So I recently just got engaged, and we're not planning on getting married until June 2014. So honestly there's almost 2.5 years until then!
But I'm so excited and want to jump right into planning. On top of that, we're both college students living 2.5 hours away from where we will get married and I rarely go home. Like, last time I was home was at Christmas for four days, and before that I was home for a weekend in September. Since Spring Break is approaching, and both of us will actually be going home for 5 days, I wanted to meet with the church where I want to get married at. Let's call this Church 1.
The problem is, my family are members of a different Catholic church about 30 minutes away. Now, I went to school in the town where Church 1 is at. I actually went to a Catholic high school so being from the same town, we had a lot of events with Church 1 and I went there quite frequently. It is a truly beautiful church and I felt more of a connection with Church 1 than Church 2 where my family attends. When I got my license I would go to Church 1 on Sundays by myself while my family went to their home church.
Well I called Church 1 and explained all of this and explained how I wanted to get married there. But the lady (who was a total b****!) said that because my family is registered at Church 2, I am technically under their jurisdiction until I'm 22 or 23 (can't remember). Even though I personally hardly ever went to Church 2, I am still considered a member there. And they will not allow me to register as a member at Church 1 because what if getting married there is my only intent to becoming a member? So I would have to ask Church 2 priest if he would give permission for me to get married at the other church and if he would marry us.
So I call Church 2 to ask, and this lady tells me that because the priest had a stroke last year and is mainly in a wheelchair, he will no longer perform weddings at different churches, but if I found a different priest to do it, he would write the letter of permission.
So I knew exactly who I wanted - the priest who was actually one of my teachers for a year in high school, and is now ironically the priest where my fiance and I go to school. Small world. Anyway I asked him if he would marry us and he said yes and we have our first meeting with him next week.
So I e-mailed the lady from Church 1 explaning how the priest from Church 2 can't do it but my old teacher from high school would do it, and asking if that was okay and what our next steps were. No answer. This was over a week ago. I've also called twice since then, and no answer, no return calls, no nothing.
So now I'm stuck with what to do.
And frustrated.
I really want to register as a member at Church 1. I understand why they won't let me in case my only intention is to get married there or whatever. But when my fiance and I graduate, we're going to move back home and that is where we plan to go to church. And we're going to be graduating/moving back home about three months before the actual wedding. So will I still not be able to register as a member there because we aren't married yet? And we'll have to pay this ridiculous non-member fee and then get married and the next week register as members?
Like I said, this is all crazy and more confusing than anything. If anyone has any words of wisdom or advice, it would be greatly appreciated!