MikesCelticLuv's Full Review: Chris Aridas - Your Catholic Wedding: A Complete P...
As many of you know, I am engaged to be married. We are both Catholic (we met in Catholic grade school--isn't that sweet?)and we wish to be married in the Catholic Church. In this early stage of wedding planning--I have 23 months until the big day--I have poured through countless bridal magazines and books. While many of these books are good resources, they only lightly touch upon the various traditions of different faiths. I was delighted when I found an entire book devoted to the Catholic wedding ceremony.
The book itself
Your Catholic Wedding is written by Christopher Aridas, a priest and pastor (head of a parish) in New York. As someone who has performed countless weddings, he is certainly qualified to pen such a book. Let's get down to the details of his work.
Your Catholic Wedding is a step-by-step guide that is reader-friendly. Aridas writes about the Church's view of the sacrament of marriage and how this sacrament relates to our relationship with Christ. He takes the reader through each part of a Catholic marriage rite and Nuptial Mass. The difference between the rite of marriage ceremony and the Nuptial Mass is that the Nuptial Mass contains the full Catholic Mass, which includes the Celebration of the Eucharist (communion). A regular wedding ceremony (rite of marriage) does not include the Eucharist.
The Chapters
The first two chapters of this book discussion the preparations that are made before the actual wedding day. This discussion includes spiritual preparation for the sacrament of marriage. He talks about how marriage effects the couple and their community. He asks you (the couple) to reflect on your relationship with Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. Aridas writes about the various interviews you will have with your priests. He gives you an idea of what will happen with these interviews and what you need to have with you (Baptismal certificate, Letter of Freedom, etc). He also discusses interfaith marriages and second marriages.
The third chapter is about the type of ceremony you can choose. He talks briefly about musical selections. There is a section about the roles that family/friends can play in the ceremony (readings, singing, candle lighting, etc.). He also details vows, presentation to the Virgin Mary (an option in the Catholic wedding), and the unity candle.
Chapter four is an actual layout of the Mass. Here you will see the order of the Mass. Aridas includes all the different prayers that you may choose for the different parts of the Mass.
In Chapter five, Aridas lists all the scripture readings that can be used during the Mass. In a Catholic Mass there are three readings from Scripture. There is a reading from the Old Testament, one non-Gospel reading from the New Testament and a reading from the Gospel. Father Aridas gives you dozens of scriptural passages that he may choose from. After each passage, there is a "reflection." In the reflection, Aridas talks about that particular passage's deeper meaning and how it relates to the Sacrament of Marriage. I find these reflections helpful as they can help one choose which passage suits them.
Chapter six is a handful of helpful checklists. The first four checklists can be used to keep track of your timeline (when you should choose the date, meet the priest, pick your dress, etc.), record appointments, and the basic details of your ceremony. The fifth checklist is for the events that will take place during your Nuptial Mass. This includes everything you have chosen for your Mass, including the prayers, scripture readings, music, and vows. There are two copies of this fifth checklist. One is for the couple and the other is for the priest. The sixth checklist is the same as the fifth, except it relates to the Rite, not the full Mass. There are also two copies of this list. The last checklist is where you can record the names and phone numbers of the vendors you are considering.
He also includes a sample ceremony program (a booklet that lists the ceremony events) in the back of the book. This is quite useful if you're not to sure what you should list in your program.
Conclusion
I really value this book. As our wedding date gets closer, I know we will constantly thumb through this book to get ideas on prayers and readings. I haven't found much fault with this book. I do wish he took more time to explain the Church's traditions. I also would have liked it if he gave some suggestions for ceremony music. He does go over the options for the responsorial psalm and the Alleluia, but he doesn't say much about other hymns. It's just a tiny gripe though.
I highly recommend Your Catholic Wedding to anyone who is planning on marrying within the Catholic Church. You will find this book to be very friendly, easy to read and helpful. At only ten dollars, it's an excellent price for the amount of useful information you will find in this book.
This is a handy portable planbook to aid all engaged couples and their priest in the preparation of a Catholic wedding. From first detail to last, it ...More at Christianbook.com
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.