Catholic Weddings

Friday wedding in Lent?

okay, this might be a stupid question, but as I am new to Catholicism, forgive me. If my wedding date falls on a Friday in lent, we still have to abstain from meat, right? Weddings aren't like feast days or anything, are they? Thanks!

Re: Friday wedding in Lent?

  • jazzybaccjazzybacc member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Honestly, I have no idea, but I know many churches discourage getting married during lent, period, not just on Fridays.  Do you have to have this date?  I would discuss it with your officiant, you'll get the most accurate response for your exact situation.
    BabyFetus Ticker
  • edited December 2011
    I know our parish doesn't allow it. Lent is intended to be a very solemn season and a wedding isn't solemn.  
  • kitkat2011kitkat2011 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    To my understanding weddings are sometimes allowed during the Lenten season, but are discouraged. There are some Catholic churches that will not marry anyone during Lent, and others place restrictions on decorations, colors, etc. I would definitely check with the church and who will be presiding over your marriage. I am also pretty sure that you would still have to abstain from meat unless you could get special permission, which would probably be difficult. Best of luck with this though!
  • edited December 2011
    That's kind of what I thought. I know our parish allows weddings in lent, but I'm now really considering pushing it back into ordinary time. It only just occured to us today. Thanks for the thoughts, ladies!
  • edited December 2011
    The church we were married in didn't allow it due to the Fish Fry's and all.
  • newlyseliskinewlyseliski member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My parish doesn't permit weddings in Lent, either, due to the penitential nature of the season... but I do know a friend was permitted to have one at her home parish!  She had hers on a Saturday evening and kept it relatively subdued with a dessert reception afterwards rather than the full dinner-cake-dance.   I believe you'd still be required to abstain from meat as well.  It's a little easier to want to avoid Lenten weddings in MN since we can often get snow through May :)
  • lisa89760lisa89760 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My friends got married on a saturday during lent and were not allowed to have any decorations at the church.  Also their rehersal was on a Friday and had to be really early due to stations of the cross the parish does ever Friday evening.  And yes you have to abstain from meat still...that's one thing that sort of surprised me about their rehersal dinner is that they served only meat and you had to request fish beforehand and the bride didn't tell anyone that.  Luckily there was an extra fish dinner so I could eat that. 
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  • Calypso1977Calypso1977 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    if possible, you really shoudl avoid a wedding during Lent unless there is some extenuating circumstance (i.e., deployment, pregnancy, etc.)

    also, at our church on fridays during lent, they are always doing stations of the cross and soup meals on those nights.  it really is a period of mourning - not one of joy, which is what your wedding should be.

    but, if you proceed with it, and your church allows it, practicing catholics are still obligated to follow the fasting rules including the avoidance of meat.  id offer a meat dish for your non-catholcis, but id have more than the usual 1 vegetarian or fish meal and go heavier on those choices.
  • lalaith50lalaith50 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    but... (maybe this doesn't matter anymore if you're leaning towards a later wedding now,) but keep in mind that if you do get people to request their food options early,  most Catholics won't be thinking, "oh it's a Friday in Lent" two months in advance! So maybe there might be some way to delicately mention that?
    Anniversary
  • monkeysipmonkeysip member
    First Anniversary First Comment 5 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011
    I wondered about that for friday weddings for the rest of the year.  I mean, we're still supposed to do some sort of penance, whether abstaining from meat or something else, every friday of the year.

    I guess if you have a friday wedding you could just pick some other form of penance (not during lent, though).

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  • jazzybaccjazzybacc member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    The other thing to keep in mind.. More than likely you're going to have some non-Catholics present, and they might not be so keen on not being able to have meat because you and your FI are Catholic and the wedding is during Lent. GL with your decision.
    BabyFetus Ticker
  • mab87mab87 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My wedding is on a Friday during Lent also. Our Church allows weddings, decorations in the church are allowed also, and our Priest is fine with it as well. I think as long as the Church and Priest are okay with it, then you shouldn't worry.  As for the food at the reception, we are having meat and seafood. My family is Catholic but not all of them adhere to the "no meat on Friday's" rule. GL!
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  • edited December 2011
    Yup, we're moving the date. Glad I caught it early. Thanks for the input. :)
  • futurepivkofuturepivko member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Our church doesn't allow weddings during Lent either.
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