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.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

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.

[JazzOrganist]

on 9/17/2007 None of these tips included making an appointment with the music director/organist of the church far in advance. As a music director, I recommend that the couple make this appointment if they have received approval from the priest to marry and no later than one month in advance of the wedding.

Furthermore, be very clear with all musicians about the fees they charge for the wedding itself, including any rehearsals or warm-ups before the wedding.

on 8/21/2006 Check with your diocese to see how far in advance you need to start making arrangements with them. Our diocese recommends 6 months.

on 7/6/2006 Decide on your music well in advance. I have decided on very personal songs, and also some beautiful hymns. Your wedding does not have to be filled with religious songs, choose a song that means a lot to you and add it into your ceremony. I am choosing my own readings and gospels as I feel that words mean a lot on a day like your wedding day.

I hope everyone planning their wedding enjoys their day and I wish them all the luck in the world for the future

on 11/22/2005 PLEASE! Reprioritize these steps. FIRST make an appointment with your priest. Ordering a gown, booking a reception site, etc. could be nothing more than a waste of time if you don't get the go-ahead from him.

on 11/22/2005 My fiance and I are going to be the Eucharistic Ministers at our wedding mass. That way, we can share the body and blood of Christ with our friends and family.