Planning your Catholic wedding: A checklist

The Catholic Wedding Book: A Complete Guidebook for Brides, Grooms, and their Parents by Molly K. Hans and Fr. William C. Graham

"Easy reading for Catholics of all ages, The Catholic Wedding Book provides practical advice for planning a wedding liturgy and the text of all official forms, readings and prayers approved by the Church--everything you need to make your wedding joyful and meaningful."

Together for Life by Fr. Joseph M. Champlin

The classic Catholic wedding planning booklet: all the prayers, blessings, and scriptural texts with commentaries, at a really inexpensive price. Includes a four-page planning worksheet.

Celebrating Marriage Preparing the Wedding Liturgy: A Workbook for the Engaged Couple Paul Covino, editor

Still one of the best Catholic wedding planning resources available, Celebrating Marriage is written by experts in the Catholic liturgy to help couples use sound liturgical and pastoral principles to make their wedding a more prayerful, celebratory experience for everyone involved. Chapter titles include "Age Old Traditions and Timely Advice," "The Ceremony: The Wedding Liturgy," "The Readings: The Lectionary for Marriage," "The Music for the Wedding Liturgy," "The Environment for the Wedding Liturgy." The appendices include "Preparing a Printed Program for the Wedding" and the text of the "Blessing of an Engaged Couple."

134 pages.

Handbook of Church Music for Weddings

by Mary Beth Kunde Anderson and David Anderson

(©2007, 47 pages, Liturgy Training Publications)

Although this book was written for those in the Church who work with couples planning their wedding, couples may find it useful for what its publisher describes as "...an extensive list of congregational psalms, acclamations, hymns and songs." Order it from Amazon by clicking on the title above.

Your Catholic Wedding: A Complete Planbook
by Rev. Chris Aridas
(197 pages, ©2000, Crossroad Publishing)

A thorough guide to planning your Catholic wedding; according to the publisher, it provides "the entire liturgical rite with options, practical details of church arrangements, an insightful commentary, and valuable checklists." Examples of chapter titles include:

• The Sacrament as Grace for the Community

• The Sacrament as Grace for the Couple

• The Church's Assumptions

• The Couple's Spiritual Preparation

• Required Documents

• Interfaith Marriages

• The Liturgical Celebration

• Options Involving Family and/or Guests

• Expenses: Who Pays for What?

• Checklist One: The Couple's Calendar

• Checklist Four: People in Attendance

Rite of Marriage

This is the official text of the Rite of Marriage, as approved by the Vatican and the U.S. Catholic bishops. Includes the text for the Rite of Marriage in each of its forms, as well as the text of all Scripture readings and accompanying commentaries.

Christ on Your Guest List by Renee de Burgh

Like many wedding planning workbooks, this one helps couples plan the details of their engagement period and wedding day with checklists and worksheets and exercises. Unlike other wedding planning workbooks, however, this one approaches all those details through the lens of Catholic faith. The authors repeatedly challenge couples to ask, "What's really important in all this?" So, for example, they not only provide practical guidance and tools for creating a guest list, but also include a "letter" from Jesus encouraging parents of the bride and groom to focus on welcoming guests in prayer. Quotes and anecdotes extend and illustrate the theme of each section. Chapter titles include "Budgeting for Matrimony, not Mater-Money"; "Free from Human Expectations: Etiquette, Feelings, and Other Rough Waters"; and "Parties." From the publisher: "Instead of the "perfect" day, let's plan the Christ-centered day. Grooms and Brides can say good-bye to etiquette, -zilla's, must-have's, perfection and debt. Embrace your dignity as an engaged couple and learn communication, unity, and decision-making skills that not only will help you center all the details on Christ, but also will prepare you for marriage. This book is not intended to replace any portion of the Pre-Cana preparations required of engaged couples seeking the sacrament of Matrimony. Many Pre-Cana instructors provide ample resources for couples to plan the wedding ceremony; this book aims at planning everything else." 196 pages.