Weddingbee Blog

After months of planning and preparation I was standing next to Mr Pretzel and ready to begin our Nuptial Mass. If you ask either of us what our favorite part of planning was you might be surprised to hear that it was planning our Mass together. For us, the celebrating our marriage with Mass was the highest part of our day and the real purpose of all of our preparations.

I frequently get comments and questions from other Catholic brides looking to personalize their Mass. At some point I will try to pull a list of tips. This post details exactly how our Nuptial Mass flowed and some commentary to why we selected each piece. In hindsight, I really wish that we had a video or audio recording of our Mass. I would be happy if we had just made an audio recording. Where possible I have found YouTube videos of some of the songs and Mass parts. All images by Amore Studios unless otherwise indicated.

Introductory Rites

“The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

Gathering Song

“Sing a New Song”

Source: Sing a New Song by Filipino Ministry of St Mary (Huntley)

Just like a regular Mass we start off with a gathering song that brings everyone together. To help set the tone for the Mass we chose a joyful and upbeat standard song that most Catholics know the words to.

Penitential Rite

Called together in God’s love for us and our love for God, let us ask God for peace and forgiveness…

You showed us the power of God’s love through your obedient death on the cross, Lord have mercy.
ALL: Lord have mercy.

You reveal your love for the Church in the union of husband and wife, Christ have mercy.
ALL: Christ have mercy.

You call us to love one another as you have loved us, Lord, have mercy.
ALL: Lord have mercy.

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting live. Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray…

Gracious God, you have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ’s love for his church. Hear our prayers for Matthew and Amy. With faith in you and in each other they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and your Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Our first reading lectured by my Aunt Sue

The First Reading

We selected his reading because it speaks both to human love and the passionate love that God has for his people.

Song of Songs: 2:8-10, 14, 16a;8:6-7a

A reading from the Song of Songs
Hark! my lover - here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.

My Lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.

Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.

My lover speaks; he says to me,
“Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come!

“O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,

Let me see you,
let me hear your voice,

For your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely.”

My lover belongs to me and I to him.
He says to me:

“Set me a seal on your heart,
as a seal on your arm;

For stern as death is love,
relentless as the nether-world is devotion;
its flames are a blazing fire.

Deep waters cannot quench love,
nor floods sweep it away.”

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm

Our dear friend J helped us arrange the music for our Mass and performed as a soloist. Her voice is magnificent.

Loving and Forgiving are you, O Lord
Slow to anger, rich in kindness,
Loving and forgiving are You

Source:Loving and Forgiving Are You by GabrielleSings

Mr P’s Aunt Susan read our second reading

The Second Reading

We selected this meeting because it summed up nicely our perspective not only on how to live a Christian life but also how to live a Christian marriage. Hospitality became a theme of sorts for our wedding day and one that we try to live out in our marriage.

Hebrews 13:1-4a, 5-6b

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews

Brothers and sisters: Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment, and of the ill-treated as of yourselves, for you also are in the body. Let marriage be honored among all and the marriage bed be kept undefiled. Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, I will never forsake you or abandon you. Thus we may say with confidence:

The Lord is my helper,
and I will not be afraid.

The word of the Lord.

Image courtesy of wedding guest, Mrs Cherry Pie {Persimmon Images}

Gospel Acclamation

“Alleluia Give the Glory”

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Give the glory and the honor to the Lord!

Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them; there I’ll be.

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Give the glory and the honor to the Lord!

We love this version of the Alleluia, especially because it contains the verse about where two or three are gathered in my name. When Mr P and I were on our Engaged Encounter he and I discussed this verse and how it applies to marriage. We both felt it is beautiful because in a Christian marriage there two are gathered in His name. Whenever I hear this version of the Alleluia my mind always goes to that thought.

Source: Give the Glory- Bob Hurd and Ken Canedo

We sang the first 1:50 of this recording.

The Gospel

The Beatitudes reading was a favorite of ours. The reading on our wedding day is a reminder to foster these habits within our marriage.

Matthew 5:1-12a

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began teaching them saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.

Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

The Homely

I really wish I could tell you exactly what Father Jim said when addressing us and our guests. I remember that he remarked that this was the first wedding that he had performed where the wedding party was wearing brightly colored Chuck Taylors. In reflection on our readings he focused on our second reading. He remarked that this isn’t often a reading chosen for weddings and if he had to venture a guess why we selected it he would guess that it was because of the message of hospitality. Fr Jim knows both of us well and it was wonderful to hear him speak so personally about both of us.

Next Up: The Rites of Marriage - we get married yo!

Need to catch up?

Twisted Together, aka Pretzel recaps:

• In the last week we got a little help from our friends
• Take a closer look at our favors
• Take a closer look at our programs
• We welcomed our guests to Seattle
• We took in a ball game
• Sipping tea and bridal party pampering
• We rehearse, I stress
• Nom, Nom, Rehearsal Dinner on the beach Pt 1
• Giving Gifts, Rehearsal Dinner on the beach Pt 2
• I was Sleepless in Seattle (suburbs)
• We Primp (hair and makeup)
• We got dressed
• Old New Borrowed Blue
• At first sight - our first look
• The Quiet before the Ceremony
• Welcome to our wedding
• We walked down the aisle