Saying I Do: What Happens at a Catholic Wedding

Saying I Do: What Happens at a Catholic Wedding

This video explains the Rite of Marriage and answers frequently asked questions about Catholic weddings. A great resource for engaged couples, their families, and marriage preparation programs.

 

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"Make [your wedding] a real celebration – because marriage is a celebration – a Christian celebration, not a worldly feast! … What happened in Cana 2,000 years ago, happens today at every wedding celebration: that which makes your wedding full and profoundly true will be the presence of the Lord who reveals himself and gives his grace. It is his presence that offers the 'good wine', he is the secret to full joy, that which truly warms the heart.

"It is good that your wedding be simple and make what is truly important stand out. Some are more concerned with the exterior details, with the banquet, the photographs, the clothes, the flowers…These are important for a celebration, but only if they point to the real reason for your joy: the Lord's blessing on your love."

—Pope Francis, Address to engaged couples in Rome, February 14, 2014

For those getting married in the Catholic Church, the highpoint of the wedding day is the wedding liturgy, where the bride and groom become husband and wife in the lifelong covenant of marriage (a sacrament for baptized Christians). Thoughtful, prayerful planning and participation in your Catholic wedding ceremony will bring many blessings to your married life.