contact. In many cases, permission must be obtained from religious bodies well in advance of the wedding.

The marriage license obtained at any town or city hall in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts should be given to the officiator at the rehearsal.