Wedding Ceremony Planning
Your wedding date is set, your preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony is done – time to plan the ceremony!
The Main Thing…
A wise man once said, “the main thing is to remember to keep the main thing the main thing.” There are tons of details about events leading up to, including, and after the wedding ceremony – but the main thing is that you are preparing to celebrate a Sacrament – a unique moment of grace in your shared life. Remember to keep the Sacrament the main thing.
It’s your first wedding… not ours…
We are here to help guide you through the planning details of the liturgy and the music, help you select Scripture readings for the day, walk you through the rehearsal, and provide a coordinator who will take care of all your “day of” details – working with your coordinator, florists, photographers, videographers, and the whole crew. No worries. We also have a page of ceremony planning FAQs!
Outline of the Wedding Ceremony
The Catholic Church provides three different forms of celebrating the Rite of Marriage. When two Catholics are marrying, the celebration will normally take place within a Mass. The second form, which does not include a Mass, is used when a Catholic marries another baptized Christian. A third form, also outside Mass, is usually celebrated when a Catholic marries someone who is not baptized. The second and third forms are structured around the celebration of the Liturgy of the Word.
Order of Celebrating within a Mass
The Introductory Rites
The procession into the church
Welcome and private prayer between the couple and the priest/deacon.
Greeting of congregation
Opening prayer
The Liturgy of the Word
Old Testament Scripture Reading
Responsorial Psalm (normally sung by a cantor)
New Testament Scripture Reading
Gospel
Homily
The Celebration of Matrimony
The Questions before the Consent
The Consent /Vows
The Reception of the Consent/Vows by the priest
The Blessing and Giving of Rings
Prayers of the Faithful
The Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Preparation of the Gifts
The Eucharistic Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
The Nuptial Blessing
The Sign of Peace
Holy Communion
The Conclusion of the Celebration
Solemn Blessing of the newly married couple and the congregation
Recessional
Order of Celebrating outside a Mass
In short, it is the same order but without the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
Wedding Coordinator
Helps you complete the Wedding Planning document and will be present at the Rehearsal to organize seating, the procession, and all the details apart from Liturgy.
On the day of the wedding: (1) Help your vendors organize and be in place (2) Provide a space for the wedding party (bride/her attendants in one room, groom/groomsmens in another). (3) Coordinate the timing and start of procession. (4) Attend to a lot of little things so you don’t have to. and (5) work with your private coordinator (who has lots of other responsibilities before and following the ceremony)
The Questions before the Vows
These questions are a public proclamation of what has already been affirmed during the marriage preparation process. While they are asked the questions together, each person must answer the questions individually. It is a solemn moment, as bride and groom pledge before God and the community their intention to undertake through God’s grace the vocation of lifelong marriage, a permanent union open to the gift of new life. The questions (answers) are:
Have you come here to enter into Marriage without coercion, freely and wholeheartedly? (I have)
Are you prepared, as you follow the path of Marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live? (I am)
Are you prepared to accept children lovingly from God and to bring them up according to the law of Christ and his Church? (I am)
The Vows
The Exchange of Consent, commonly called the exchange of Vows, has two basic forms (the words) and three choices about how to exchange the consent. The two forms are:
Form #1: I (name) take you (name) to be my wife/husband. I promise to be faithful to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life.
Form #2: I (name) take you (name) for my lawful wife/husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part.
The three choices on how to exchange the consent are: (1) The bride and groom, having memorized the vows, each say them aloud. (2) The celebrant whispers the lines and the bride/groom repeat and speak them aloud. (3) The celebrant turns the vows into question form, and each in turn, responds aloud, “I do.”
Wedding Times
Saturdays at 2:00 pm with rehearsals on Friday at 4:00 pm. Other days of the week are possible, but must be discussed with the parish before making any plans! In general there are no weddings on holiday weekends.
For Your Marriage
Links from US Catholic Bishops
Dating and Engaged
About Catholic Marriage
More Frequently Asked Questions by Engaged Couples
Marriage Preparation
Ceremony Planning Frequently Asked Questions
Review these FAQs for planning your ceremony. It answers questions about the ceremony, music, the rehearsal, and events “on the day.”