Yes, You Can Have a Catholic Wedding at the Location of Your Choice
Many couples are surprised to discover that they may be able to have a Catholic wedding ceremony outside of a traditional Roman Catholic church.
Your wedding day should reflect who you are as a couple, your faith, your family, and the love you share. For some couples, that means a beautiful ceremony on the beach, in a garden, at a wedding venue, in a private home, or at another meaningful location.
A Catholic ceremony may be possible even when:
- Your ceremony will take place somewhere other than a church.
- One of you is Catholic and the other is not.
- One or both of you have been married previously.
- You would like a priest to co-officiate with a rabbi, minister, or another clergy person.
- You have special family, religious, or personal circumstances.
- You desire a traditional Catholic sacramental ceremony while also wanting the freedom to celebrate your marriage in a more personal setting.
How Is This Possible?
+Mike was consecrated as a bishop within an independent Celtic Rite Catholic jurisdiction, part of the wider Independent Catholic and Orthodox sacramental tradition. We are Catholic, just not Roman Catholic.
We are not under the administrative authority of the Roman Catholic Church or the Bishop of Rome. At the same time, we understand ourselves to be part of the one, universal Catholic Church, sharing many of the ancient Catholic faith, sacramental traditions, liturgical practices, and spiritual foundations that have shaped Christianity throughout the centuries.
The Celtic Christian tradition has deep roots in the ancient churches of Britain and Ireland and reflects a Catholic and sacramental understanding of Christian faith that existed long before the modern divisions among Christian traditions.
Apostolic Succession Matters
In sacramental Christianity, apostolic succession is an important part of the Church's understanding of ordained ministry and the sacraments. It refers to the historic succession of bishops through which the ministry of bishops, priests, and deacons has been handed down from the early Church.
+Mike’s apostolic succession can be traced through multiple historic lines of succession, including Anglican, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Old Catholic, Polish Catholic, Celtic Catholic, and Roman Catholic lineages.
These historic lines ultimately connect with the ancient episcopal ministry of the Church and its origins in the apostolic Church.
While our jurisdiction is independent, we continue to embrace a Catholic and sacramental understanding of marriage, honoring the dignity and sacredness of the vows a couple makes before God.
Your Wedding Is More Than a Ceremony
A wedding is not simply an event. It is a sacred promise—a commitment to love, honor, support, and remain faithful to one another throughout the journey of life.
Our goal is to help you create a wedding ceremony that is beautiful, meaningful, reverent, personal, and centered on your love for one another.
Whether you envision a traditional Catholic-style ceremony or something more contemporary and personal, we work with each couple to create a ceremony that reflects their story, their faith, and the commitment they are making.
For couples seeking a Catholic sacramental celebration outside the traditional Roman Catholic structure, your wedding may be celebrated as a Valid Sacrament within the Celtic Rite and the broader independent sacramental tradition.
Your love story is unique. Your wedding ceremony should be, too.
We would be honored to walk with you as you begin this beautiful new chapter of your life together.