Catholic Wedding Questions and Answers
Do we have to celebrate Mass during our Catholic wedding?
No. The Church encourages couples to celebrate the sacrament of marriage within the Mass, especially if both people are Catholic, but sometimes it makes more sense to celebrate the rite of marriage alone, without a Mass. In fact, the Rite of Marriage contains an option for doing so. That option is advised when a Catholic marries a non-Catholic, in part because the person who is not Catholic will not be able to receive the Eucharist (Rite of Marriage #8). When a Catholic marries a person who has not been baptized, the rite for celebrating marriage between a Catholic and an unbaptized person is used.
The expectation, however, is that a wedding between two Catholics will take place within the Mass (Rite of Marriage #6). In marriage, two people pledge to give all of themselves to one another forever. This mutual self-giving is strengthened through God's grace, which was poured out in the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Celebrating the sacrament of marriage together with the sacrament of the Eucharist is a good way to remember the essential connection between the marriage covenant and the New Covenant established in Jesus Christ.
Choosing the form of your wedding: As you begin planning your wedding, one of the first things you will discuss with the priest or deacon at your parish is which form of the Rite of Marriage you will use during your wedding. Here are the three basic options.
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