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Pre-Cana: How Early?
Catholic Weddings
Pre-Cana: How Early?
Planning a Catholic Wedding? Share your plans and inspiration here.
How early should we do the pre-cana activities?
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Catholic Weddings
Pre-Cana: How Early?
Planning a Catholic Wedding? Share your plans and inspiration here.
How early should we do the pre-cana activities?
0
Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615
Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:1b8c8637-a089-41e5-9dd6-57604fb6028f
Forums  >  Cultural Wedding Boards  >  Catholic Weddings  >  Pre-Cana: How Early?
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Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/2/2012 5:37 PM EST on theknot.com
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 How early should we do the pre-cana activities?
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/2/2012 5:39 PM EST on theknot.com
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 We did ours 8 months out and everyone said we were early.

I'd do it when it is convenient to you.  But I'll also encourage you not to wait until the very last second.  Some of the sessions (if you're doing something like EE) fill up really quickly.

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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/2/2012 6:05 PM EST on theknot.com
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 We did ours just last weekend and we are getting married June 10th so about 4 months out.  I would encourage you to look into the Engaged Encouter as that really provided us with a solid foundation to move forward both within our faith and spirituality as well as our day to day life.  I am not Catholic and he is so I was able to learn more about why it is so important to get married in the church what the sacrament of marriage means.  There were also a lot of non religious talks such as finances, blending of two families (even if you don't have kids meaning your FILs and your customs and traditions). We have been living together for almost 3 years now but it was really nice to be able to have time set aside for non confrontational and agressive conversation as some of these topics can get heated in other environemts
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/2/2012 7:27 PM EST on theknot.com
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 We're doing ours this weekend and it's a little under 8 months before.  It might be early but I like to get things done early.
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/2/2012 7:46 PM EST on theknot.com
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 How early is too early might also depend somewhat on your area/diocese. For example, because of the recommended 9 month marriage prep (rather than 6) in our diocese, doing it 9 or 12 months out doesn't seem like that much. In fact, you are supposed to be totally done with everything 3 months out (to focus on liturgy, etc.). With that, doing EE (or its equivalent) less than 6 months out would really, really pushing it, because there are other classes to follow.

Talk to the person who is coordinating your marriage prep stuff. They probably have a good idea of what a good timeline is for your area.
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/2/2012 10:22 PM EST on theknot.com
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 When we first met with the priest who did our prep (not the priest that celebrated our wedding), he said "the earlier the better.  If you think of the wedding/marriage like the final exam,   you want to study as much as possible for as long as possible and avoid cramming."   Granted, our engagement was only 7 months,  we first talked to him just at the 6 month mark, and decided to do our Pre-Cana day about 5 months out from the wedding.   
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/3/2012 11:06 AM EST on theknot.com
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 Ditto all PPs. With crazy schedules, we did ours pretty far in advance (last April) and we're not getting married til this June. One less thing to cram in as the time gets closer
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/3/2012 12:01 PM EST on theknot.com
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 Our priest is recommending 4-8 months prior.

He says if you do it too early, all you have on your mind is party planning. Too late and of course it's just stressful.
But he thinks 4-8 months is the prefect time frame where people are in a good place to reflect on the fact that they are actually getting married.

Sounds like good advice.
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/3/2012 1:20 PM EST on theknot.com
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 I don't think it's ever too early. I have several friends who did all of theirs before even getting engaged because they wanted clear discernment without being invested in "wedding"
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/3/2012 2:32 PM EST on theknot.com
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 In my parish, there are a lot of things involved, so we are urged to start registering, etc., as soon as we're engaged.  We have to do a few meetings with the priest, take the FOCCUS inventory, go over the FOCCUS inventory with our sponsor couple, attend NFP classes, and attend an EE weekend or Conference for the Engaged.  We took FOCCUS 12 months out.  We registered for everything else by 8-9 months out, and are going to be finished with everything (but the last meeting or two with the priest) by 4-5 months out. 
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/3/2012 4:51 PM EST on theknot.com
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 In Response to Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?:
I don't think it's ever too early. I have several friends who did all of theirs before even getting engaged because they wanted clear discernment without being invested in "wedding"
Posted by agapecarrie


Definitely this!  Although even if you do the Pre-cana weekend early, I'd still maintain other types of preparation along the way to keep a good focus on the sacrament... it is sooooo easy to get distracted with all the details the closer you get to the wedding and meeting with a mentor couple, NFP classes and going to Mass together are good ways to keep on track as you near the wedding day.

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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/3/2012 5:29 PM EST on theknot.com
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 Absolutely. I'm a big fan of picking witnesses that could act like Godparents/sponsors. Ones who will pray for you and with you in your formation, ones who will ask you questions and hold you accountable to prayer life along the way. Ongoing spiritual direction, etc
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Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?

posted at 2/4/2012 7:54 AM EST on theknot.com
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 In Response to Re: Pre-Cana: How Early?:
Our priest is recommending 4-8 months prior. He says if you do it too early, all you have on your mind is party planning. Too late and of course it's just stressful. But he thinks 4-8 months is the prefect time frame where people are in a good place to reflect on the fact that they are actually getting married. Sounds like good advice.
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