Wedding Traditions and Rituals at a Catholic Church

A traditional wedding ceremony in the Catholic Church includes a Mass and communion. The full mass can last for more than an hour. However, church wedding rituals are regarded as one of the 7 sacraments to obtain God’s grace. It’s a serious affair loaded with rich symbolism and deep spirituality. 

Wedding traditions to expect from the Corpus Christi Catholic Church are basically the same but can differ in readings and rituals. 

Entrance rite

In Catholic wedding traditions, processional options are two.

• The priest and servers greet the bridal couple at the church door. 
• The priest and servers stand in their place within the sanctuary before the bridal party arrives. The bridal couple is greeted when they arrive inside the church.

The priest then leads everyone with a cross sign as soon as the processional music concludes.

Introductory rites & opening prayer

The priest greets and opens prayer asking God to bless the couple on their big day. 

Nuptial mass

If both are Catholic then they can choose Nuptial Mass. It includes several Old & New Testament readings, psalms, and hymns. 

Scripture reading

The biblical passage you chose and the priest pre-approved get read by a family member. It is followed by a short sermon by the priest associated with marriage.

Marriage rite

It is time for the marriage vows and everyone stands up. After the bride and the groom declare their commitment to one another the priest blesses the couples. The priest asks both of them separately if they will stay committed with one another in every situation and love another till death.

Ring exchange

The best man and the bridesmaid give the ring to the priest, who offers a prayer and blesses it. The rings get exchanged with a declaration of love and commitment. 

Conclusion with mass and without mass differs. Without mass, the ceremony gets concluded with a final prayer and nuptial blessing from the priest. The congregations thank God loudly. With mass, there will be another 15 minutes rituals including Offertory, Lord’s Prayer, nuptial blessing, a sign of peace, Holy Communion, and final blessings. The guests get dismissed and everyone responds with Thanks to God.