Can my fiance and I fly away and marry?

[lbzCA2008]

I am converting to Catholicism (in RCIA right now) and am getting ready to get married. My fiance and are strongly thinking of flying away and getting married this spring or early summer. What is the Church’s position on this? We will both be in the Church then but don’t want to do anything against its teachings. The problem is more on the lines of the planning and it would also be much simpler and cheaper to do it this way. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

The Code of Canon Law states:

Marriages are to be celebrated in the parish in which either of the contracting parties has a domicile or a quasi-domicile or a month’s residence, or, if there is question of *vagi *, in the parish in which they are actually residing. With the permission of the proper ordinary or the proper parish priest, marriages may be celebrated elsewhere (canon 1115). The short of it is that if your local ordinary gives you permission, yes, you can fly away and be married. But unless there is some serious reason to do so, I urge you not to do this purely for the sake of your own convenience. Marriage is the joining not just of the couple but of two families and your families and others who care about you should not be excluded from witnessing the sacrament of your marriage without just cause. You can make your wedding as simple and low-key as you like without turning it into an elopement.