How to Have a Catholic Wedding During Lent

Lent is the 40-day period prior to Easter Sunday, when Catholics abstain from food and celebration. Weddings during Lent are generally discouraged by the Catholic Church. Still, there are ways to have your wedding while respecting the religious traditions of Lent.

Instructions

1. Meet with your priest to discuss the necessary religious preparations for a wedding during Lent. He may suggest appropriate religious readings for the ceremony to incorporate the principles of Lent into your wedding. Your priest may also recommend a specific date to hold the wedding to accommodate other religious events that may occur at the same time.

2. Check the calendar. There are many church events held during Lent and you must schedule your wedding for a time that doesn't pose conflicts.

3. Determine whether you or your fiancé will need will need to receive the sacrament of Confirmation before having your wedding in the Catholic Church, which is generally required of at least one of the two people getting married. This is especially important to consider when you are planning your wedding during Lent, because in most churches the ritual of Confirmation is performed during the Easter Mass. Therefore you will want to plan to be confirmed during the year prior to your wedding.

4. Offer a menue that does not include meat or poultry at your wedding reception to respect the tradition of abstaining from these food items during Lent. Consider serving dishes that are primarily made of fish, especially if your wedding is held on a Friday. Remember that for some Catholics, fasting only allows one meal per day during certain periods of Lent. It is possible that some guests may not eat any of the food you serve, regardless of what you offer.

5. Encourage your guests to give donations to a charity of your choice as wedding gifts. This will pay homage to the tradition of almsgiving during Lent, which is meant to involve goodwill towards your neighbor.