Wedding Topics
Catholic Wedding Readings
Unless you are celebrating your wedding on a Sunday or on a holy day of obligation, you have the option of choosing the Scripture readings for your wedding. The Church's Rite of Marriage provides a number of readings to select from (see the link below). As you will see, each of the readings offers some insight into Christian marriage, even if it does not speak directly about marriage per se.
The Liturgy of the Word—the part of the wedding ceremony during which the Scriptures are read—includes a reading from the Old Testament (called the first reading), a responsorial psalm, a reading from the New Testament other than the Gospels (called the second reading), and the Gospel. Ideally, you and your fiancé should make the choice of readings together after reflecting on which ones seem most appropriate for your wedding. Even if you don't immediately agree on which readings to use, the discussion you have will probably give each of you deeper insight into the other person's spirituality and values.
Although most engaged couples choose from the readings supplied by the Rite of Marriage, you also have the option of choosing from any of the readings that appear in the Lectionary for Mass (the Church's official book of Scripture texts for use in the liturgy). Substituting readings from other sources—poetry, for instance, or a work of literature, or another translation of the Bible—is not allowed during a Catholic wedding.
For more information
A list of wedding readings provided by the Rite of Marriage
Days on which the reading from the lectionary must be used during a Catholic wedding
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