How to Plan a Catholic Wedding

The Catholic Church views marriage as the joining of souls, and as such, it is a very holy and permanent event. Careful planning for the wedding will help you and your partner cement important values that will allow your relationship to be sustained.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Wedding Thank-you Stationery
• Wedding Gowns
• Invitations
• Wedding Planner Book
• Wedding Albums
• Wedding Rings
• Wedding Programs

1. Begin your wedding preparations a year or more in advance.
2. Obtain copies of both of your Baptismal Certificates by calling or writing to the church where they are kept.
3. Consult with a priest and explain your intention to be married.
4. Select a site for the reception.
5. Enroll in a Pre-Cana, or marriage preparation program, which is designed to help you prepare emotionally, spiritually and socially for marriage.
6. Add the Pre-Cana documents to your other records once you finish the program.
7. Discuss with your partner your views about having children, since the Catholic Church only recognizes marriages in which procreation is a possibility.
8. Order wedding invitations, mass booklets and thank-you notes four to six months prior to the wedding date.
9. Arrange a premarital investigation with the priest prior to the wedding. Bring along all of your records, including information about the parish to which you belong and whether you are both free to marry in the eyes of the church.
10. Ask the priest any questions you have about the teachings of the church and its role in your marriage.
11. Select readings for the wedding and ask family members to do the honor of reading them at the ceremony.
12. Plan a receiving line on the steps of the church so you can personally greet all of your guests.

Tips & Warnings

• Send invitations out at least six weeks prior to the wedding.
• Following the ceremony, the officiating priest will send notice of your marriage to the parish where your records are kept so it can be added to the Baptismal Register.
• There is no uniform set of standards for all Catholic weddings in the United States. Therefore, check with your parish priest to find out what your diocese requires for marriage.