In search for a Catholic Priest Officiant

Nope. There are many "priests'' who will claim they are with this order or that sect, but the fact of the matter is that a REAL Catholic priest will only marry you in the church; it's part of the sacrament. Those guys? They are not real, no matter what they tell you.

You can get married outside the church and then petition the church that you are theoretically a member of (you, um, are a member, right?) to do a convalildation.

Maybe Grandma isn't going to come......it's just not that easy.

I would love to be married by a catholic priest outside a church but it is sadly not simple. It is important to me that my marriage be recognized in the catholic church and the only way for that to happen is to be married in the church.

For crying out loud, tell grandma you'll see her at the reception.

Our interfaith officiant will be including catholic compenents to our wedding to make everyone happy. I thought this was a nice balance.

If you aren't a practicing Catholic, I doubt any true priest would marry you.

I was also looking for something like that and was disappointed when I figured out that it wasn't possible. We had to decide to get married in a church or outside and not be a catholic ceremony. We sat down with a priest and he explained a lot of information we were missing and decided to get married through church. It's not our original plan but I'm glad that we found a priest who is willing to work with us to make the ceremony more personal.

@Vanessa if someone is Catholic enough to care, I don't see how/why "including Catholic components" would make them happy. That doesn't make any sense. Either you believe it's a sacrament or you don't. It's not kind of a sacrament if you're Catholic.

Would not happen in NY

http://nyfamilylife.org/marriage-preparation-old/faqs/

Out of respect for other faiths, permission can be obtained for a wedding between a Catholic and a non-Christian to take place at a religious building other than a Catholic church (for instance, at a synagogue). To do this, the Catholic spouse must obtain a “dispensation from canonical form” (i.e., a release from the formal requirements that the wedding occur in a Catholic Church, witnessed by a Catholic priest, deacon or bishop) from his/her bishop.

The priest or deacon who is overseeing your marriage preparation will help you to obtain this dispensation from the Chancery Office. This can take time, so you should start the process early.

Please note that permission will not be granted to have a wedding outdoors. However, permission may be given for a wedding between a Catholic and a non-Christian in a non-religious building like a catering hall or restaurant if there are truly extraordinary circumstances.

Catholic priests can marry outside of the church but they need the permission from the Bishop. It all depends on the Diocese.

What matters is the fact that you're not a practicing Catholic. Priests don't like that. Go get married outside the church by an officiant and tell Grandma too bad. She's wrong as a Catholic to ask this of you.

No

The sacrament of marriage in the Catholic church is a big deal. You can't just get a priest to marry you outside of the church. And if you decide to instead get married in the Church, most priests (in my experience) want you to be a member of the Church in which the ceremony will be held. They won't just marry anyone as there are certain requirements you must fulfill first, like marriage counseling of some sort put on by the priest/church.

I believe religion is a very personal thing and no one should be made to feel bad about their beliefs. Alot of people on here have their opinions but only you truly know the relationship you have with your grandma and I think if being married in the Catholic church means that much to her it is worth considering. I'm assuming you are Catholic yourself, and I understand if it's not the way you and your fiance imagined getting married, but it's worth looking into your options so everyone is happy. I have heard of people having private ceremonies and then doing something after outside which would be considered a vow renewal I believe. I'm sure it will all work out if you keep an open mind, good luck.

I don't think the point is making OP feel bad about her beliefs, which she hasn't even stated. The point is making her consider why she is jumping through hoops to please her grandmother even though what she is planning is not a sacrament and it sounds like it's not going to be in a church.

It's hypocritical behaviour in every way and it really does disrespect the actual sacrament, which should mean something to someone in the mix.

Not really disagreeing with any of the comments here, but I attended a wedding in Napa four years ago. The couple found the officiant online. He wore a collar more like an Episcopal priest. I asked the couple if they knew his religious affiliation. They had not ask. So, I asked him. He said he was a Catholic priest! That sort of shocked me. I did not want to pry too deeply further. He did offer me some additional details which caused me to believe that he was plugged in the Church. He said he was doing it as a service. Hard to describe exactly but it was quite touching.

So to the OP, maybe go online, search and ask.

I am getting a dispensation to be married outside the church but this is only possible because FH is not baptized. If he were baptized, we would have been required to get married in a church. A mixed marriage is never a sacrament, no matter where it happens.

@Vicky; he wasn't real, and if it was important to them, they shoulda asked.

There's a lot of hooey out there about this. Call a Catholic church. Ask for a priest. Explain. My sister, who was never confirmed, was married by a Lutheran minister in a Catholic chapel. My cousin and his wife, also not comfirmed, had a big ceremony in a Catholic church where the priest even said mass and gave communion.

You will not receive the Sacrament of Marriage outside of a church.

Elphaba for the win (and the citations, which we love ;-)

Tell Gramma you love her and you'll see her at the reception. Having a church wedding is big deal with lots of stuff to do - my first wedding was a church wedding and it was a year of prep work. A full year.

OP, you can't simply "rent a priest" for your outdoor wedding. You would first need to go through the church you are a registered member in to speak with a priest and do your marriage prep (pre-cana). Then you need a letter of dispensation from the local Bishop to be married outside which can be very difficult, if not impossible to obtain.