My thoughts are similar but also I'd like to add a practical matter and a theological/liturgical one. If everyone got married in several outdoor locations, priests or deacons would have to run all over the place to do weddings. With the priest shortage as it is, there's no way this could happen in any kind of situation short of buying them a helicopter.
Look churches are beautiful and the ceremony is only as good as you make it by your participation. My wife and I planned a good deal of the liturgy ourselves and people still talk about it. The bride and the groom, theologically speaking are the presiders at a Catholic Wedding ceremony, not the priest, who merely acts as a witness. The mass is presided by the priest of course but the rite of marriage is really the couple's celebration of sacrament.
Speaking of marriage, I'm off to celebrate my 7th anniversary.
3 comments:
I got married (2 years ago this April 28) at the ripe old age of 49. Our liturgy was planned with great care and often the priest would joke that maybe the brides who wanted some pop song were easier to deal with!
In the end it came off beautifully and as I was new in the area, it was truly when I became sacramentally attached to the community that I now blog for.
That said, I work at another parish and I hear all the calls and pleas for "destination weddings" etc or the more mundane "your church is so pretty and much closer to the reception than ours is."
I try not to judge and I do try to pray.
The image of a priest in a 'copter going all over is amusing, as long as it is in my head!
Fran
Happy Anniversary, Mike and Marion!
My brother and sister-in-law planned a beach wedding in Naples, FL, in July 2005.
Hurricane Dennis got in the way. Their beautiful beach wedding was forced inside to a hotel meeting room.
BTW, did I hear Fr. Eric correctly? Did he suggest they do that other part of the marriage on the beach? :-)
Paul--
Um, I think so. =)
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