By Megan Mattingly-Arthur
The facade of a Catholic church in Latvia.
Planning a traditional wedding is a lot of work, but planning a destination wedding is only for the truly brave at heart. If you've always dreamed of having your Catholic wedding in a
romantic, far-away destination, there are ways to make your special day a hassle-free reality!
Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Step 1
Begin your wedding planning at least one year before your intended wedding date. Depending on the scale of your wedding, you may want to begin your wedding planning even earlier.
Step 2
Decide on the location of your Catholic destination wedding. Some popular choices for Catholic destination weddings include the Vatican, Canterbury Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima and many others. Once you have decided on the location of your destination wedding you will need to contact the location.
Step 3
Find out what you need to do to get a marriage license in the location of your wedding. Depending on where you're going for your Catholic destination wedding, you may be required to complete a blood test before you can obtain a marriage license.
Step 4
Arrange a consultation with the priest you want to marry you. Many priests require couples to go through a period of marriage counseling before the wedding. If your family priest is unable to attend your destination wedding, it may be possible for you to complete your couple's counseling with him and have a priest at your destination perform the actual ceremony.
Step 5
Talk to a travel agent to find out if special group rates are available on airfare to your destination, as well as hotel accommodations. If so, offer the special group rates to your guests by including the booking information with your invitations.
Step 6
Send "save the date" or wedding invitations early to ensure that the friends and family you want to attend your wedding will have ample time to arrange to be there. Be sure to have guests RSVP months before the wedding to give yourself plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements.
Step 7
Hire caterers, photographers, videographers and other wedding services providers at your chosen destination months in advance. Contact your destination's tourist information office for recommendations.
Resources
About the Author:
Megan Mattingly-Arthur has been writing professionally since 1998. She has contributed to various publications, including "Teen Voices" and "Positive Teens" magazines, as well as a book, "The Young Writer's Guide to Getting Published." Mattingly-Arthur is studying travel and tourism through Penn Foster Career School.
Photo Credits:
Facade of catholic church image by Juulijs from
Fotolia.com
