Catholic Wedding Traditions and Their Origins Explained
Some Catholic wedding traditions are as old as the religion itself. The Catholic church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian organization in the world and known as one of the strictest. Said to have been founded by Jesus Christ, the Catholic church is known for its rigid rule system and for its ancient and elaborate ceremonies including baptisms, first communions, funerals, and, of course, weddings.
Chastity
Earlier this year, Vatican shocked many by declaring the brides of Christ no longer actually have to be virgins. It’s no surprise that this news was controversial as many Catholics still firmly believe that a woman should remain chaste and untouched by a ma until her wedding night. One unsavory wedding night tradition is known as the ‘blood test’ or ‘bedsheet test’ whereby an older family member checks the newlyweds’ bedsheets for blood which is believed to confirm that the bride was a virgin before her wedding night.
The Engagement
As in many cultures and religions, when looking to get married, a gentleman will first ask the father of his intended bride for his permission to propose. If the permission is granted, he will then propose to his girlfriend and present her with a diamond engagement ring. Traditionally, the reason for this was that a marriage proposal was the promise of financial security therefore, the ring was the bride’s to sell should her intended groom fail to honor his promise of marriage.
The Wedding Ceremony
If you’re invited to a Catholic wedding in a church, be warned — according to Catholic wedding ceremony traditions, it can last between 45 minutes and an hour depending on if a mass is included. In a traditional Catholic ceremony, a number of people including the altar servers, the priest and also the bride and groom would all walk down the aisle toward the altar together, however, many modern couples now favor the format whereby the groom is waiting for his bride’s arrival at the altar. The bride will traditionally only arrive once all of the guests gather in church and get ready to see the ceremony. In traditional ceremonies, guests invited by the groom will sit on one side of the church, and friends and relatives of the bride would sit on the other. Most brides choose to have both a couple of bridesmaids and a maid of honor. Although all of these ladies would normally be the ones to help the bride with her wedding preparation and her dressing, there’s one important distinction; a maid of honor should be happily married and the bridesmaids are usually single girls. The bridal procession down the aisle would begin with the bridesmaids and the maid of honor walking to the altar (this involves a particular kind of halting march) and taking their places at either side of the altar. The bride will then make her entrance accompanied by her father. On reaching the altar, the bride’s father will take her hand and pass it to the groom, signifying that he is entrusting the care of his daughter to her new husband. The father of the bride is, in effect, giving his daughter to the groom although, these days, this is more symbolic than literal.
The Vows
Although many modern couples do now choose to write their own vows, the traditional wedding ceremony would involve nuptial blessings and a predetermined set of vows which speak to the couple’s promise to remain faithful and to take care of one another regardless of health or financial issues.
As per this Catholic wedding tradition, once the couple has made their vows, they exchange rings that symbolize their marriage. These plain gold bands are elegant and simple. After the ceremony, most brides will wear both their rings on this finger. The couple will then be required to sign the official document which declares them to be legally married. Both the bride and groom will choose a friend or a family member to act on their behalf as witnesses to the marriage and, these witnesses will also sign the document.
A Catholic wedding ceremony tends to follow a stricter order of service than many others and will usually include at least one religious reading, one or more hymns (religious songs) to be sung by the entire congregation and one or more prayers.
The Dress
In more traditional times, the bride would wear a long white dress and a lace transparent veil, which the groom would remove in order to kiss his beloved. These days, even if the bride wants to follow Catholic wedding traditions, it’s acceptable for her to be a little more creative with the design of her dress, but her attire is still expected to be modest. Many Catholic brides will wear a crucifix or another religious piece of jewelry to symbolize the strength of their faith.
The Party
As with most religions, a Catholic wedding ceremony is followed by a celebration. After the ceremony, the bride and groom will invite their guests to continue the celebration in a beautiful venue or a restaurant. This will normally consist of a wedding breakfast, which is called this way because, in fact, this is the first meal the newlyweds have as a family. The meal will usually be quite sumptuous and consist of a number of courses, accompanied by wine. After the meal, there are multiple speeches made by the closest and most important male guests such as the groom himself and the bride’s father. During these speeches, guests will hold glasses with champagne or sparkling wine and toast the couple wishing them all the best in the new chapter of their lives.
At the end of the party, guests can witness another interesting tradition, where the bride and groom cut the wedding cake together. This ritual signifies that the couple is now a partnership, and they will work together throughout their married life. The cake will then be served as a post-dessert course or wrapped up for guests to take home. Each guest will also receive wedding favors, which are placed on the tables as thank you gifts. Wedding favors can be anything from simple sugared almonds to thoughtful trinkets. These days, many couples choose to also have an evening reception. This one tends to be a more relaxed affair, where guests will eat, drink, and dance until late — often until the early hours of the morning.
In the Roman Catholic religion, marriage is taken seriously, and divorce is frowned upon. So much so that, in many cases, a bride, who finds herself in an unhappy or abusive marriage, will petition to have her marriage annulled by the Catholic church — a lengthy and complicated process which is often denied.