Catholic marriage ceremony options

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"They say that a wedding is a sapling that grows into a mighty tree called marriage . Well ... In a way, the jubilation of today's wedding reminds me of the recent ...""

A wedding is a sacred ceremony joining two people together in life and recognized by the church, family and friends. Catholics can only marry at Mass when they are marrying another Catholic. If a Catholic marries a person of another faith or a person who has not been baptized, the wedding must take place outside of Mass. Within the wedding, whether outside or inside Mass, there are certain options that must be considered.

1. Who Will Preside

   • Depending on whether the wedding will be celebrated with a Mass or without, a priest, pastor, deacon or minister of another faith may preside over the wedding. If someone other than the pastor of the parish is presiding over the wedding, permission must be granted by the pastor. If the marriage is being witnessed by a minister of another faith, a form from the bishop must be filled out. Only a priest may celebrate the Mass.

   Procession

   • Although the father walks the bride down the aisle in American weddings, in the Catholic Church it is customary for the bride and groom to walk down the aisle together. Usually, they walk behind the priest or deacon and are escorted by their parents and two witnesses, which are usually the best man and maid of honor. The reason for this custom is because the Catholic Church believes that the bride and groom are entering into this marriage as equals and does not focus on the bride alone.

   Prayers and Scripture Readings

   • A few prayers are available from several different texts. The two scripture readings and the Gospel are limited to readings from the Bible because they are a proclamation of God's Word and the Church's faith about marriage. For the first reading, nine options are available from the Old Testament, 13 options are available from the New Testament for the second reading, and there are 10 choices for the Gospel.

   Music

   • The music at the wedding should represent God's role in the marriage and the Catholic view of love and marriage. Choices can be provided by the organist or music director at the parish.

   Decorations

   • Flowers, plants or candles that are used during the wedding should first be approved by the minister presiding over the wedding. The decoration should not take away from the primary focus of the wedding ceremony and should never be placed on the altar, unless it is needed for the Mass.

   Vows

   • Though some couples may want to write their own vows to show their commitment, in a Catholic wedding ceremony, the bride and groom must use the vows provided.

   Wedding Party and Readers

   • The maid of honor and best man are the witnesses of the wedding and should be able to understand what is going on. They do not need to be Catholic. Most brides and grooms also ask other family and friends to take part in their wedding as bridesmaids and groomsmen or as readers of the scriptures. The wedding couple should avoid having too many in their wedding party so that it doesn't take the focus off of the bride and groom.

Source: www.ehow.com

Tags: bride groom, another faith, available from, over wedding, wedding should, available from Testament, Catholic Church