Hi ladies,
I just realized this board was here and would love to pick a few of your brains about my situation. For our wedding, we essentially have a trifecta against us for having a Catholic ceremony.
1. We're not getting married at my parish: his family is from upstate NY, mine is in Chicago, and we live in WI. We decided on Chicago b/c it's easiest for all travelers to get there (possibly some from Europe or Israel).
2. We're interfaith: I'm Catholic (oddly enough, newly found my faith) and he's Christian (technically Baptist, but more general Christian)
3. We're having a Sunday wedding: again, for the large amount of people who are traveling, we decided on a Sunday ceremony (4pm ish) to accommodate and make it easiest for our families to be together.
I know we start the pre cana courses soon with my priest (we're 9 months out from the wedding) which I'm fine with. I am a little nervous for my fiance though, I don't know what will be expected of us or what my priest will think when we tell him we've been living together for a while.
I know we cannot have a full out Catholic mass b/c of the interfaith issue.
I suppose a 4th strike against us is the fact we aren't getting married in a church (reception and ceremony are the same place, again for the traveling families). I know it was really hard on the both of us when we were looking to get married in a church that isn't our own parish. There's nothing that makes you despair like your churches closing their doors to you because your money doesn't go to them on a weekly basis (I know I'm oversimplifing, but that's how it goes).
I know parishes have to be granted dispensation to have ceremonies on Sundays.
Are there any other pitfalls of which I should be aware? Is even a Catholic blessing an option with all the strikes against us?
I'm really unsure of what our options are because each parish tells you something different (the joys of working with 3 dioscese)
Thanks for any input, be it bad or good: I'd rather be prepared.
- J
"What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined...to strengthen each other... to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories." -George Eliot