Couples who want to get married in a Catholic Church have certain requirements that must be met first.
Any kind of wedding requires proper planning, and a sacred ceremony is no exception.
Kevin Pesek, director of RCIA and marriage preparation at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview that if you and your future spouse choose to marry in the Catholic Church, you should allow at least six months for preparation.
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While this is a minimum requirement, Pesek says nine months to a year is the ideal timeframe to aim for.
Although guidelines may vary from church to church, it is important to understand the specific requirements of the church where you want to have your ceremony.
A Catholic wedding does not require both partners to share the same faith, but they must make certain promises. (iStock)
That being said, there are certain steps you can expect.
1. Interview with the couple
First, the couple must be interviewed by the church’s pastor or marriage coordinator.
During this initial interview, couples will be asked a series of questions to ensure they have no pre-existing conditions that would prevent them from marrying in the church, such as whether they have been previously married.
Pesek told Fox News Digital that this first interview had two main purposes.
The first is to determine whether the couple can be married in the Catholic Church, and the second is to understand what the Catholic Church teaches about marriage, thereby ensuring that the couple understands what they are agreeing to when choosing a religious ceremony.
2. Important Documents
Requirements vary by church, but regardless of which parish the ceremony is held in, you will likely be asked for documentation such as a baptismal certificate.
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Pesek said couples will probably also have to submit what’s called a “witness affidavit,” a questionnaire that confirms information about the couple to see if they can marry in the Catholic Church.
Getting married in a Catholic church requires ample preparation time, not only to secure a venue, but also for the couple to complete marriage preparation courses. (iStock)
“The affidavit has to be filled out by someone who has actually known them for 10 years,” Pesek says. If the affidavit notes that the couple is too young, it won’t prevent them from getting married.
3. Wedding planning
Marriage preparation, or pre-cana, is a series of courses or consultations that couples must take before they can marry in the Catholic Church. These courses are designed to help couples develop their relationships with each other and with God.
Not every marriage preparation course is the same for every couple.
“We want a willingness and openness to grow throughout the process,” Pesek says. “For some couples, that can be overwhelming.”[ing] Communicate with each other and with other couples, communicate with God, pray, and go to church.”
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If there are religious differences between a couple, this does not prevent them from getting married in the Catholic Church, but it is something that should be discussed during marriage preparations.
“Religious differences will likely be discussed further as part of pre-marriage counseling,” Pesek said.
For example, pre-marriage counseling may involve discussing how religious differences may affect future children.
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“In the presence of the non-Catholic spouse, the Catholic spouse makes a solemn vow to do everything in their power to baptize their children and raise them according to Catholic teachings,” Rev. Pesek explained on St. Mary’s website. “This does not mean that the non-Catholic spouse must convert or play no role in the religious upbringing of their children.”
4. Components of the Ritual
When it comes to the ceremony itself, many churches offer couples certain personalization options.
“Couples can always choose the music, they can choose from a variety of readings, they can choose any priest,” Pesek noted.
Catholic weddings have several options that couples can choose from, including the number of people in the wedding and the various Bible readings that will be read during the ceremony. (iStock)
Brides.com says brides and grooms can choose how many people in their wedding party and what to wear to the ceremony, but more conservative attire is the norm.
According to Pesek, if the bride and groom are both Catholic, a wedding mass, which typically includes communion, is held.
If either party is not Catholic, the ceremony is structured slightly differently.
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“If one of them is not Catholic, [what’s] “It’s a service called the ‘Liturgy of the Word,'” Pesek said.
“There’s a Bible reading, there’s a sermon, they take vows, the priest gives a blessing, but there’s no Communion. It’s not a Mass, because one of them can’t receive Communion.”
