1. The Discussion
The first step for all couples wishing to tie the knot in a Roman Catholic Ceremony is to meet with the local priest. The priest will want to meet with the Bride and the Groom, regardless of whether they are both Catholic, and speak to them both at length about the attitude of the Catholic Church towards marriage and each partner’s views on the union. The priest needs to be satisfied that the couple understand the obligation they are about to undertake before moving on to the next phase of the arrangement.
2. Completion of forms
The priest, approving of the marriage, will then help the couple to fill out a few simple forms. The forms state that each partner is legally and spiritually able to marry, is doing so of their own free will, and that they agree with the Church’s views on marriage. The priest at this point will normally pencil in the date and time for the marriage and make a provisional reservation.
3. Dispensation
The final act of the meeting is for the priest to apply for dispensation. There are two types of dispensation that can be applied for; ‘Permission for Mixed Marriage’ (required if a Catholic wishes to marry a baptised non-Catholic Christian), or ‘Dispensation from Disparity of Cult" (needed if a Catholic wishes to marry someone who is not baptised). This again should be relatively straightforward but the latter and sometimes the former will need to be granted by the local bishop.
4. Register Office
Before the date for the Wedding can be finalised, the couple must give notice to the Register Office in the district in which the Church in which the Wedding is to take place is located. The same rules that apply to giving notice for a Civil Marriage are in place, so for more details on what you will need to do, either contact local Register Office or take a read of the Arranging the Service article in our Civil Ceremonies section. Once the priest has received written confirmation from the Registrar that the couple has fulfilled their requirements, the application for the Ceremony can proceed.
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