I had the chance to attend a Catholic wedding at St. Michaels Catholic church. I had never been to a wedding before.I was very anxious to experience this ceremony.Wedding always look so beautiful and full of love in the movies.On my way to the church,i thought to myself "It would be interesting if an ex boyfriend would come and stop the ceremony,just to make it even more interesting."

When I arrived at the church, I quickly found a seat in the back so I could see the bride coming in before everyone else. I hadn't been in a church in a very long time and I didn't remember what it was like.The sanctuary was nothing like what I was imagined it to be. It was dark and everyone was extremely quiet. It reminded me of the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding.It was a dark church with a lot of loud family members.A lot of the women were wearing black,not because they were mourning the marriage,but because dominican women do everything to look thiner for special events.If it was not for the obvious wedding decorations and the loud couples you would think it was a ceremony for the dead.

When the wedding started, a woman began playing the organ. The bride walked down the aisle to the usual with her divorced parents.The tradition is usually for the father of the bride to walk a bride down the aisle,but like every other self centered hispanic mother, she insisted that she be included.The ceremony was two hours long,but it felt like forever. My favorite part was when the couple was when the groom gave the bride 13 gold coins as a symbol of trust and confidence.

The Catholic Church identifies marriage as a sacrament, a sacred encounter between God and the People. The sacrament of marriage views the love between husband and wife as a gift from God. In turn, the love of husband and wife becomes a living sign of Christ's existence and love in the Christian Community. A couple united in the sacrament of marriage lives that sacrament by loving God and practicing their faith. They live the sacrament by the love they have for each other and the unselfish ways they permit that love to mature. They live the sacrament by being open to the gift of children. This is their reason for no birth control.

There are certain requirements that must be met before a man and woman may be united in marriage.Catholics who want to get married must believe in Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. They must attend church every sunday and respect Christian lifestyle.They must have a baptism,first communion and confirmation before considering marriage. If both man and woman are practicing Catholics, they are expected to both be registered members of his or her parish. If one of the partners of the marriage is not Catholic, they must agree to allow the Catholic partner to continue in the practice of his or her Catholic faith. A non-Catholic partner in marriage is expected to study and learn the fundamental teachings of the Church. They must be open to accepting God's gift of children. They should also recognize that the Church asks that all children be baptized and raised in Christian faith. Each partner must also be at least 18 years of age.

Pre-marital counseling is required and must take place before the priest will perform the marriage. Each person is required to show proof of baptism. The marriage license is to be presented to the priest during the rehearsal. The priest plays a major role in the planning of the wedding. Most priests also request that the Mass should be included as part of the marriage ceremony. This is one reason why the length of a Catholic marriage is extremely long.

It is a very long process to have a catholic wedding.The priest are very strict about the regulations and will not allow a ceremony if he does not believe a couple is ready for marriage.The catholic church is very strict about divorce since marriage is a life long sacred bond.It is a beautiful ceremony to experience but one that would be difficult to get out of.