When planning a religious marriage ceremony, you will have a few extra considerations to keep in mind. For Catholic brides, there are certain matters of protocol that must be observed to be married in the Church. This is everything you need to know about planning a Catholic wedding.
The first step upon becoming engaged is to call the rectory office at your local parish and let them know that you intend to be married. They will assist you in setting up a meeting with the priest who will be your officiant. If you do not belong to a parish, there are some Catholic churches which will allow you to be married without joining, especially those affiliated with colleges or universities. Many do limit the use of the facilities to parish members only, but joining the parish is generally not a huge undertaking if that is the case.
An important part of a Catholic marriage is the pre-marital counseling for the bride and groom. This usually consists of several private meetings with the priest as well as taking group pre-Cana classes. During the private sessions, the priest will talk to you about the practicalities of the wedding. He will also ask questions (a written quiz is common) that are intended to determine if a couple is compatible before they get married. This purpose of this step, along with the pre-Cana classes, is to ensure that an engaged couple deals with any potential conflicts before they become married, to prepare them for a Catholic marriage, and to reduce the likelihood of divorce.
There will definitely be restrictions about the time and place of a Catholic marriage. They generally must be performed in a Catholic church; outdoor weddings or hotel weddings are usually not an option. In addition, only certain times will be offered due to the Mass schedule at the church. Sunday weddings are not generally permitted, and if the church holds Saturday afternoon Masses, they will only schedule weddings for the morning or early afternoon.
One thing that a Catholic bride and groom will need to decide is if they would like to have the full Nuptial Mass. If the Mass is chosen, the service will be longer, and sacrament of Communion will be offered to the bride and groom, as well as to their Catholic guests. The decision about whether or not to have the Nuptial Mass is an entirely personal one, which takes into account things like the desired length of service, how many of the guests will be Catholic, and if taking Communion during the marriage ceremony is important to the bride and groom. When there will be many non-Catholics in attendance, the couple may decide to omit the Communion, as it can be awkward for those who are not able to participate.
As is the case in any house of worship, respectful attire is expected of the bridal party. There will generally not be specific requirements as there are for Orthodox Jewish weddings (such as covered shoulders), but the bride and her bridesmaids should plan to wear more classic styles. For a less formal wedding, simple and elegant styles like an A-line dress worn with a timeless tin cup necklace would be appropriate (the tin cup necklace also makes a terrific bridesmaid gift). If the church is a cathedral, of course, a very formal bridal gown with a cathedral length veil would be wonderful. A veil may not be required, but it does always look nice for a Catholic wedding (even if you prefer to omit the blusher).
In the end, a Catholic wedding is fairly similar to many other weddings held in churches. Of course, there will be Biblical readings, and special preparation is required, but other than that there are more similarities than differences. You will find that planning a beautiful Catholic wedding is an exciting and rewarding process.
