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Beautiful traditions for your 2026 Catholic Wedding

Jan 1, 2026

2026 brides... it's officially your year!

As someone in the same boat (hello, April), 2025 was the year of making big decisions about wedding logistics, choosing the dress, etc. Now that it's finally *wedding year*, I actually want to dial things back while I still can, and take some time to contemplate the spiritual reality of what's about to happen in a few short months. 

Part of this involves planning the reason the whole wedding is happening... the Mass. Fiance and I have chosen readings, and I'm starting to really appreciate that the purpose of all of this is two becoming one, physically and spiritually. My heart for our wedding is to for our Nuptial Mass to be sacred, holy... a taste of heaven, for Catholics and non-Catholic guests alike.

In doing my own research on Mass planning, I have come across a few of posts of Catholic wedding traditions floating around, but none are recent. I thought it was high time to put a fresh list together to summarize some of the beautiful things that we can do to create a holy and meaningful wedding Mass!

1. Offering of flowers to Mary and Joseph

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For all those with a special devotion to the Holy Family, this one's for you. It is customary, although not required, for a couple to present flowers to Mary and Joseph after communion is distributed. Typically, the maid of honour or best man will assist with this portion of the ceremony by handing the newly married couple with vases of flowers to present. Lilies are often presented to St. Joseph, but you can offer whichever types of flowers you would like. It's a beautiful way to celebrate the saints that have been interceding for you in your season of engagement, and will continue to you in the years to come!

2. The Nuptial Veil

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I just recently saw this at a friend's wedding for the first time, and it struck me in a profound way! The nuptial veil is a white cloth (linen or lace), held over the heads of the newlyweds by the maid of honour and best man while the priest reads a special blessing. In learning more about it, I was moved to find out that the white cloth is meant to symbolize the cloud of protection provided to the newlyweds by God - a truly poignant summary of the graces of the sacrament of marriage. I wasn't able to find a photo I could include in this post, but there are some great ones by Mystical Rose Photography here.

3. Bride & Groom Procession vs. Bride walking down the aisle alone

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I first heard about this tradition during a homily at Mass! Unlike the rest of the Catholic sacraments where the priest is the minister, the bride and groom are actually the ministers of the sacrament of Matrimony, conferring the sacrament upon each other. Considering how the priest typically processes into the church as the minister of the sacrament of the Eucharist, it makes sense then that the bride and groom process in together to celebrate the sacrament of Matrimony. 

Furthermore, walking down the aisle together is a beautiful representation of the journey that the newly married couple is about to take - especially at a Catholic Mass, where they follow the cross. Marriage is a lifelong journey, and will be full of crosses - what a beautiful acknowledgement of the couple's decision to honour their vows against all odds. 

There are so many more beautiful traditions that can be incorporated into your Catholic wedding day. Are there any other beautiful sacred traditions that you think ought to be included in this list? Let me know!

Love, Meg

 

            

How to Plan Your Catholic Wedding in Vancouver

Sept. 15, 2025

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Welcome to beautiful Vancouver, BC.

The city of mountains, water, rain, and... Catholics?

According to a 2021 census, there are approximately 356,000 Catholics in the Greater Vancouver Area. While we hope that number continues to grow, it's easy to imagine that the city hosts many Catholic weddings every year.

Let's be honest, though...

Vancouver is such an eclectically diverse city (just hop on a city bus and you'll see) that Catholic communities, and resources for planning local Catholic weddings, can be hard to find. 

As an engaged person planning a Catholic wedding in the Lower Mainland, I've learned a few things. The aim of this post is to consolidate what I've learned into a post that hopefully will help others!

We'll break down the process: what you need to get married in the Catholic Church in this diocese; how to start booking your venues with your faith in mind; awesome local Catholic vendors to consider; and ways to keep your faith at front of mind amidst it all!

 

Let's start from the very beginning... (a very good place to start) 

Okay, so you're engaged. CONGRATS (!!!!!) Live in the joy and bliss of the moment, and try and hold onto it as the reality sinks in that you've got to get to work.

You and your fiancé have already sat down and agreed that you'd like to plan a Catholic wedding. That's great. The first thing you need to know is that the Archdiocese of Vancouver requires completion of a marriage preparation course prior to getting married in one of its churches.

This is  a five-week course where the first and last sessions are held in person at the Archdiocese headquarters. The sessions in between are held virtually, such that couples can attend via Zoom from wherever they are located.  This arrangement makes it challenging to meet other couples, as you only get to interact briefly at the start and end. However, the online sessions make it way easier to attend, especially if you live out in the Valley or have to deal with some serious rush hour traffic to get there (sigh).

I highly, highly recommend doing this early in your engagement. My fiancé and I did it two months in, and we are SO glad we did. We are now six months in, and there are so many more things to attend to and decisions to make. Doing it early means you really get to be present to the process, and aren't yet as distracted thinking about flowers, dresses, and cutlery. Obviously, 10 hours over the course of five weeks barely scratches the surface as far as getting into the weeds of what marriage is all about. BUT there is some genuinely good stuff in this course that you want to pay attention to. The material on couple communication and conflict resolution is really helpful. You'll also do a VERY thorough assessment of yourself that will be compiled into a report along with that of your future spouse - insightful info, and you get to have a follow up with a facilitator after the course to discuss it.

The course costs $270, and will require you to give up either a Wednesday evening or Saturday Morning. It runs every month except July, August, and December. 

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Around the time you're doing the course, you will want to be discussing where you want to get married.

You will need to have decided on your church by the time you are done the course. You will be provided with a form that you will need to review with the priest at said church, and will need to return the form signed prior to course's end. They will remind you about this every week - just a heads up. 

If you're Catholic, chances are that you'll choose to get married in the church that you and/or your fiancé attend regularly.

There are lots of beautiful churches in Greater Vancouver, and it's usually required that you contact your church of choice at least 6 months prior to the wedding date. You probably want to budget closer to a year if getting married during the summer months.

Of course, the most iconic church in Vancouver is Downtown's Holy Rosary Cathedral. It's easily the grandest in the city; just be aware that it's also the most expensive one to get married in. Most local churches charge $250-500 to host your wedding ceremony; the Cathedral requires $500-1000. Still not bad for a wedding venue, but good to know up front in case budget is tight. Altar servers will also cost you about $50 per person unless you can provide your own.   

Once you've picked your church, it's time to book vendors!

This is both the fun and stressful part. 

Photogenic as our city is, there are so many wedding photographers here that it can be hard to know who to choose. I'll leave the Instagram deep-diving to you, but I do want to bring your attention to a few local vendors who specialize in Catholic weddings. In no particular order:

1. Laura-Anne Smid. I've met this woman and she is an absolute ray of sunshine, despite the many things she's lived through (read her blog for more!). That, and she's been photographing Catholic weddings and events here for so long that she's almost a household name. Book her early if you want her, because she books up fast. You won't regret it, I promise - if not for her photography expertise, then for her joy, holiness, and wonderfully effervescent personality.

2. Fiat Lux Photography. Newer on the scene, but don't count Fred out! He photographed a friend's wedding at the Cathedral and did a beautiful job.

3. Hidden Lives Photography. Carly is actually photographing our wedding next year! She is a sweet soul who primarily does family photography, but does a limited number of weddings each year. She's flexible, accessible, insightful, and lovely. We can't wait!

4. Ambrosia Floral Studios. Unsure if she's Catholic or Christian, but Melissa does beautiful work!

5. And of course... US!!! Signage, custom art, invitation addressing, you name it. All with a Catholic touch!

This is probably a sufficiently long post for you to chew on for a while. 

Part two to come!!!

Love, Meg