non-nuptial mass

ericamariere

I am a practicing catholic but my fiance is a non-practicing catholic.  We are very interested in having just the wedding ceremony....does anyone know if we can have this ceremony at a location other than my parish, like at a manor home or outdoors?

JT325

It will not be a Catholic ceremony if it is not held in a church. The only thing I could think of would be having your marriage blessed afterwards....

GulfCoaster

"It will not be a Catholic ceremony if it is not held in a church. The only thing I could think of would be having your marriage blessed afterwards.... "And many parishes apparently won't do a convalidation if the only reason for it is so you can get married outside.  Go talk to your parish priest about your ceremony options.  You don't have to have a Nuptial Mass, but it will have to be in a church.

procowarner15

A church is your only option for a catholic ceremony. And like pp said I have also heard that having your marriage blessed later is not that simple.

nooniesinlove

Umm, you can have "just the wedding ceremony" in a Catholic church...isn't the religious part the ceremony anyways?You can't have a Catholic wedding outside of a Catholic church.  The Church is a real stickler about keeping the sacraments within the church walls (which have been blessed by the bishop).You don't have to have communion though; check out the thread a few posts down about that.  If you at all plan on raising your children Catholic and living even a semi-Catholic lifestyle, you probably should go ahead and get  married in the Church even if you don't have communion.

ffmaid

Baring very unusual situations where the bishop or above gives a dispensation the sacrament of marriage can not be performed outside of teh walls of a church. I only know of one dispensation and a hurricane wiped out teh church the day before.

Calypso1977

you dont have to have the Mass, but it will have to be in a Church. Convalidations are not as easy to get as some people on here think.  You will still have to go through marriage prep, and do all of the things you would have had to do, had you just done the wedding in the Church to begin with.  They are usually done in isntances where a couple later in life becomes Catholic, and wishes to receive their sacrament, or when a couple leaves the faith, marries outside the church, then later in life wishes to return to the faith.  They are not done just so you can marry at the beach, outside, or at a pretty location.If you want a pretty manor, or somethign outside, book that type of venue for your reception.