Catholic weddings are permitted during Lent. Many parishes discourage Lenten weddings, both out of respect for the penitential nature of the season and out of a practical need to avoid fitting in extra liturgies during a time of the year most parishes have full Lenten calendars. Unless the couple has an objective and serious need to get married during Lent, the couple should respect a parish’s preference to schedule weddings during the Easter season.
Prospective wedding guests though should not be scrupling over this. Guests may presume that the parish has allowed the wedding to be held during Lent and may go if they wish. I would say though that, generally speaking, it can be construed as an insult to a couple who is marrying for guests to show up for the “after-party” but decline to attend the ceremony the party is being given to honor. Ordinarily, guests who choose not to attend the ceremony should not presume to attend the reception after. The guests are being invited to witness a marriage and then to celebrate that occasion; they are not being invited to an evening of free dinner, drinks, and dancing.
