There are so many details in planning a truly memorable wedding. You probably have an idea of when and where you wish to hold the ceremony and the reception. But before you settle on a date and put a deposit on a banquet hall, the first thing to do is contact your local parish and make an appointment to begin planning your wedding.
Location, Location, Location - Choosing a Place for the Wedding Ceremony
Typically Catholic weddings to take place in the parish of the bride, but the groom’s parish is fine too. If you’re not currently registered in a parish, you should plan to register as soon as possible in the parish closest to where you’ll live when you’re married. This way you will already feel at home in your own parish community as you begin your married life together, especially if you already attend that parish together for weekly Mass.
If you’ve moved away but have always dreamed of marrying in the parish where you grew up, and still have a strong connection to that community through family and friends, you should contact your former parish as soon as possible. Assuming you live too far away to prepare for marriage in that parish, you’ll need to contact your local parish to get started on the marriage preparation process. Each parish does things a little differently, so contacting both your local parish and the parish of marriage is very important in order to get started.
The Sacrament of Marriage takes place in a church, not the beach, park, or other place of natural beauty. The Church is a sacred place, consecrated for the purpose of offering worship to God. Here the people of God gather for holy occasions. It is a graced space by its history, traditions and especially by the people whose faith is nourished there over the years. When the couple chooses the Church for their wedding, they are taking a step forward in faith, and they are inviting Christ into their marriage, and into the years to come as a couple and a family.
Christian marriage is a sacrament and a sign of God’s presence in our daily lives. As such, sacramental marriage is meant to be celebrated within the parish community that holds special meaning in the lives of the bride and groom. It is not just the church building that’s important, but the community of believers that it represents. Your home parish is the community of people who help prepare you for marriage and will support you as you begin your lives together. This is why the Catholic Church encourages all couples to celebrate their wedding in their own parish community, a community that will be enriched by their new marital union.
DESTINATION WEDDINGS: If you’re exploring the idea of a destination wedding, here are a few articles worth reading:
Say Bon Voyage to Destination Weddings, U.S. Catholic
After the marriage preparation program, the FOCCUS meetings, and all the documents are gathered, you will have an opportunity to meet again with your pastoral minister to finalize your sacramental preparation and begin planning your wedding liturgy.
According to the Marriage Preparation Guidelines for the Catholic Church in New Jersey, the goal for parishes is “to assist couples in the planning of their wedding liturgy so that the celebration expresses and deepens their faith and experience of the mystery of God’s love in their marriage, as well as “provide guidance as they begin the process of personally selecting those prayers and scripture readings which reflect their loving relationship and individuality as a couple.”
The pastoral minister will assist you by providing information and resources that may be helpful in making the appropriate choices for this celebration. The Order of Celebrating Matrimony contains various options for prayers, Scripture readings, blessings, and wedding ceremonies. Parish guidelines and local policies may also be available. Other parish ministries may provide guidance in various areas (music, environment, etc.). A date and time for the rehearsal is confirmed. Prior to the rehearsal all details regarding the wedding liturgy should be reviewed and approved by the priest or deacon who will celebrate your wedding.