Can we be married in a parish where we're not registered?

[cahd49]

My fiance and I both live two hours away from his hometown, which is where we wish to have our wedding. Most of our families live there also. My parents live in another state and are flying in for our wedding and his parents aren’t practicing Catholics. We have been having difficulties finding a church to perform the ceremony. We are both Catholic and attend church where we live, but all the churches where we would like to have the wedding are telling us we have to bring in our own priest to officiate. Our priest won’t travel that far. Are the priests at other chuches not allowed to marry us because we aren’t registered parishioners there? Are there any other options or ideas that you have? Help!

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

Many parishes manage the number of weddings held in their parish by limiting reservations for the church to registered parishioners. I have not heard however of a church allowing a non-registered couple to marry there but only on condition that they provide their own priest.

If you cannot convince a priest at your own church to attend by offering to pay all of his travel expenses (lodging, food, rental car, airline ticket, etc.), then call the diocese in which you are getting married, explain your problem, and ask assistance in finding a local priest who will witness your marriage.