CATHOLIC WEDDING: THE CEREMONY



If religion holds an important place in your life and your heart, say “I do” before God during a Catholic ceremony! By getting married in a church, you carry on with one of the most ancient traditions. The wedding mass will undoubtedly be among the greatest moments in your life together. To prepare this day, you will catch up with the protocol and traditions of your cherished religion. Find here after everything you need to know to celebrate a Catholic wedding!

 

 


WHAT IS A CATHOLIC WEDDING?


The Catholic wedding is one of the seven sacraments of a Christian life: it is the union of a man and a woman bound by the same love. This union is symbolized by the wedding rings. Thus, the spouses declare their mutual consent to be as one and promise to love and respect each other for better or for worse. A church wedding is based on faith and love and represents a commitment before God following four principles: free consent, faithfulness (source of trust), unbreakable bond and fertility. The architectural beauty of a church makes Catholic weddings very solemn. To dive even more into this atmosphere, you can decorate the place, by putting flowers on the benches for instance. Be aware that you need to ask the priest’s authorization to do so as some parishes refuse to decorate their buildings. The conditions to celebrate a Catholic union are numerous; some are religious, others legal.


WHAT ARE THE CONDITIONS TO CELEBRATE A CATHOLIC
WEDDING?


First and foremost, if you wish to get married in a church, you must be Catholic and baptized. If not, your priest can ask the bishop of your diocese for an exemption or an authorization of disparity of faith. Thus, a non-Christian can marry a baptized person under the condition that they respect the faith of their partner and the crucial principles of the Catholic Church. However, if none of the spouses is baptized, it is impossible to get married in a church. Generally, the confirmation sacrament is mandatory for a religious wedding. It is the opportunity to receive their confirmation for those who didn’t. If you are divorced, you cannot get married in a church as the sacred bound of marriage is unbreakable. If you are a widower, remarrying is possible. By celebrating a church wedding, you commit to raise your children according to Christian faith. Finally, you shall previously be married at the city hall (civilly) before having your wedding ceremony in a church.


WHY MARRYING IN A CHURCH?


For a long time, many couples – practicing or not – wish to celebrate a church wedding for diverse reasons. For some, getting married religiously is a way of perpetuating a tradition and pleasing their family by reuniting everyone. For others, church is considered as the place of the “true” marriage as they want to give a sacred value and a spiritual dimension to their love. A religious wedding is also the occasion to open up to God and be blessed with his strength. You will probably take the measure of such a moment during the ceremony: love is a gift enhanced by the wedding sacrament. Thanks to a religious wedding, the Church is a witness to your commitment. Keep in mind that a religious wedding is only meaningful in a church. You cannot celebrate it outdoors.


HOW TO PREPARE A WEDDING FILE?


Before you complete your wedding file, you will meet a priest or deacon of your parish several times. He will help you and support you during the preparation of your ceremony. Therefore, he is responsible for your wedding application and committed to you. You have to give him the following elements before your special day:
- a birth certificate made by the city hall of your birthplace
- a christening certificate with the date and place of the spouse(s)’ baptism
- a personal written declaration of intention mentioning the reasons for your union.
- a list of the four wedding witnesses (2 per spouse)
Without omitting your civil wedding certificate!


HOW TO PREPARE YOUR RELIGIOUS WEDDING IN A
CHURCH?


Start with meeting with your priest 8 to 10 months before the D-day. During the first interview, you will participate in a preparation session in which you will express your views on your commitment to each other and on the requirements of a life together. You will then choose the type of ceremony you want – nuptial blessing or mass – and decide on details such as the date and place of the ceremony. Please note that it is impossible to marry on a Sunday or any religious holidays as they are sacred. You must bring the birth and christening certificates for this first meeting. The priest who will welcome you at this occasion will not necessarily be the one that will marry you. However, you will go through a pre-nuptial inquiry with him and he will play an important part in your preparation. It is essential to gather information about the decoration possibilities, the authorization of taking pictures and the expenses linked with the ceremony during the organization of your church wedding.


HOW DOES A CATHOLIC WEDDING UNFOLD?


The first step – maybe the most eagerly awaited in a Catholic wedding – is your entrance in the church. You can choose the music for it under the condition that it is liturgical. It must be validated by the priest. You can also ask for a musical background for the key moments of the ceremony. The following instruments and/or voices are authorized: organ, violin, chorus and soprano singer. The spouses’ entrance is followed by the reading of passages from the Bible, the psalm, and the Gospel. The most moving moments come next: the exchange of mutual consent and rings, and, finally, the blessing. The guests can, if they wish to, contribute to the conservation of the church’s building with a donation. You can write and make one of your guests read the universal prayer. It will be accompanied by the “Our Father » and the communion. At the end of the celebration, the registers are signed by the best men and bride’s maid of the couple. The exit of the newlyweds formalizes the beginning of a new life together, under the protection of God.

 

If you want to seal your union with a Catholic wedding in Italy or Corsica, Noces Italiennes will stand by your side from A to Z to deliver the wedding of your dreams, in the respect of your faith.
Contact us to get a free customized quotation!

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