My boyfriend is in the military and we are in a long distance relationship. When I graduate from college in May I would like to move to be with him. We want to get married and if we have a legal ceremony, the military will recognize me as a wife and we would save for a church wedding and reception in a year or two. I was brought up Catholic and I'd like a priest to marry us.
Will a priest perform the ceremony if we have a civil ceremony first?
2007-02-26 12:01:23 · 11 answers · asked by future wife 1 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
It is NOT about the party. But I am not about to have a pot luck dinner for my wedding.
We are currently living almost 3 hours apart and going to counseling by a priest just cannot be coordinated with us living so far apart.
2007-02-28 08:14:00 · update #1
i don't see why not. you're only not allowed to *divorce* and remarry, but remarrying the same person is fine.
2007-02-26 12:04:19 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Then get married in the Church to start. If you are married civilly, you can later have the marriage convalidated ("blessed")...BUT UNTIL YOU DO you CANNOT receive the Sacraments- theat includes meaning you cannot receive Communion!
There is no need to "save up" for a Church wedding. All the extra stuff people spend money on are not the important parts. The important thing is you receive proper marriage preparation and and married according to the laws of the Church.
I know a couple in your situation who did it the right way. They did their marriage prep with the priest, got married beofre he deployed, and when he got back, they did the big wedding. The only reason they did it this way is they were pressed for time before his deployment. They already had their dates set.
Another couple did similar- only they had a pot- luck for the reception. The bride's family provide the meat, everyone else chipped in. I have been to some swanky weddings- but this was one of the nicest. The couple knew what was inportant- and it WAS NOT the party and the presents.
If you are hung up on the party- you should reexamine your ideas about marriage.
ADDITION:
Do you see each other at all? Then you meet with the priest. It isn't wasted time- it is time invested in your marriage. Don't think your situation is so unique that 'no one' has ever had to do this. If your faith is truly important to you, you can work this out and marry the correct way. Otherwise, you will be living in sin- no different than if you weren't married at all.
You don't even need to meet with the priest who will do the ceremony, and your fiance will be deployed soon, it can be accelerated. Military chaplains deal with it all the time.
2007-02-28 00:29:42 · answer #2 · answered by Mommy_to_seven 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They will but you have to go through a lot of paperwork and money first. If you tell the church that you had a civil marriage first and that you are living together, the Catholic church really frowns upon that. My dad and my step mom went through the exact same situation and they were not allowed to recieve communion or anything like that until they were married in the church. There was a 3 year gap in between their civil marriage and their marriage in the church. The priest at our parish is pretty uptight, but if you've known your parish priest for a long time, he may be more lenient but my parents had to write a ton of letters and spend a lot of money to make it happen. Best of luck with it though!
2007-02-26 12:51:20 · answer #3 · answered by Emily 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you are able to no longer have a nuptial mass when you consider which you're already married. you are able to stick to for a radical sanation- meaning your marriage could be seen valid from the time of your civil union. you are going to be able to additionally get a convalidation ('blessing') that's effective from the convalidation forward. the two of those could be performed as a renewal of your vows along with your social gathering. in case you have already been in a civil union for 3 years, a 'wedding ceremony' is irrelevant. in case you had taked the time to instruct yourselves, you will have found out which you will have had a 'church' wedding ceremony from the very beginning up. All you mandatory became into the comparable marriage license you acquire besides. looks such as you had the the remainder of the marriage prep already performed. you have gotten asked the priest to accomplish the ceremony for you! Menawhile, till you're married in the regulations of the Church, you may desire to no longer be receiving the Eucharist.
2016-10-02 01:19:59 · answer #4 · answered by obear 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. I know this for a fact because my church is doing just that in one month. To qualify you have to make an appointment in the parish office, show your civil ceremony certificate and the priest will marry you. At our church, they are having a mass (meaning many) Mass (meaning service) to celebrate the unions. Hope this helps. If you have any questions, My church is St. Dominic Savio in Bellflower, CA. Good luck.
PS: The usual way to be married in our church is that you have to post your banns 6 mos. in advance.
2007-03-04 19:20:46 · answer #5 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes they will! My sister and her hubby eloped last march and is getting married on the 17th this month. Some things cannot be done though.. No unity candle as they are already married, my dad cannot walk my sister down the aisle as she has already been "given" to her husband, they still had to go through marriage prep classes... You may have to look and look for a priest as 3 churches told my sister no (her hubby is an immigrant (working on citizenship) and of a different faith.
2007-03-03 11:00:44 · answer #6 · answered by *G* 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It will not be a wedding but a vow renewal. A priest shouldn't have a problem with that, I wouldn't think. But then I don't know.
I really doubt the church will recognize your marriage anyway.
2007-02-26 12:08:21 · answer #7 · answered by weddrev 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Infact the church does not consider any union with out a church rep present to be valid. You may even get some problems with a die hard catholic who thinks that you are living together before marriage when he comes back.
2007-02-26 12:09:41 · answer #8 · answered by anamaradancer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
since you do have a church and a priest, ask him, that's what he's there for is to help. i wish you luck and congratulations, i hope your dreams-come true
2007-03-06 11:48:45 · answer #9 · answered by debbie d 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
talk with the priest of the parish to see what he says
2007-03-04 05:22:40 · answer #10 · answered by femmenoire@sbcglobal.net 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why not? I think it's as a pre-requisite to the religious wedding...show your marriage license to the church
go for it. I will try that for my wedding(if I can find my baptismal certificate)
2007-02-26 12:13:30 · answer #11 · answered by alizelatina41 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋