Engaged Couples

We’re so pleased you’ve decided to marry in the Catholic Church. Just as you’re about to commit your lives to each other forever, the Church is committed to your lifelong marriage. Our task is to prepare you for the journey of a lifetime, to accompany you through all the joys and the inevitable struggles of daily married life, and to show you what’s so unique and wonderful about Catholic Marriage. You deserve an extraordinary marriage – that’s what Catholic marriage is all about! CLICK HERE to begin your marriage preparation process. 

The Beauty of Catholic Marriage

Catholic Marriage is unique among other marital relationships because it is a sacrament that makes Christ present in our world. The relationship between husband and wife mirrors the relationship of Jesus Christ for his people. Like the other sacraments, marriage is not just for the good of individuals, or the couple, but for the community as a whole.  

In the Catholic tradition, husband and wife accept a role in God’s plan for humanity. They are ambassadors of God’s love, and they collaborate with God to keep humanity alive. The vows exchanged by the couple are a sacred pact through which the spouses embrace each other, and together embrace Jesus as their partner. Through there union with Christ they participate in the unbreakable pact between God and humanity: the covenant that was sealed in the death and resurrection of Christ.


 
One of the many benefits of a sacramental marriage is the power of God’s grace, which helps couples keep their commitment and find happiness together.
 
Social scientists are finding that couples who recognize God’s presence in their relationship experience more satisfaction and are more likely to achieve lifelong marriage. All in all, couples who choose Catholic marriage receive many gifts – peace of heart, oneness with the Church, the fullness of the sacraments and God’s special blessing upon their marriage.

Your Guide to Low Stress Wedding/Reception Planning 

The Wedding Survival Guide for Catholics -
44 Strategies to Survive Wedding Planning and Thrive
in a Catholic Marriage

Here a just a few highlights of this practical, must-have guide for Catholic wedding planning:

• Highlights the importance of a wedding ceremony in the  Catholic tradition and what that entails.

• Helps couples learn to communicate effectively within the framework of planning all aspects of the wedding.

• Encourages couples to look to prayer as a helpful way to   reduce stress, both before and after the wedding day.

• A wealth of religious and practical information in one place, designed to be used throughout the planning process as a guidebook.

• It’s written in a way that is spiritually uplifting, bringing together a greater understanding of the Sacrament of Marriage, and that living in a Catholic marriage brings a multitude of graces.

• Stresses the importance of a union for life and gives them tools they can use both in the good times and not-so-good times.

• Helping couples learn to communicate effectively is a theme that runs throughout the book and has obvious value during marriage.

• While wedding planning with vendors are “one and done,” the special relationship between the couple and their parish is lifelong.

Free copies are available from your parish while supplies last, or CLICK HERE to purchase the book on Amazon.
 

You probably have a lot of questions about getting married in the Catholic Church. Here are some great videos to get you started:

Really invest in yourself with this 10-part video series on engagement created by Catholic speaker, YouTuber, and author, Emily Wilson Hussem (@emwilss)! This series offers practical guidance, prayerful encouragement, and valuable insight into rarely discussed topics that you will encounter during engagement (e.g. the trap of comparison, the wedding night, discerning a choice, bachelorette parties, etc.) and helps you to manage and prioritize your heart in the process.
 
Go to: Navigating Engagement with Emily Wilson and enjoy a 15% discount courtesy of your friends here at the Catholic Diocese of Trenton!