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Catholic Destination Wedding HELP!

posted 6 months ago in Catholic
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    1.
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    Newbee
    FutureMrsSMW    July 21, 2012  

    My fiance and I met in college.  We are planning a wedding at our college's chapel, because the location means a lot to us.  Currently we live about 3 hours away from the college, so it is somewhat of a destination wedding.  We are hoping to have a Catholic ceremony.  I am baptized and confirmed Catholic and my FI is a baptized Christian.  We have already set a date, because the chapel books up really far in advance.  The chapel is non-denominational.  During college I did attend some Catholic masses held there on important holy days (such as Ash Wednesday), so I know that it is possible to have a Catholic wedding there.  However, I am running into a lot of problems trying to find a priest to preside over our wedding.  I attended the Catholic Campus Ministry while I was a student there and continue to donate to the ministry every year, so I contacted them to see if we could meet with a priest.  They forwarded me to the local parish church.  I have contacted them numerous times and they never get back to me.  I have heard from various wedding planners that the dioceses is very conservative and notorious for not wanting to marry people who are not members of their particular church.  There is only so much I can do to get their attention. 

    I was just wondering if anyone knew a little bit more about the process of organizing a Catholic wedding, especially from a distance.  Do you have to be registered with that particular church to have a priest preside over the wedding?  It is very common for alumni to return and get married in the school's chapel, so I can't imagine this is the first time this has happened.

    I am registered with a church where I currently live although I do not attend regularly.  I wonder if maybe I should contact them instead to see if they will meet with us.  Does anyone know if priests will travel to perform a ceremony if their expenses are paid?  Would the priest from my current church contact the local church to speak with them on my behalf?  The final option is the church I grew up in and my parents still attend, but that is over 10 hours away.

    Any advice would be wonderful.  Thanks!

     
    2.
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    Helper bee
    Garnety    June 2, 2012   NY

    @FutureMrsSMW: I would contact all your options and see what sticks. Some priests will indeed travel.

     
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    Helper bee
    SparklyBride2011    June 9, 2012   Los Angeles County Area

    @FutureMrsSMW: We are getting married in my church, but will be having a priest from FI's church perform the ceremony.  He will have to travel for this, so I know that priests will travel.  I would ask the priest of the parish you are registered and see what he says. 

     
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    Busy bee
    Leprechaun    April 9, 2011   Dayton, OH (wedding in South Bend, IN)

    Although the chapel has mass celebrated there, they still might not be able to perform a Catholic wedding, because it has to be done in the parish setting.  An example of this is how it is possible for a priest to say mass anywhere (a private home, for example), but they can't perform a wedding there.  I would continue trying to get in touch with the local parish (if you have only emailed, I would recommend calling--churches are not always the best at emails!), because they are the ones who would have to file your paperwork with the diocese even if you got brought in a different priest.  You also will need a letter of permission from the priest of the parish where you are registered to get married in a different parish.  

    That said, it is possible to bring in a priest from outside, like you suggested.  However, a lot of priests have obligations on the weekends to their own parish, so it can be difficult to arrange this (my husband wanted to bring in a priest close to his family, but he wasn't able to get anyone to cover his Sunday masses).  

     
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    Newbee
    FutureMrsSMW    July 21, 2012  

    Thank you for the input everyone.  I received a little bit more information over the weekend from the coordinator of the chapel.  She said that they do hold Catholic weddings there and gave me the name of a local parish that usually performs them.  I am going to call them this afternoon.  Yay!

     
    6.
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    Blushing bee
    daisy40    June 30, 2012   Midwest

    I'm glad things are moving more for you!  Smile

     

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