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catholic couples getting married at resorts

unplainjaneunplainjane member
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in Catholic Weddings
we've started marriage prep class and have met some couples that actually aren't getting married in a church. they are getting married at resorts in mexico and the domincan republic. i didn't want to ask them. but i was wondering how is this possible? did they have to get permission from their priest first? i didn't think priests would actually allow this. or would they get a blessing afterwards? i didn't want to be nosy and ask them but i was just curious.
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Re: catholic couples getting married at resorts

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    ExpatPumpkinExpatPumpkin member
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    They are probably having a Catholic ceremony at a local church in Mexico or the D.R.   I believe that many of the resorts will arrange that for you.  Of course, they'll have to send paperwork from the diocese in the States to the corresponding diocese in Mexico...

    We also had a DW, but in Colorado.  We were able to have a full Catholic ceremony at the church in Colorado even though we fulfilled our pre-cana and other marriage requirements in Dallas.
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    Calypso1977Calypso1977 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    no clue, unless they found very lenient priests who allowed them to have a convalidation upon their return OR they are having a quiet wedding with the priest ahead of time, then heading to the resort for a "fake" wedding.
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    ExpatPumpkinExpatPumpkin member
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011

    From a Mexican wedding planner's site:

    A Mexican Catholic Wedding is easy to arrange and is recognized as an official Catholic wedding when all the official documentation and requirements have been fulfilled. Catholics can be married in local Mexican parish churches. Permission from your parish priest to marry outside of your parish is required and this permission must be approved by your parish's diocese.  The marriage couple must complete the Pre-Cana classes, the required pre-marriage courses, and the Pre-Cana certificate is required prior to the wedding.

    - http://ajuaweddings.com/cat_wedd.html

    Again, in my experience, we did all of this albeit not internationally...  The church is universal, so a Catholic ceremony performed in Mexico is valid in the States and vice versa.

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    ootmother2ootmother2 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    A good number of large resorts can arrange this for you.  As stated by PP, makesureyou have your pre cana & PTM

    I know of one resort in Luquillo, PR that does this.

    PM me if you need details
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    Theresa626Theresa626 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Wow, I had absolutely no idea you could do this.  The catholic churches in mexico must be so much more nice and lenient.  Orlando is a destination wedding location too but none of the catholic churches here are ever welcoming to people from other places getting married in them.  
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    emisiemisi
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    edited December 2011
    We're having a "wedding" in the Dominican Republic.  It's just a symbolic ceremony, our official ceremony is at the Catholic church here beforehand.
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    Riss91Riss91 member
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    edited December 2011

    I have seen many instances where couples are married in churches other than their "home" parish. Usually, the priest of the parish that will be holding the ceremony will ensure that the couple is a practicing couple.
     
    I don't see how it is valid to be married outside - as in not INSIDE a church. If you find a priest that is "lenient" and allows you to be married outside, without a consecrated altar, I'd run far away from him. I really don't see how a valid Catholic wedding could be performed without one. Just because you are able to find a "priest" that will do as you say, doesn't change the rules of the church. If you wish to be married according to the Catholic faith, why would you want to break the rules?


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    CarolitoCarolito
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    edited December 2011
    I'm from Dominican Republic, and I can guarantee that it is not possible to have a legit Catholic wedding outside of a Catholic church in this country. A ceremony in a resort, beach or anywhere else would be what we call a "Civil Wedding". The only exceptions are the resorts that actually have a Catholic church on their premises. To my knowledge, the only ones that have a church (not a chapel) are PuntaCana Beach Resort, Tortuga Bay (which is property of the same group, also in PuntaCana), and Casa de Campo, in La Romana. FYI, for all you ladies getting married here!
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    mica178mica178 member
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    edited December 2011
    I remember finding a Mexican resort in the Riviera Maya region that had a Catholic chapel onsite.

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    catarntinacatarntina member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    You can also get the wedding 'blessed' by the church.  They may require them to go thru the marriage prep in order to receive the church's blessing.  It's just the church officially recognizing the wedding.
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    GulfCoasterGulfCoaster
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    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_catholic-couples-getting-married-resorts?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:2800f533-8774-47d1-9491-0b316df897b5Post:01f98fb9-2392-4139-8481-5f6c4b2d88cf">Re: catholic couples getting married at resorts</a>:
    [QUOTE]You can also get the wedding 'blessed' by the church.  They may require them to go thru the marriage prep in order to receive the church's blessing.  It's just the church officially recognizing the wedding.
    Posted by catarntina[/QUOTE]

    That's called a convalidation...  But they're not usually very easy to get.  And most parishes I think would look with suspicion on a couple seeking a convalidation later simply because they wanted to get married outside/in a pretty building/in a different country/on a beach/etc.
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    mariadperezgmariadperezg member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Hi! I'm from Mexico and here's how it works. For the wedding ceremony to be valid, you have to get married in a registered church. Ceremonies in beaches or resorts don't count, unless that specific resort has a registered chapel or church.

    Like Mica said, there are some resorts that have their own church, if not, you can make a little "blessing" ceremony that doesn't really count, and then get married in a real church.
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    rebeccawaymanrebeccawayman
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    edited December 2011
    We're doing the same, but we're having a wedding at a resort in Mexico, but actually doing our legal marriage in the US the night before we leave with just 2 witnesses and a priest here -- we aren't telling anyone, we even just told his parents that we're having a 'blessing' here when we return, which they were content with. 

    We're doing all the same pre-cana stuff too.

    Getting married in Mexico is a pain because you have to be there for 4 days beforehand and be tested for HIV when you get there! (Mexico has a law about people w/HIV getting married for some reason??).  Anyway, my coworker had her legal marriage in Mexico (not Catholic) and it took months and months to get it translated into English and recognized by the state of Missouri, blah blah blah. 

    I"m thinking your friends probably had a private Catholic ceremony w/a priest in the US and are having a wedding at this resort.
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    Theresa626Theresa626 member
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    edited December 2011
    rebecca, you should change your knot name to something that is not your real name.  People can find you out and it's just not good to put personal info on the web.  Furthermore, you just told us something that you haven't told anyone else including your parents.  What if they googled your name and found this post?  They'd be more than upset.  Delete this account, make a new one and change your name.  
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