Catholic marriage outside of church?

There was another thread about this over the weekend.

Short answer- no, you can't have a Catholic ceremony outside of the church. Have you talked to the Priest whose marrying you about this?

View Quoted Comment Thank you for your response!! No we haven't talked to the priest yet, I was hoping to ask you guys and do some research before I ask the priest!

You need to apply for dispensation. Your priest will walk you through this and a bishop would need to approve it. This is really dependent on how lax your diocese is.

View Quoted Comment Oh great, thank you sarah! I'll look into this! Do you think it would be approved since I'm catholic and he's lutheran? Or would we need a different reason?

View Quoted Comment That can be a reason, but like I said this is really going to depend on how strict the diocese is. I live in an area where almost no one is approved, barring a terminal illness in the immediate family.

View Quoted Comment Okay I see, thank you again!

It cannot be a full Catholic ceremony outside a church. I would say the dispensation chances are very slim. Also, since your FH is Lutheran, it wouldn't be a Catholic marriage anyway. You could get a Catholic blessing but it's not the same in the eyes of the Church. You might be able to have the priest give a blessing at the ceremony.

View Quoted Comment Do you mean it won't be a Catholic ceremony or marriage?

View Quoted Comment

This isn't true... OP said she is having a Catholic ceremony, so a priest will be officiating. Since her FH is Lutheran and has been baptized, the marriage will still be recognized by the church and considered a sacrament. The priest will just need to approve of it.

I'm in a similar situation, but my FH isn't baptized. We have to get the marriage approved by the bishop, but the priest will still be officiating. The marriage will still be recognized by the chruch (i.e. I am still able to accept communion), but it will not be considered a sacrament.

View Quoted Comment You got it! I'l have to talk to the priest and see what we can do

The chances of a dispensation are slim. They are usually only granted if the couple is made up of two people from different religions are they are getting married in the church of the person who is not Catholic. For example if the couple want to get married in a Jewish temple instead of the Catholic Church. It’s extremely unlikely that a wedding in a garden would fulfill this requirement even if your FH is Lutheran. Definitely talk to your priest but don’t get your hopes up.

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Yes, this is consistent with what I know. My husband is lutheran. Our wedding was at a catholic church. It had full mass. The only difference was that my husband didn't take eucharist (I am not sure if that's how it's called as I only go to church with Spanish mass).

View Quoted Comment Makes sense, thank you!

View Quoted Comment Gotchya, thank You!

I'm not sure about that. I was under the impression that it must take place in a Catholic Church for it to be officially recognized. You may also hit a road bump with your fiancé being Lutheran. I am Roman Catholic, though not as strict as my family. My fiancé is Presbyterian and the Catholic Church won't marry us unless he converts and we sign paperwork stating that any children born of the marriage would be raised in the Catholic Church. So we decided to marry in a Presbyterian Church, since they make no requirements about conversion or children. Granted the Catholic Church won't "officially" recognize it, but I know no matter what, it will be recognized by God, whatever denomination he may be.

You just need permission from the cardinal in the diocese you will be married and/or where your priest/officiate is from. Write them a thoughtful letter about why outdoors is a better spiritual option for you and they may say yes. We are in the same process, and are awaiting the cardinal’s written response. My other question pertains to vows - can we write our own if a catholic priest is marrying us? Only time will tell.

Best,
erika and eric

Any updates? I would really appreciate knowing more of what has happened to the few of you going through similar situations. My FH and I have been discussing this all lately, he’s Lutheran and I am Catholic. Thank you!

View Quoted Comment Yes! After speaking with our priest, he had informed us that we could have a ceremony but it would not be considering a sacrament. We decided to have a small and intimate catholic ceremony followed by a outdoor ceremony. Best of both worlds and everyone stays happy

View Quoted Comment In a similar boat. My FH is not Catholic, but also is not religious. I don't want our big wedding to be uncomfortable for either of us. I was wondering if this might be an option for us. How has it been going?

View Quoted Comment Thinking about doing the same! Having a Catholic wedding a few days before the big outdoor ceremony. How did/is that working out for you?