What goes into getting your marriage blessed by the church?

My fiancee and I are both Catholic but we are having our wedding ceremony by the beach with all our friends and family there. We want the marriage to be recognized in the eyes of the church though so we are having a private ceremony before hand. What goes into this ceremony? Is it a full on wedding with the vows exchanged and all? When we then have our beach wedding immediately after, will we have already become husband and wife from the church ceremony? Thanks to all who answer!!!What goes into getting your marriage blessed by the church?
Talk to your priest. The specific requirements may vary from parrish to parrish. But, you probably have to wait until you are legally married to have it blessed by the church.





It can be a simple blessing with no one present except for you, your spouse and the priest. As my priest told us, the exchanging of vows between you and your husband is it. Everything and everyone else is fluff. It's just how much fluff do you want to have.What goes into getting your marriage blessed by the church?
Before anything, you have first to be aware that in marriage, there are 2 laws that will apply. First is the civil laws or the law imposed by your government and country. Then there are laws imposed by your faith and religion (for catholics - Canon law). These 2 laws are different and independent from one another. This is the legal principle called the ';Separation of Church and State';. Therefore, one can be married in the eyes of civil law and not married as per canon law and vice versa. A church marriage, no matter how small, will of course have all the vows because Canon law requires full consent, capacity before one can get married. Thus, the question asked to you as to whether you accept the other party will be asked by the priest to determine full consent and capacity. For your civil marriage, full consent and capacity will also be required for the marriage to be legal and binding. Thus, the question of whether you accept the other party will also be asked to you by the govt. official (e.g., mayor, judge, etc....). Consent and capacity are defined differently by these 2 laws which is also why a marraige may be annulled in civil law but not in canon law and also vice versa.
We got married in the Catholic Church, and what I have heard is that this varies a lot by parish and by diocese. But what remains the same is that if neither party was married before, it's fairly easy if you get married in a civil ceremony or in the church of another religion, and then approach a priest about having the marriage blessed by the Catholic Church.


But if you approach them ahead of time, they're going to guilt-trip you and make it so difficult that you will just give in and get married in the Church.


As you no doubt know, Catholics are very big on guilt.
Talk with your priest.





I have never heard of it being done that way you explain it....PRIOR to the actual other ceremony.





Those that usually ask this question are already legally married (beach/destination wedding) and THEN have their marriage ';blessed.';





Yes, whatever ceremony is FIRST is the legal one....so if you are getting married first in the church, then, yes, you will already be husband and wife for the beach ceremony.





You might want to do it the other way around.