Catholic Wedding?

Question

My fiance and I plan to marry civilly here in the USA and then have our Catholic/destination wedding ceremony in the Dominican Republic next year. Is this possible? I don't know if you have to just do the CAtholic and civil together? And also, we just moved in together (we got engaged 2 weeks ago) and have signed up for those pre-matrimonial classes the Church requires (6 month program). Is the priest going to look down on this? AH! Any advice is great... Oh and we have picked a date in August 2008...should we send out our Save-The-Date cards soon?

Answer 1

Well the priest wont look down on you guys just for living together that will be a chapter in the premarital classes. I just finised mine and they were very fun you find out stuff you thought you knew about him. some churches do the civil and the church together but if you already have the civil than no problem. i think you should wait a few months for save the date maybe in may - july you can send them. good Luck :D wish you the best

Answer 2

You can do a civil wedding first and then have the catholic wedding (as you know the church does not recognize it unless performed by the preist and in church), you just wont have to get another marriage liscense. Depending on how strict your priest is, he may look down upon you living with your fiance. now a days, it is a little more acceptable to live together first, especially if you are already planning on marrying.

Answer 3

Hopefully you will take these comments as respectful: Do you truly want to get married according to the teachings of the Catholic church? Is family (or someone else) pushing you into a Catholic wedding? Are you being married in a Catholic church simply because you want a traditional church wedding? Why get married in a Catholic church if you do not want to follow the rules, unless of course you are being pushed into it one way or another?

I am not a priest and I am also not a theologian. I am willing to bet that the priest will most certainly disapprove of you living together first and being married in a civil ceremony before you get married in a Catholic church. Of course couples who live together first get married in the Catholic church, but they get around it by lying to the priest. The argument that the church does not recognize civil ceremonies so it does not count will not hold water with your priest

My recommendation is to ask these questions of your priest. If you want to get married in the Catholic church you will have to follow the rules.

Sorry, does that sound too preachy? You asked.

Answer 4

I would talk to the priest but usually the church would not recognize your civil ceremony to begin with and you will become "married" in the eyes of the church with the wedding ceremony. I personally don't think it will be too much of an issue.

Answer 5

I am a baptised Baptist (I wager all Baptists are) married to a Catholic. We celebrated Mass after we acquired married 2 years in the past. Of path, I did not partake of Communion, however an entire Mass was once held. My spouse's parish priest needed to obtain permission from the archbishop to ensure that that to take location. Because of that, I might wager that the reply on your query might range through position. Check along with your fiance's parish priest (or the priest overseeing your pre-Cana rigamarole) to get an reply.

Answer 6

Talk the plans over with the priest. Then go buy yourself Weddings for dummies it will tell you each and everything you need to do for the big day

Answer 7

This is a very common pracite. One of the first things the priest asked us if we were already legally married. So it is very common you shouldn't have any problems.

Answer 8

yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa