Can you have a catholic wedding after the civil wedding?

Answer 1

The answer below is simply not true. I can't stress it enough. The responder is 100% wrong. You absolutely can have a wedding in a Catholic church after you've had a civil service. How do I know? Because my Catholic wedding is schedule for this November, nearly two years after my civil service. Wrong wrong wrong.

A Catholic is not allowed to undergo a civil ceremony. If you mean to do a civil ceremony and then follow it with a Catholic ceremony you will be refused a Catholic wedding. The Catholic Church only sponsors the sacramental marriage that It witnesses between its members - it is considered an implicit denial of the Faith to undergo a non-Catholic ceremony for whatever reason and thus it is sinful. If you originally had a civil ceremony and then later found out you are not married since you as a Catholic require a Catholic ceremony, you will usually be permitted after consulting with a priest who must first examine the marriage history of you and your partner to ensure there are no impediments.

In some countries of Europe, such as France and Monaco, the State denies the civil existence of any marriage which has not been duly authorized by an agent of the State. Therefore, to be legally wed in the eyes of the law, all couples living in these countries must have a civil ceremony performed first, and afterward, if they care to, a church one. In the eyes of the Church, however, a civilly married couple is not married until after the church wedding.

Answer 2

* If you are two different faiths, then you could have a Catholic Wedding and then have the wedding of your faith. This is generally done if there is a problem between the bride and grooms parents regarding religious beliefs.

Answer 3

In order for a church to marry you, you must be free to marry. If your prior civil marriage has been dissolved, via divorce or annulment, you should be free to marry. However, in some cases, the church must also declare your prior marriage invalid. For example, if you are catholic, the church must declare your prior marriage annulled, even after it is legally annulled, before the church will marry you again.

Your church marriage would serve as both a legal marriage and a spiritual marriage.

Answer 4

Short answer - Yes, if both parties are Catholic and neither one had a previous marriage prior to the civil marriage. It would be a simple validation. You would need proof of the civil marriage, and baptism records.

If not, it gets more complicated.