Congratulations on your engagement! We are looking forward to helping you prepare for your wedding day and your life together.

One person must be a registered member of St. Francis of Assisi Church for at least three months before a meeting with the priest can be scheduled to start the marriage preparation process. A wedding date cannot be secured prior to the initial first meeting date with the priest. You must also be a registered member of St. Francis for at least three months if you plan to do your preparation here and then be married at another location. Registration cards are available in the Parish Office. Please contact the Parish Office at 515-223-4577 for more information.


Marriage Preparation

You will be asked to take the FOCCUS Inventory. At St. Francis, we have a Sponsor Couple program for those who are preparing for marriage. You will be assigned to one of our trained Sponsor Couples who will go over the FOCCUS questions and answers with you. Plus, couples are required to participate in a one-day sacramental marriage preparation retreat facilitated by the Diocese of Des Moines. The cost of this course is $80 per couple, paid to the Diocese.

For more information on registration, please visit the Diocese of Des Moines website or contact Adam Storey.

Visit the Diocese of Des Moines website


Wedding Music Planning

Before selecting music, all couples getting married at St. Francis must first meet with Emily Schmid, Director of Liturgy and Music.  Wedding music informational meetings will be offered every other month at St. Francis. Attending the meeting will fulfill the requirement to meet. Future informational meeting dates are:

  • September 11, 2022 at noon
  • November 13, 2022 at noon

Please RSVP to eschmid@saintfrancischurch.org if you plan to attend one of these dates.


Other helpful resources

Marriage Preparation & Wedding Guidelines (PDF)

Wedding Music Guidelines