A
Catholic wedding ceremony incorporates traditional Catholic
elements and Scriptural readings. An ordained priest performs
the ceremony reading passages from the Bible.
Entrance
- The ceremony begins with a procession
of the celebrant (priest), the wedding
attendants, and the bride and groom.
Gathering
- The priest greets the community and
invokes God's blessings upon the couple,
those gathered and the event.
Readings
- The priest and or family members deliver
readings from the Bible as selected by
the couple.
The
Vows - The Bride and Groom pledge
their love and allegiance to one another.
Ring
Exchange - The rings are blessed by
the priest and exchanged by the Bride
and Groom as a symbol of their new bond.
Sermon
or Homily - The priest concludes the
ceremony with a lecture on marriage and
the union of the bride and groom.
The
Concluding Rite - The final segment
of the service includes a blessing of
the community and the new couple, a dismissal,
and a final recessional from the church.
Guests are free to exit once the couple,
the wedding party, and the priest have
recessed.
Reception
- After the ceremony, the guests are escorted
to a reception where they give their blessings
to the newlyweds.
