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    Ideas & Advice by The Knot Songs

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    Ideas & Advice by The Knot Songs

    Uploaded by

    Louie Santos
    47 views7 pages
    Fgh

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    Ideas & Advice by The Knot songs

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    47 views7 pages

    Ideas & Advice by The Knot Songs

    Uploaded by

    Louie Santos
    Fgh

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 7

    Love is not canceled, neither is your planning.

     Get advice on what's next for you.

    IDEAS & ADVICE

    16 Catholic Wedding Ceremony Rituals


    by Robin Beth Schaer
    Updated Apr 28, 2020

    Considered one of the seven sacraments, or channels to God's grace, the wedding
    ceremony is a serious affair in the Catholic Church full of deep spirituality and rich
    symbolism. A Catholic wedding ceremony traditionally includes a full Mass and
    communion, which means a full Catholic wedding can last about an hour. Here's what to
    expect from Catholic wedding traditions, though keep in mind that rituals and readings
    may vary depending on your church.

    READ MORE

    12 Mistakes That Drive Wedding Photographers Crazy

    1. Head To The Church

    Most Catholic wedding ceremonies take place in a Catholic church. Generally, the couple
    chooses their home church, but they may opt for a family church or a church that holds a
    special connection for them. If you want to hold your Catholic wedding ceremony
    somewhere other than a Catholic church, you'll need to write to your bishop for
    permission.

    2. Entrance Rite (aka: Processional)

    If the couple is following Catholic wedding traditions, there are two options for the
    processional. Either the priest and servers can greet the bridal party at the door of the
    church, entering with the priest and servers first, followed by the wedding couple, or the
    priest and servers can enter on their own and take their places in the sanctuary before the
    wedding couple enters, greeting them when they arrive at their places. Once everyone
    has arrived and taken their places, the priest leads everyone in the sign of the cross once
    the processional song has finished. 

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    3. Introductory Rites and Opening Prayer

    Catholic weddings begin with a greeting and an opening prayer by the priest, naming the
    couple and asking for God's blessings on their wedding day. If proceeding with a Nuptial
    Mass, the priest will then lead the guests in a hymn. 

    4. Nuptial Mass Or Celebration of Marriage

    If both members of the wedding couple are Catholic, they may opt for the full Catholic
    wedding ceremony Nuptial Mass. The Nuptial Mass includes several readings from the
    Old and New Testament, as well as hymns and psalms. After that, the priest offers a
    homily, which typically includes readings and teachings on marriage and love. If the couple
    opts to skip the Nuptial Mass, they'll have what's called a Celebration of Marriage, which
    begins with the Liturgy of the Word.

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    5. Liturgy Of The Word

    The readers (often family members) read Biblical passages selected by you and
    preapproved by the priest, followed by a short sermon about marriage given by the priest.

    6. Rite Of Marriage

    The entire congregation stands as the couple takes their vows, declaring their
    commitment to each other. Actual vows vary between churches, but the basic wording is:
    "I (groom's/bride's name), take you (bride's/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 then blesses the couple, joins their hands together, and
    asks, "Do you take (bride's/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 poorer, in sickness
    and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

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    7. Exchange Of Rings

    After the couple (hopefully) responds, "I do," to the vows, the best man gives the bride's
    ring to the priest, who blesses it and hands it to the groom to place on the bride's finger.
    Then, the maid of honor hands the groom's ring to the priest, who blesses it and hands it
    to the bride to place on the groom's finger. Each may 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."

    8. Catholic Wedding Conclusion Without Mass

    If the ceremony takes place without a Mass, the ceremony concludes with nuptial
    blessings and a final prayer from the priest. He then tells the congregation, "Go in peace
    with Christ," to which they respond, "Thanks be to God." 

    9. Catholic Wedding Conclusion With Mass

    If the ceremony includes Nuptial Mass (which adds about 15 minutes to the service), the
    Mass proceeds with the following Catholic wedding traditions. The order may vary
    slightly, depending on the church, but you can expect each element to be present.  

    10. Offertory

    This is when the altar is prepared for communion, also called the Liturgy of the Eucharist.
    The bride and groom, or other treasured guests, may be chosen to help in the
    preparations, and then the priest delivers the Eucharistic Prayers over the bread and wine
    for communion. In some Catholic weddings, the bride places flowers on the shrine of the
    Blessed Virgin Mary as musicians play "Ave Maria." This rite can be done either before the
    processional or after the recessional.

    11. Lord's Prayer

    The guests participate in reciting the Lord's Prayer (beginning with "Our Father).

    12. Nuptial Blessing

    For this blessing, the wedding couple kneels or stands before the altar, and the priest
    offers a blessing for the couple. 

    13. Sign of Peace


    The priest invites the wedding party and the guests to share in a sign of peace (typically a
    handshake) and the words, "Peace be with you" with the people standing nearest them. 

    14. Holy Communion

    The priest breaks the host (bread) while the guests sing, and communion is distributed to
    the newlyweds, then the guests, often with the help of servers. Guests who are not
    Catholic may be offered a blessing by the priest. 

    15. Blessing and Dismissal of the Guests

    After communion, the ceremony concludes as it would without a Mass. A final blessing is
    offered to the married couple and the guests, and everyone is dismissed with "Go in peace
    with Christ." Guests respond with, "Thanks be to God."

    16. Recessional

    The wedding couple leads the recessional out of the church, followed by the bridal party,
    then the servers and, finally, the priest. 

    Related Topics: Ceremony Wedding Catholic Christian Wedding Ideas & Etiquette

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