Catholic wedding in mexico

[Lizzygator]

My fiance would like to get married in Mexico but I don’t even know how to start that process . We would like to have an english mass because both of us defiantly only know some spanish. Where would a nice pretty place in mexico be for a small non extravagant english wedding be? haha I was going to do the research for us but I’m stuck, got nothing, I really don’t know where to start. Any one know of a pretty church in Mexico that may do english ceremonies?

eventually we would probably move to mexico anyway but I just don’t know any place right now?

 

[mjs1987]

For Catholic weddings, you need to go through that particular church you want to have the wedding in or make arrangements with your parish priest to have it elsewhere. This means you need to take their wedding classes. You would need to find a church in Mexico where the priests spoke English. It would be very difficult to get an American priest to travel to Mexico for a wedding mass. You honestly need to go to your (traditionally, the church has conducted weddings at the home parish of the woman) parish and ask them what to do in order to get this done. The logistics of this could be difficult. If your parish priest or his says no on the Mexico wedding mass then you would likely need to move to Mexico to take marriage classes. Each diocese is in charge of their marriage practices and not all have the exact same process. Marriage is meant to be a community thing in the church. That is why individual bishops have a say in the marriage practices for that diocese. None of us here can give you a definite yes or no because this comes down to what your parish and diocese says and your will to live in Mexico to go through their process if you cant find a church here willing to approve a Mexico wedding.

 

[Irish_Girl_68]

I suspect you would require the dispensation of your local bishop. As it does involve a sacrament, I also am guessing you would need to actually work with both dioceses to accomplish this. Perhaps you could do a small, sacramental ceremony at your home parish and do a renewal of vows with Mass, etc. in Mexico as your “big” wedding. I don’t think it would be difficult to find an English-speaking priest. Further, it would not in any way jeopardize the sacrament; you’d already be legally/sacramentally wed and you would simply be repeating your vows again in front of an ordained priest. Just a thought.

 

[Just_Lurking]

Have you tried Googling “Catholic destination wedding Mexico”?

 

[Secret_Square]

I know that it is possible for couples who live in the U.S. or other countries to marry at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome – it happens quite regularly – provided they go through all the preparation and other steps required by their HOME diocese. Their pastor (the pastor of the bride’s parish, usually) verifies that they are free to marry, know what they are doing, have done all necessary preparation, etc. and passes the papers along to the Vatican in such cases.

So my guess is that similar arrangements can be made for a Catholic couple living in the U.S. that wishes to have a Catholic wedding in another country. They go through everything required of them in their home parish or diocese, then their pastor obtains permission for them to marry at their chosen site.

I don’t think there is really such a thing as a Catholic “destination wedding” in the sense most people think of – the couple chooses the site and then makes arrangements themselves to have the wedding and honeymoon there. They have to go through their pastor first.

 

[ack]

Why are you doing this – do one of you have family in Mexico? If so, it would probably be easier to have them investigate parishes and find one that will do this. You will also need the cooperation of your own pastor here in the US. Unless your pastor travels to Mexico with you, the paperwork involved may be nightmarish, so begin planning this FAR in advance.

Perhaps you could do a small, sacramental ceremony at your home parish and do a renewal of vows with Mass, etc. in Mexico as your “big” wedding. I don’t think it would be difficult to find an English-speaking priest. Further, it would not in any way jeopardize the sacrament; you’d already be legally/sacramentally wed and you would simply be repeating your vows again in front of an ordained priest.

This would follow the letter of the law while going against the spirit of it. The actual sacrament of marriage is far more important than whatever vow renewal ceremony one might have, and it seems backwards and misguided to celebrate a “renewal” more than the sacrament itself!

The sacrament would be valid, but playing games in order to get around church laws and tradition is not a good way to begin a marriage.

 

[ack]

I know that it is possible for couples who live in the U.S. or other countries to marry at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome – it happens quite regularly – provided they go through all the preparation and other steps required by their HOME diocese. Their pastor (the pastor of the bride’s parish, usually) verifies that they are free to marry, know what they are doing, have done all necessary preparation, etc. and passes the papers along to the Vatican in such cases.

Most likely, St. Peter’s in Rome has already streamlined the procedures required to do this, because it is so common for foreign couples to be married there.

In Mexico, the only church I know of that does this is the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. However, the Mass there will necessarily be in Spanish, because weddings are performed during the regularly scheduled Masses (meaning that thousands of random tourists and locals will be wandering in and out of the basilica during your wedding.)

 

[Irish_Girl_68]

This would follow the letter of the law while going against the spirit of it. The actual sacrament of marriage is far more important than whatever vow renewal ceremony one might have, and it seems backwards and misguided to celebrate a “renewal” more than the sacrament itself!

The sacrament would be valid, but playing games in order to get around church laws and tradition is not a good way to begin a marriage.

After reading this post, I do have to agree. While it may be a “legal” way to approach it, it does short-change the initial sacrament.

 

[Irish_Girl_68]

Why are you doing this – do one of you have family in Mexico? If so, it would probably be easier to have them investigate parishes and find one that will do this. You will also need the cooperation of your own pastor here in the US. Unless your pastor travels to Mexico with you, the paperwork involved may be nightmarish, so begin planning this FAR in advance.

This would follow the letter of the law while going against the spirit of it. The actual sacrament of marriage is far more important than whatever vow renewal ceremony one might have, and it seems backwards and misguided to celebrate a “renewal” more than the sacrament itself!

The sacrament would be valid, but playing games in order to get around church laws and tradition is not a good way to begin a marriage.

Lizzy:

After reading this post, I do have to agree. While my suggestion certainly would allow for a “legal” way to do what you want here, it does short-charge the sacrament. That’s not something you want to do or the message you want to leave your guests with.