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Order Of Catholic Wedding Mass

A Catholic Wedding Ceremony: What To Expect During Mass

Saying I Do: What Happens at a Catholic Wedding

Attending your first Catholic wedding ceremony? Here’s a rundown of how the proceedings will go, from start to finish.

Catholic weddings are beautiful, symbolic and full of wedding ceremony rituals, especially for non-Catholics seeing the pageantry of the church for the first time. When both partners have been baptized into Catholicism, the Catholic wedding ceremony youre attending will likely be a wedding mass. A Catholic ceremony with a mass typically lasts about 45 minutes to an hour, while one without a mass is usually about 30 to 40 minutes.

Catholic Wedding Processional Order

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A Catholic wedding processional order involves an entire crew of people walking down the aisle, depending on the arrangement of the party. In a Catholic wedding, the father aides the bride to the platform and gives them away only after taking the seat. The order of a Catholic wedding processional is:

The officiant leads the procession in the ceremony, marking the beginning of the wedding. This person usually stands at the center of the altar.

The grooms entrance is a bit different compared to the usual processional order. Here, the groom enters from a corner and stands at the right side of the platform.

The best man follows the groom and might hold the wedding rings. They also enter from the side and stand next to the groom.

  • Groomsmen And Bridesmaids

In the Catholic style, the bridesmaids and groomsmen walk down the aisle in pairs. Usually, the groomsmen stay on the right side, while the bridesmaids are on the left. They walk to the front of the altar and form a diagonal line so that the couple can be viewed well by the guests during the ceremony.

The maid of honor conducts a final check of the brides dress, veil, and makeup and walks solo. They stand beside the bride, specifically on their left side. The maid of honor also holds the bouquet for the bride during the rituals.

  • Ring Bearer And Flower Girl
  • The Bride Along With Father

Prayer Over The Offerings

Priest: Receive, we pray, O Lord, the offering made on the occasion of this sealing of the sacred bond of Marriage, and, just as your goodness is its origin, may your providence guide its course. Through Christ our Lord.

Priest: Show favour to our supplications, O Lord,and receive with a kindly countenancethe oblations we offer for these your servants,joined now in a holy covenant,that through these mysteriesin love for one another and for you.Through Christ our Lord.

Priest: The Lord be with you.All: And with your spirit.

Priest: Lift up your hearts.All: We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.All: It is right and just.

The priest continues with the:

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Catholic Wedding Traditions Explained

Catholic weddings are highly liturgical affairs steeped in lots of tradition. As such, there is a fairly standard format for Catholic wedding programs. Wedding professional Stephanie West of Stephanie West Photography explains that at a Catholic wedding ceremony “there are songs, readings, communion, signs of peace, and a homily but then the Sacrament of Marriage takes place. In this, there is the Rite of Marriage which includes wedding vows, consent, and exchanging rings.” Each of these elements of the marriage ceremony is included for very intentional reasons.

Aaron Lane of Aaron Lane Pro DJ Entertainment goes on to note that “A Catholic wedding Mass is exactly like a regular Sunday Mass, with the addition of the Rite of Catholic Marriage. The Rite is what recognizes the union in the eyes of the Church, and actually confers on the couple the Graces of the Sacrament of Marriage. Catholics believe these graces, as we read in the Bible, greatly assist the couple by providing spiritual help in their marriage and their commitment to God and each other, and help to live out the vows proclaimed during their wedding ceremony.”

Options For The Second Reading During A Catholic Wedding

Order of a Catholic wedding Mass
  • What will separate us from the love of Christ? .
  • Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.
  • Welcome one another as Christ welcomed you.
  • Your body is a temple of the Spirit.
  • If I do not have love, I gain nothing.
  • One Body and one Spirit
  • This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the Church.
  • The God of peace will be with you.
  • And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.
  • Let marriage be held in honor by all.
  • Be of one mind, sympathetic, loving toward one another.
  • Love in deed and in truth
  • Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.

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    How Does A Catholic Wedding End With A Mass

    If the ceremony includes Nuptial Mass , 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.

    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.

    Nuptial Blessing

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

    Sign of Peace

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

    Holy Communion

    The priest breaks the host while the guests sing, and communion is distributed to the newlyweds, then the guests. Guests who are not Catholic may be offered a blessing by the priest.

    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.

    Blessing And Giving Of Rings

    Option 1Priest: May the Lord bless these rings,which you will give to each otheras the sign of your love and fidelity.Response: Amen.Priest: Bless, O Lord, these ringswhich we bless in your name.so that those who wear themmay remain entirely faithful to each other,abide in peace and in your will,and live always in mutual charity.Through Christ our Lord.Priest: Bless and sanctify your servantsin their love, O Lord,and let these rings, a sign of their faithfulness,remind them of their love for one another.Through Christ our Lord.Response: Amen.

    The Priest sprinkles the rings, as the circumstances so suggest, and gives them to the bride and bridegroom.The husband places his wife’s ring on her ring finger, saying, as the circumstances so suggest:

    , receive this ringas a sign of my love and fidelity.In the name of the Father, and of the Son,and of the Holy Spirit.

    Likewise, the wife places her husband’s ring on his ring finger saying, as the circumstances so suggest:

    , receive this ringas a sign of my love and fidelity.In the name of the Father, and of the Son,and of the Holy Spirit.

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    How Long Is A Catholic Mass

    As most people have already said: Sunday Masses are about an hour, Weekday Masses are about half an hour. I go to Latin Mass and as you guessed its much longer , but my local parish which does the Ordinary Form is about 45 minutes. In my country goes from 45 m to 60m,deppending if is a celebration or not.

    How To Personalize Your Catholic Wedding Program

    Matt & Tiana Nuptial Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite (FSSP)

    In addition to the ceremony order, you also want to include your names, the date of your wedding, and the name of the church that you’re getting married at on the front of the wedding program. If the church has some significance, like one of you was baptized in the same church or you attended mass here as a couple, you can share that story to help your guests get to know you better.

    “You could include a personal touch like a prayer that you’ve prayed together, or a Scripture passage or quote from a saint that is important to your relationship,” says Langr. “You could also use the space to pay tribute to loved ones who have gone before you.”

    • Where can we buy Catholic wedding programs?

      Any stationery designer or printer can create Catholic wedding programs to match your wedding theme. Minted, Zola, Artifact Uprising, and Zazzle are also great options if you want to create your own custom program.

    • What do you do with your Catholic wedding program after the ceremony?

      Many couples keep their wedding program as a keepsake and either frame it or tuck it away along with any other mementos of the day. Also, make sure your photographer gets a copy to include in some detail shots!

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    The Liturgy Of The Eucharist

    The liturgical crowning of the marriage rite is the Eucharist, the sacrifice of that body which has been given up and that blood which has been shed, which in a certain way finds expression in the consent of the spouses. St. John Paul II, Letter to Families, no. 11

    It isfitting that the spouses should seal their consent to give themselves to each other through the offering of their own lives by uniting it to the offering of Christ for his Church made present in the Eucharistic sacrifice. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 1621

  • The Preparation of the Gifts
  • The Eucharistic Prayer
  • The Lords Prayer, stopping just before Deliver us
  • Optional: The Blessing and Placing of the Lazo or the Veil, a tradition important in Hispanic and Filipino families. This could also be done before the Lords Prayer, or even earlier, according to local custom.
  • The Nuptial Blessing
  • The Sign of Peace

    • Order Of The Rite For Celebrating Marriage During Mass

    The assembly stands. The entrance hymn is sung while the wedding partyprocess to the altar. Meanwhile, the entrance song is sung. When the entrancehymn is finished, the priest leads the assembly in the sign of the cross.

    GreetingThe priest greets the assembly, and the people respond.

    Opening PrayerThe priest invites the assembly to pray, then offers one of several possibleprayers for the bride and groom. At the conclusion of the prayer, the assemblyis seated for the Liturgy of the Word.

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    Introductory Rites And Opening Prayer

    Catholic or Roman 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. “Couples will have to decide if they want to hold a Catholic ceremony with or without Mass, which will include Holy Communion and other elements that could last up to an hour or longer,” explains Avey. If proceeding with a Nuptial Mass, the priest will then lead the guests in a hymn.

    All: Glory To You O Lordinsert Your Text For The Gospel

    Here is the complete order of a Catholic wedding ceremony with Mass ...

    Priest: The Gospel of the Lord.

    All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

    Homily

    All stand, including the bride and bridegroom, whom the Priest now addresses:

    ADDRESS

    Option 1

    Priest: Dear children of God, you have come to this church so that the Lord may seal your love in the presence of the priest and this community.

    Christian marriage is a sacred union which enriches natural love. It binds those who enter it to be faithful to each other for ever it creates between them a bond that endures for life and cannot be broken it demands that they love and honour each other, that they accept from God the children he may give them, and bring them up in his love. To help them in their marriage the husband and wife receive the life-long grace of the sacrament.

    Priest: Is this your understanding of marriage?

    Both: It is.

    Or: Option 2

    Priest: Dear children of God, you have come to this church so that the Lord may seal your love in the presence of the priest and this community. Christ blesses this love. He has already consecrated you in baptism now, by a special sacrament, he strengthens you to fulfil the duties of your married live.

    Option 3

    The priest invites the couple to declare their consent. You may choose between:

    Option 1

    Priest: I invite you then to declare before God and his Church your consent to become husband and wife.

    Groom: N., do you consent to be my wife?

    Bride: I do. Do you, N., consent to be my husband?

    They then join hands and say together:

    Or Option 2

    Option 3

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    Text Of The Celebration Of Matrimony

    Following is the text of the Celebration of Matrimony . Click on the following link for a description and explanation of the complete outline of the Order of Celebrating Marriage With Mass.Italics indicate the rubrics, the instructions to the presider.

    Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation excerpts from the English translation of The Order of Celebrating Matrimony© 2013, ICEL. All rights reserved.

    Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States of America, second typical edition© 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc. and some additional texts copyright © 2016, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the permission in writing form the copyright holder.

    Individuals who wish to reproduce text from The Order of Celebrating Matrimony for their own use must follow the ICEL copyright permission procedures, which may be found at www.icelweb.org.

    What Are The Pre

    Matrimony requirements can vary from church to church. Typically, you will need to schedule an interview with the priest or pastor as the first step toward walking down the aisle. This person will explain the process of marriage preparation and the various programs that are offered. This is also a good time to get to know the officiant for your big day.

    Many churches will also require proof of baptism, communion, and/or confirmation. Parishes are also strict about remarriage. If you or your partner were married before and the marriage did not end in an annulment, and if the ex-spouse is not deceased, some churches won’t perform the ceremony. Intermarriage requirements may also affect your eligibility, and your partner may need to convert if he is not of the same faith.

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    Wedding Program Mass Order Of Mass

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    Traditional Catholic Nuptial Mass – Eman & Abbie

    Most priests won’t marry couples outside a 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. You may need permission to marry in a different church. So, if you want to hold your Catholic wedding ceremony somewhere other than a Catholic church, youll need to write to your bishop for permission.

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    What Is The Order Of A Catholic Wedding Mass

    Below is the Order of a Catholic Wedding Mass . Priests will vary parts of the wedding service a bit, but this is the program they follow closely. The Catholic Wedding Mass usually lasts about one hour. They may last longer if the number of wedding guests receiving Communion at the Mass is above 200 people.

    When most couples plan a Wedding in a Catholic Church, the #1 Question they need to answer is: Are we having a Catholic Wedding Ceremony or a Full Nuptial Mass? This decision is made in consultation with the Parish Priest or Deacon who will be presiding over the service and is the Most Important decision to make. This decision effects the length of the service and effects how many musical selections will be needed as well as how many musicians you might need to hire.

    Once this decision is made, then most other decisions affecting the music for the wedding service itself follow.

    To understand the Order of a Catholic Wedding Ceremony, not a Mass, Read More HERE

    Order of a Catholic Wedding Mass:

    Prelude

    Liturgy Of The Eucharist

    This part of the wedding ceremony includes:

    • Presentation of the Gifts

    This is the part of the ceremony that is the most similar to a traditional Sunday mass. For those new to the Catholic church, it would be helpful to include an explanation of the Eucharist in your wedding program.

    “The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a brief explanation of the Eucharist for non-Christians and non-Catholics that you can include in your program,” says Langr. “You could invite your guests who aren’t receiving the Eucharist to come up and receive a blessing, or to stay in their pew and pray for your new marriage.”

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    Wendy F
    Wendy F

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