Ask the Experts

Home: Second Weddings: Religious Issues:
Where to hold wedding ceremony when couple belongs to different churches

Kevin24018
New User

Post #1 of 3 (164 views)

Where to hold wedding ceremony when couple belongs to different churches

If the couple both attend different churches, should they find a different one for both of them if neither is willing to go to the other's church?
My fiance goes to a Pentacostal chuch which I won't attend,. It's just not for me.

(This post was edited by the_admin on Oct 19, 2009, 12:44 PM)

startingover
MARRIAGE PREPARATION ADVISORS

Post #2 of 3 (158 views)

Re: [Kevin24018] Where to hold wedding ceremony when couple belongs to different churches [In reply to]

When we work with interchurch couples, we always advise them to attend each other's church and learn about each other's faith tradition. The reasons each one has chosen to attend a particular church reveals a great deal about who that person is. When you learn what a person believes, you learn about the true person inside.

After learning about what each one believes, then you can go on to resolving how to support each other's faith. Attend church together, separately, or alternate churches every other week. There are many solutions; you need to find out which one works for you both and what will draw you closer together in faith and love.

If you can't come to a satisfactory solution on your own, you might want to schedule some counseling with a cleric of your choice.

God bless you and guide you.
Kay and Dennis Flowers
Authors of
Catholic Annulment, Spiritual Healing

startingover
MARRIAGE PREPARATION ADVISORS

Post #3 of 3 (155 views)

Re: [Kevin24018] Where to hold wedding ceremony when couple belongs to different churches [In reply to]

An addendum to the previous post: interchurch weddings work beautifully with ministers from both spouses' churches doing the ceremony together.

If there is adamant objection or preference for one church over the other, it sometimes is a solution to rent a different church or chapel. The exception would be if one or both spouses-to-be are Catholic. Then the ceremony must conform to canon law standards.
Kay and Dennis Flowers
Authors of
Catholic Annulment, Spiritual Healing