Because you have chosen to unite yourselves in Christian marriage, the way you celebrate your wedding is very important. The tone, attitude, mood, readings and music in your liturgy must reflect this reverence. A wedding Mass or service does not differ much from the way the community celebrates its liturgy on Sunday. The primary difference is the addition of the wedding ritual. The ritual is an expression of faith, not a stage production. This aspect is important to know and remember as you begin preparing for your wedding celebration. By choosing to be married in the Church, you are choosing the Church’s ritual and liturgy. St. Michael's director of liturgy and music will work with you to ensure that your liturgy is an appropriate and meaningful celebration of your Christian union. The manner in which the wedding party is dressed is also important and should be respectful of the sacred nature of a Christian wedding celebration. Please exercise good judgment when choosing the bride’s and bridesmaids’ gowns.
The practice of co-habitation ( living together) before marriage is inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. Couples preparing for the sacrament of Christian marriage are called to publicly witness, by the way they live their lives, the promises they made at their baptism and confirmation. Christian marriage is a sacrament of vocation in the Church, and therefore, candidates should exemplify a life consistent with Catholic Christian values. Couples living together before marriage are already living as husband and wife, and a large public wedding would undermine the Lord’s teaching in this area. Their wedding will be treated as the sacramental validation of a natural union that already exists (i. e., a chapel wedding with two witnesses and immediate family present). Couples who live separately during the entire time of preparation may have a traditional church wedding, with attendants, procession, etc. This policy is meant to insure the integrity of the Church’s teaching, while at the same time providing for the spiritual and sacramental needs of each couple that approaches the Church for a marriage.
