Q: My partner and I are planning our wedding, and we’d like to get married in the Botanical Gardens because of the beauty of the place. Can you tell me what I need to do?

The ideal place for the celebration of marriage is in a church - this recognizes that marriage is a Sacrament, and that the couple are members of the People of God, symbolized not only by the people present at the ceremony, but also by the church building. If a Catholic person has a wedding outside a Catholic church, the person must obtain the permission of his/her diocesan bishop.

Marriage in gardens, on beaches etc is discouraged by the Church because such celebrations can detract from the sacredness of the occasion. In fact, some dioceses have a policy that forbids them.

While not directly related to your question, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference have published a document entitled Frequently Asked Questions about Marriage in the Catholic Church. It is a very helpful document that you and your fiancé might want to read as part of your marriage preparations.