How to Honor Catholicism in a Wedding Ceremony

When a bride or groom have historical Catholic roots, they may find it difficult to qualify for a marriage in a Roman Catholic Parish. The Church has certain rules that it must follow, and these rules often remove a Parish wedding by a Parish priest as an option. But all is not lost. Any wedding officiant can include some elements of a traditional Catholic ceremony, honoring the traditions of the couple and their family.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cup
• Wine
• Wedding officiant
• Wedding license

1. Conduct an online search for "wedding officiant" or "wedding minister" in your area. An officiant is someone that is approved in your state to officiate, solemnize or otherwise conduct a wedding ceremony.

2. Contact the officiant and ask them three basic questions: Are they available for the date and time of the wedding? What are their fees for a wedding ceremony? Will they allow you to add three short sections to the wedding ceremony so that it honors your Catholic tradition? If the answers are yes and the fee they charge is in line with your budget, then request a meeting with that officiant.

3. At the meeting with the wedding officiant, explain your desire to include the following three Catholic traditional elements into your wedding ceremony. They are as follows:
   1. The opening sentence of the ceremony "May the Grace and Peace of God the Father, His son Jesus Christ, and the all embracing Love of the Holy Spirit be with you All."
   2. Somewhere in the middle of the wedding ceremony there should be a recital by all participants of The Lord's Prayer.
   3. The sharing of a cup of wine between the bride and groom near the end of the ceremony.

4. Explain that the sharing of the cup and wine is not to be presented as a Eucharist, but instead as a symbolic recognition and honoring of the Catholic tradition from where one or both of you come. The wedding officiant or minister will explain that the sharing of a cup of wine has been used in ceremonies throughout the centuries to express sacrifice and hope and that the bridal couple will present each with the cup to drink from, thus honoring that tradition.

5. The minister says words of explanation of the cup of wine, hands the cup of wine to the groom who gives a sip to the bride. Then the groom hands the cup to the bride, who then gives the groom a sip. Then the cup is handed back to the wedding officiant who says a few closing words of hope for the future and inclusion of traditions in the couple's life.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a nice chalice or fancy cup, one that you can potentially reuse at your children's weddings as a family tradition
• Use white wine instead of red. There is no room for error, such as dripping red wine onto a white wedding dress.
• Do not attempt to give the impression that you are creating a true Eucharistic event. It will be rebuffed by many. Instead, allow the sharing of wine to be a true honoring of family and Catholicism.
• Shop around for an officiant who is comfortable with the process and don't settle for the first officiant or minister you locate.
• If either the bride, groom, or both have any alcohol related issues, do not use wine, but instead replace with sparkling grape juice or apple cider.
• Never give the impression that your wedding ceremony "replaces" or is the same as a traditional Catholic Mass. Instead, let it be know that you all are attempting to honor the rich Catholic tradition from your past in the best way you know how.

Resources

• Example text to be used by the wedding officiant
• Example wedding ceremony that includes the three Catholic-like elements