Catholic Wedding Planner in Los Angeles & San Francisco
A Catholic wedding is considered to be one of the seven sacraments. It is a connection with God’s grace that is taken very seriously. A ceremony in the Catholic Church is a holy ritual which is full of deep spirituality and meaning for a new marriage. In each church, there are a variety of different readings to begin a life shared between two people. It is a day where family and friends are given the opportunity to be a part of celebrating the couple’s new marriage and life with one another.
Requirements
The bride and the groom are each asked before the wedding for certain preparations from the church. They are both asked to promise to continue observing the Catholic faith. They are also asked to do their best as to raise their children to be Catholics.
Catholic Weddings Performed Only In Churches
The celebration of a Catholic Wedding is meant to be only performed in a Catholic Church. It is considered to be inappropriate to have a wedding at the beach or another venue outside of the church. Choosing a Catholic Church for your ceremony is more than a venue it is a way of life. It gives the couple the rightful blessing of God to share their life’s with one another. The wedding usually takes place in the parish church of the bride’s family. Through readings and rituals , the church offers a sacred opportunity to join with family and friends in dedicating the couple‘s marriage to God.
Catholic Wedding Processional
The Catholic wedding processional may begin with the bride and groom greeting their guests as they enter, which some churches might encourage. The priest may also meet the bride and the groom as they enter and walk them down the aisle to the alter.
- Best man and groom enter from the side of the church
- Bridesmaids and groomsmen escort one another down the aisle in pairs
- Maid of Honor enters alone
- Bride and her father (or male role model) make their grand entrance
Introductory Rites
On the wedding day, a Catholic wedding begins with the priest saying a prayer. After, he asks for God’s blessing on the couples wedding day for each of them.
Liturgy Word
Family members are chosen by the bride and groom to read Biblical passages from the Old and New Testaments in which the priest agrees to. It is followed by a short sermon on marriage given by the priest.
Rite of Marriage
As the couple commits to a life with each other, citing their vows, everyone rises from their seats. The basic wording of the Catholic vows are: “ I (groom/bride’s name), take you (bride/groom’s name) to be my wife/husband. I promise to be true to you in good times, in sickness and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life”. The priest will take a hand from each of the couple, bless them and then ask, “Do you take (bride/groom’s name) as your lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?”
Exchange of Rings
After the couple recites the words “I do” to the vows, the best man or ring bearer then gives the priest the ring of the bride for him to bless. He then hands the ring to the groom for him to place on the bride’s finger. Then the Maid of Honor also hands the groom’s ring to the priest for him to bless. Again he will hand over the ring for the bride to place on the groom’s finger. While placing their rings on each other’s fingers they must say, “I take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”.
Mass or No Mass
If the couple decides to have a ceremony without mass, the priest will conclude with a final blessing. Then he will say, “Go in peace with Christ,” then they will respond, “Thanks be to God”. If the ceremony includes mass, the priests asks for the “sign of peace,” in which everyone turns to their neighbors where they will shake hands, Holy Communion then follows. The priest will then conclude with a final blessing and nuptial blessing asking for strength and protecting of the couple.
Offertory
In some Catholic weddings, the bride will place a bouquet of flowers among the Virgin Mary as musicians play “Ave Maria”. This may be done before or after the processional and recessional. The Unity candle is also used in some Catholic ceremonies. The lighting of the candle by both the bride and the groom is to symbolize their separate lives being joined together. The flame of the candle is the symbol of Christ, the light of the world.
