Hi- super lapsed Catholic here. FI and I were practicing Catholics up until May of 2010 after a series of deaths in the family (my grandad, his best friend, his mother, and my grandmother) within a period of 4 months. We had planned a Catholic wedding, but it was postponed indefinitely when my grandmother passed 3 weeks before the wedding.
We have both been in rough places emotionally and neither of us had the energy or desire to plan a wedding. The engagement was broken several times, and there was a period where we were no longer dating. We have since reconciled and gone through couples cousling, and realized that we do want to spend the rest of our lives together. We are eloping on Friday with only our officiant and photographer present.
FI was baptized in the Church, but never recieved Eucharist nor was he Confirmed. He started RCIA but stopped when his mother moved in with us so she could spend her final months with family.
I know that convalidation is at the discretion of the priest, but we've already made a promise to each other to begin to faithfully attend weekly Mass again, and he plans to start RCIA in October in order to be Confirmed at Easter.
I understand that a convalidation is not a do-over nor is it a pretty princess day. I don't want either of those (obviously, or I wouldn't be eloping!) My main concern is having a valid marriage in the eyes of God and the Church. Will it be difficult for us to convince a priest to convalidate our marriage?