Catholic wedding tomorrow- what to expect?

[PleaseDontLetMyHairFrizz]

I've never been to one before. DC have had the general behaviour warning but will be receiving the specific in the morning

Standard wedding ceremony

But they don’t say ‘for ever and ever’ at the end of the Lord’s Prayer!!

Is forever and ever in the Lord's Prayer?

Shit. I hope participation isn't expected

Are they having the full mass?

Erm, I'm not sure. BIL isn't Catholic but SIL2B is.

An hour long service, with lots of kneeling

Unless it's changed the congregation stop at deliver us from evil in the Lord' prayer. Then the priest continues for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever amen.

There's usually the wedding service and a mass so expect to be there for over an hour.

Should I kneel or is it respectful enough to stay sitting at those parts?

Yep

You don't have to kneel if you dont want to but it might help keep the kids distracted

Depends. Full nuptial mass will be long. But ordinary wedding not much different from any other. Oh, except for the Vatican’s sacred monkeys, of course.......

They are long a lot of up and down and if you have young children good luck!

I've only been to one Catholic wedding but I remember the service was very long and there was a lot of kneeling.

We had a catholic wedding (although I'm not catholic). We didn't have a mass because thought it would last too long so there wasn't a huge amount to it. Just the normal sitting / standing for hymns and various bits of the wedding service. If there's a mass, you can go up for a blessing but it's also totally fine to just stay where you are - when we've been to family weddings, I never go up although my DH and his family all do. Generally the priests know that there will be a number of non-catholics in the church so will explain things as they go.

I've also never kneeled even when it's been a long service with a mass - I just stay sitting as have lots of others.

If BIL isn't catholic then the priest may have suggested just the wedding service rather than full mass, thats what happened with ours.

Estimates seem to be the solid hour. Oooft. There's loads of children going though although I think most of them on SIL's side.

If it’s a mass then it’s quite long, not bad if it’s only a service. I don’t kneel.

a full mass with communion should not last longer than an hour (ours didn’t) - depends on how many and length of hymns they’ve chosen I guess. Any differences to prayers should be easy enough to follow in the order or service or prayer book & hymns should be familiar. There will be lots to look at for younger children and if they are having communion, non-Catholics can still go up for a blessing.

Unless it's changed the congregation stop at deliver us from evil in the Lord' prayer. Then the priest continues for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever amen.

Not quite - the congregation stops after “deliver us from evil”, then the priest has a little spiel “deliver us lord from every evil” etc, and the congregation come back in with “for the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours” etc.

What are Vatican's sacred monkeys??

Like pp say it'll be about an hour with singing etc. You can kneel or stay sitting. Up to yourself. Enjoy it!

Laughing at 'the congregation come back in with'

The wider family are musical apparently. I think it will be quite interesting and SIL is just lovely in all ways, I'm looking forward to it.

The last Catholic wedding with Mass I went to lasted an hour and a half with readings and dreadful hymns that no one knew. I love the couple but dear lord it was freezing cold and it was a dirge from beginning to end.

That's why our wedding ceremony lasted 20 minutes including the signings with no readings, no hymns, and we had a very chilled out and cool C of E Vicar. It was also a hot sunny day thank goodness!

The last one I went to (this summer past, Ireland) was over an hour and very old fashioned/ impersonal to the couple. It’ll depend on the priest though, some of them are very considerate and whizz through the service .

I’d bring something to keep the kids quietly entertained if they’re easily bored.

If you decide not to kneel (perfectly fine if you don't) please do try to sit up straight if someone is kneeling behind you! It can be awkward trying to balance on the kneeler while not really being able to rest your elbows on the back of the pew in front for fear of hitting off a slouching back