A Catholic wedding within Mass follows this order: the entrance procession, greeting, Scripture readings, homily, the questions and the vows, the blessing and exchange of rings, the Universal Prayer, the Liturgy of the Eucharist with the Nuptial Blessing, Communion, the final blessing, and the recessional. With Mass it takes about an hour; without Mass, about 30 minutes.
Here is each step, for engaged couples, wedding planners, and guests.
How the Catholic wedding rite is structured
In the United States, Catholic weddings follow the Order of Celebrating Matrimony, the English translation in use since 2016. Within Mass, the marriage rite comes after the homily and before the Liturgy of the Eucharist: the couple hears the Word of God, exchanges consent, receives the Church’s blessing, and then shares in the Mass with the gathered community.
The most important point for couples and planners is that this is not just a list of wedding ceremony steps. It is a liturgy, so music, readings, seating, photography, cultural customs, and timing are planned with the parish priest or deacon.
Before the day: parish requirements
Contact the parish at least six months ahead, sooner if a particular date, church, or celebrant matters to your family. The parish will explain available dates, required documents, music guidelines, photography rules, and whether the wedding will be within Mass or outside Mass.
Expect Catholic marriage preparation: meetings with the priest or deacon, a premarital inventory, formation sessions or a retreat, and conversations about faith, family life, finances, communication, openness to children, and the meaning of the sacrament. You will also need recent baptismal certificates for the Catholic party or parties, and the parish may ask for confirmation records, freedom-to-marry statements, or permissions when one party is not Catholic.
Planning checklist:
- Contact the parish at least six months before the wedding.
- Ask whether the ceremony will be with or without Mass.
- Complete the required marriage preparation.
- Request recent baptismal certificates from your churches of baptism.
- Choose approved readings, music, and participants.
- Discuss customs such as the arras, lazo, flowers to Mary, or a unity candle.
- Share the final order of service with readers, musicians, ushers, and attendants.
The ceremony step by step
1. Entrance procession
In many US Catholic weddings, the processional order is: the priest and ministers, the groom and best man (often entering from the side), groomsmen and bridesmaids, the maid of honor, the ring bearer and flower girl, and finally the bride, escorted by her father. The rite also allows the couple to process together, with their parents, which emphasizes their shared entrance into the sacrament.
Confirm the order at the rehearsal. Guests usually stand when the bride enters.
2. Greeting and opening prayer
The priest greets the assembly, placing the celebration in the name of the Church and reminding everyone that the vows are made before God and the community. The opening prayer asks God to bless the couple and prepares everyone to hear Scripture.
3. Liturgy of the Word
The readings usually include an Old Testament reading, a responsorial psalm, a New Testament reading, and the Gospel, chosen from the approved wedding readings with the parish’s help. Favorites include the Song of Songs, “Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death” (Song of Solomon 8:6, KJV), and Paul’s hymn to love: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not” (1 Corinthians 13:4, KJV).
Readers should rehearse the text aloud. The Catholic Wedding Edition of the New American Bible includes the wedding readings, so the couple can read and pray over their wedding readings at home before and after the day.
4. Homily
The priest or deacon reflects on the readings, Christian marriage, the spouses’ responsibilities, and the grace of the sacrament. For guests who are not Catholic, the homily often explains why the Church sees marriage as a covenant rather than only a contract.
5. Questions before consent
The priest asks whether the couple has come freely and without reservation, whether they will love and honor each other for life, and whether they will accept children lovingly from God. Each answers aloud. Catholic marriage requires free consent; nothing else in the day carries the same weight.
6. The consent (vows)
The exchange of consent is the heart of the rite. The bride and groom promise to be true to each other in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor each other all the days of their lives. They may say the vows from memory or repeat them after the priest. Speak slowly, so everyone can hear: this is the moment the couple gives themselves to each other in marriage.
7. Reception of consent
The priest receives the consent in the name of the Church with words that include “What God joins together, let no one put asunder,” and the assembly responds with praise. The marriage is not private: the Church and the community witness it.
8. Blessing and giving of rings
The priest blesses the rings, and the spouses place them on each other’s fingers with the words of the rite. The rings express the vows already spoken. If a young child is ring bearer, many couples have the child carry stand-ins and keep the real rings with the best man.
9. The arras (optional)
In Hispanic and Filipino weddings, the blessing and giving of the arras, thirteen coins, may follow the rings: a sign of shared goods, trust, and care for each other.
10. Universal Prayer
The assembly prays the Prayer of the Faithful for the couple, their families, the Church, the world, the sick, and loved ones who have died. Couples may help choose the intentions, keeping the tone prayerful.
11. Liturgy of the Eucharist
Within Mass, the altar is prepared, the gifts are brought forward, often by family members, and the priest prays the Eucharistic Prayer.
12. The lazo and the Nuptial Blessing
After the Lord’s Prayer, the priest gives the Nuptial Blessing, a solemn prayer asking God to pour His grace on the spouses and strengthen their love. In Hispanic and Filipino weddings, the lazo, and sometimes a veil, is placed over the couple just before this blessing as a sign of their union; see our guide to the wedding lasso, el lazo.
13. Sign of peace and Communion
The couple and congregation exchange a sign of peace, and Communion follows. Catholics who are prepared to receive come forward; non-Catholic guests and Catholics not receiving may remain seated, or come forward for a blessing if the parish invites it. Music should suit the Eucharist rather than be simply romantic.
14. Flowers to Mary (optional)
Many couples bring flowers to a statue or image of Mary after Communion while a Marian hymn is sung, entrusting their marriage to her prayers. Rehearse where to walk and kneel so the moment flows.
15. Final blessing and recessional
The priest gives the final blessing, the couple may be introduced, and the recessional begins: the newly married couple first, then the attendants, family, and guests.
How long does a Catholic wedding take?
About an hour with Mass, and about 30 minutes without, depending on music, the length of the procession, customs, and the number of people receiving Communion. Leave time before for arrival and seating and after for photos, so the liturgy does not feel rushed.
A Catholic wedding outside Mass
A wedding outside Mass includes the entrance, greeting, Liturgy of the Word, homily, questions, consent, rings, prayers, the Nuptial Blessing, and recessional, but no Liturgy of the Eucharist. It is common when one spouse is not Catholic, and it is a full Catholic wedding.
Some couples add a unity candle as an optional custom where the parish allows it; see our guide to the unity candle ceremony. Like the arras and lazo, plan it with the parish so it supports the rite rather than distracting from it.
Prayer after the wedding day
The vows are made in a single hour but lived for a lifetime. Many couples begin the habit of praying together right away; a book like 101 Prayers for Mr. & Mrs., which pairs Scripture with prayers for married life, makes it easy to start.
Final planning notes
Treat the ceremony as prayer first and production second. Share the order of service with everyone who has a role, and let the parish lead on liturgical details. Couples do not need to memorize every movement; what matters is entering the sacrament freely and faithfully. Planners and guests support that moment with reverence, clarity, and calm attention from the first procession to the final recessional.
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