"Peace that shines warm and bright, Hope's everlasting light, Live to lie full and free, Love meant for you and meÖin our time, in our time"
A Catholic wedding ceremony incorporates traditional Catholic elements and Scriptural readings. An ordained priest performs the ceremony reading passages from the Bible.
Entrance - The ceremony begins with a procession of the celebrant (priest), the wedding attendants, and the bride and groom.
Gathering - The priest greets the community and invokes God's blessings upon the couple, those gathered and the event.
Readings - The priest and or family members deliver readings from the Bible as selected by the couple.
The Vows - The Bride and Groom pledge their love and allegiance to one another.
Ring Exchange - The rings are blessed by the priest and exchanged by the Bride and Groom as a symbol of their new bond. The groom may also present the bride with a mangalsutra.
Sermon or Homily - The priest concludes the ceremony with a lecture on marriage and the union of the bride and groom.
The Concluding Rite - The final segment of the service includes a blessing of the community and the new couple, a dismissal, and a final recessional from the church. Guests are free to exit once the couple, the wedding party, and the priest have recessed.
Reception - After the ceremony, the guests are escorted to a reception where they give their blessings to the newlyweds.
"The Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that you may faithfully live together in this life, and in the age to come have life everlasting."
