Catholic wedding courses

[VladtheImpaler]

You might want to bring your own Mohel - you'll be a lot more comfortable during the bris.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Then they discuss the rythm method.

Oh yah. Forgot about that part. Probably blocked it from memory.

From what I do recall, the couple leading our course were rhythm method practitioners and found it be effective for them. They freely admitted that it was often inconvenient to schedule your sex life around body temperatures and things like that and that it kind of kills the spontaneity and romance. For them, strong believers in the Catholic faith, it was an acceptable middle ground between "every sperm is sacred" and their own family planning.

[MoneyGuy]

I grew up Catholic and married a non-Catholic. We went through this stuff many years ago (31 years). He'll probably ask you about practising your faith, desire to have children and such. PM if you have specific questions but I think he'll ask you lots of the same kind of questions that someone of any faith would ask (to determine your preparedness for marriage) as well as some Catholic-specific questions (children, practising your faith).

[troutman]

I think the divorce rate would be lower if couples did some kind of counselling before marriage (religious or otherwise). Couples need to learn how to communicate, how to fight fair, and how to sublimate the self to the union.

[FlamesAddiction]

I know a couple that did this and the girl who was non-Catholic actually liked it more than her husband. It really got them thinking about issues that could come up while they were married and promoted the idea that they were in it for the long haul.

[Russic]

I unfortunately have very little to offer the OP, but I did take a non-denominational course a few years back.

My wife and I took a course willingly at the UofC before we got married. It wasn't related to a specific religion, but the guy did cover several religions. The class was actually really good and I'd recommend it to anybody getting hitched.

There was one guy in it who was one of "those" Atheists. You know the type, he'd bitch and moan whenever the guy would bring up a religious theme. I'm fully Atheist and I wanted to choke him to death with a rosary. Sorry ... little rant there.

One thing I liked was that they'd have all the couples go off somewhere private and ask each other questions on cards that they provided. The majority were questions that were hard to ask but important (like "if we should have children do you want them to be baptized" or "something that you do when we are intimate that I don't like is ...").

Yes I'm sure many of us can ramble off the keys to a good marriage, but often times it's helpful to just sit down and chat out a strategy every once in a while.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Then they discuss the rythm method.

I've got rhythm ... lot's of it.

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

I've got rhythm ... lot's of it.

It does help in water bed situations.

[Knut]

Thanks everyone for the help. It really helped me feel at ease. The priest was very easy going and had a real dry wit. There was little discussion about my religious background and no looks of shame

The church was beautiful and my Fiancee loved it.

Also the holy water didn't boil

[DOK]

Good to hear it went well! I'm almost positive that if your both not catholic then you actually can't have a full catholic service. That would include the holy communion (the bread) and the whole process around that. Seeing as your not baptized catholic then you aren't eligible for that anyways, considering it's your wedding, the service is around you guys, so it wouldn't make sense for you anyways.

They'll probably tell you at some point that they don't allow fake flowers of any kinds. Could sound stupid but if you ask, the answer is interesting (to me anyway). The no - coloured dress rule. Your music must be a hymn or other catholic approved song. That's really it. The more I found out about it, the more interesting it was. I felt that my church was old and foggy, out of date and a pain, really. But the answers were really current and relevant, if that matters to you.

[fredr123]

Originally Posted by Hesla

Thanks everyone for the help. It really helped me feel at ease. The priest was very easy going and had a real dry wit. There was little discussion about my religious background and no looks of shame

The church was beautiful and my Fiancee loved it.

Also the holy water didn't boil

Did he do any magic tricks? Seriously: there's a Catholic priest in town who does then during his homily at wedding services.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Daughterofkinger

They'll probably tell you at some point that they don't allow fake flowers of any kinds. Could sound stupid but if you ask, the answer is interesting (to me anyway).

OK- I tried to google it; and now I'm even more curious. Why no fake flowers?

[Sample00]

In my previous marriage, I married the girl who played the organ at the Catholic church we were going to be married in.

The classes/meetings were conducted by the presiding Priest of the church. He was around 70 years old back then and had been in the priesthood his entire adult life.

I found it a bit strange when the Priest decided to provide information on sex before and during the marriage....my continous thought process throughout it was.."and you have familiarity with this how?????"

I found the whole process a complete waste of time for me. It was typically based around the church and as it relates to the marriage.

The things one does when they want to marry a Catholic girl.

Having said that, I congratulate you and wish you well.!

[alltherage]

Catholic girls are the sexiest!

[Mccree]

Originally Posted by ken0042

OK- I tried to goggle it; and now I'm even more curious. Why no fake flowers?

We had fake flowers at my wedding in a Catholic Church 9 years ago.

[alltherage]

Originally Posted by Mccree

We had fake flowers at my wedding in a Catholic Church 9 years ago.

I really don't know... but it strikes me as more of a guideline than a rule. Probably just a respect thing if I had to guess. Kind of like not wearing a hat, or sleeveless shirts, etc.

[GGG]

I think a course of some kind should be mandatory before any wedding church or otherwise. I did the anglican one and it was a good weekend.

Basically it goes over all of the things you should have talked about before getting married from dishes to sex and kids. It is a good oppurtunity to discuss the issues that you will be fighting about for the next 50 years

[Ashartus]

I went through this a few years ago. One thing I would recommend: call several different churches about the wedding course they make you take; the length of the course depends on the church. We found one that was just one weekend (I believe it was at St. Michael's); some of the other churches required multiple weekends. The actual interview with the priest wasn't a big deal, though again that might vary from church to church. He did ask for a copy of my baptismal certificate though (even though I was baptized in a protestant church).

[DOK]

No fake flowers:

That's one of those - depends how serious the priest is your dealing with. They say that live flowers signify the point at which the flower is cut at the height of beauty and health to be used in a wedding service to show the life cycle of just that, life. When you are born, you live, you grow and when your at the peak of your life you marry (so they say) you come together with another and that changes your life drastically. That's the symbolization of the cutting of the live flowers in relation to the marriage. To use fake flowers is to symbolize an artificial representation of that whole process.

Also the white dress / black tux is also interesting and has nothing to do with virginity. It's the coming together of two opposite and contradictory colours (again a symbol) to form a perfectly balanced grey when combined. Any additional colours would detract from that absolute balance.