Catholic Ceremony Question-for a "know-it-all"

[Loverly]

An older lady I know was giving me the play-by-play of a society wedding she attended this weekend , actually trying to find fault in every little thing,

Her big beefs:

1- the guys didn;t walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids (I have not seen this done in 20 years! )

2- When each bridesmaid got down the aisle-she was shocked that they didn't "bow" to the altar before entering the pew=has anyone ever seen this? is it expected in a Catholic wedding?

 

[RUDisney]

At most church weddings that we attend (DH has about 60 first cousins, so we go to a lot of weddings) the men never walk down the aisle into the church with the BMs. They do, however, walk out with them. In churches where there is a long aisle, the men may meet the women half-way into the church and escort them the rest of the way to the altar.

It is customary in a Catholic Church to either bow to the altar or to genuflect before entering your pew. I'd give BMs a pass on this because they may have been told this but the first woman in may have been nervous and forgot and the rest just followed her lead.

Why go to a wedding just to nitpik anyway?

 

[pumba]

I would of thought they would of either genuflect before entering a pew (unless the attendants were not Catholic) or they would bow before the altar...BUT they may of not been Catholics to begin with.....

also I have been to some weddings where the attendants were already down at the altar.....they came out the side of the church..and only the brides attendants came down the aisle......

 

[mjkacmom]

I'm Catholic, and was married in the Church. At least around here, the groomsmen are waiting at the Alter with the groom, and the bridesmaid's walk down the aisle, followed by the bride. I've never bowed to the Alter - it is customary to genuflect before entering the pew, but the bridesmaids might not have even been Catholic.

 

[helenabear]

Truthfully I think my ladies didn't bow. I'd have to ask them. Yes it is considered propper to do, but weddings can be a bit stressful for everyone (being on "parade") so I am not surprised if people either forgot or didn't know to. I wouldn't notice myself at a wedding. I do notice when people don't bow to the alter during a normal mass though.

I don't think I've ever seen the guys walk the bridesmaids down the aisle at the beginning, only the end. It doesnt' matter if it is a Catholic wedding or not.

 

[Tinks]

As an aside, the genuflecting or bowing is done when the Host in present in the tabernacle. The host being the body of Christ. When the Host is not present, there is no need to genuflect or bow. Now back to your regularly scheduled post.

 

[dcgrumpy]

An older lady I know was giving me the play-by-play of a society wedding she attended this weekend , actually trying to find fault in every little thing,

Her big beefs:

1- the guys didn;t walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids (I have not seen this done in 20 years! )

2- When each bridesmaid got down the aisle-she was shocked that they didn't "bow" to the altar before entering the pew=has anyone ever seen this? is it expected in a Catholic wedding?

1-I've only been to one wedding where they didn't walk down the aisle together. That was because it was a small church with a very narrow aisle. However that wasn't even a Catholic wedding

2-Yes it would be normal if the bridesmaids were Catholic

 

[golfgal]

We are Catholic as are many of our friends. The walking down the aisle, not walking down the aisle is completely up to the bride/groom. There is no right or wrong way to do that. We had the best man wait at the head of the aisle with DH, the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down together, my maid of honor walked alone and met the best man. In the church we got married in the bride and groom sit on one side of the alter facing the congregation and the maid of honor and best man sit on the other side. There is still a communion rail so the bridesmaids and groomsmen sit in chairs along that.

Bowing or genuflecting should be done but honestly I don't see it done in most Catholic weddings. All of our bridesmaids and groomsmen were Catholic and we didn't do that. I guess I don't know why we didn't.

 

[rie'smom]

I've seen both the bridesmaids walking down the aisle with their groomsmen and without. Most weddings that I've attended have the bridesmaids nodding slightly
before the altar.

 

[sk8ingmom]

I had a big fat Catholic wedding 14 years ago.
BM's walked from the back. GMs walked about 1/3 of the way up from the front and met them. Everyone bowed before heading to their pew.

Enough to get in a snit?? No!

Snit inducing: rice. We threw rice. Almost got MIL & FIL excommunicated, and he's a Deacon. He was shop-vacing the walkway as people were filing in for church the next day.

 

[lilyv]

I keep getting this picture in my mind's eye: Woman that provided the wedding color commentary, during prayers-one eye open, one eye closed, carefully scanning the "audience" make sure everyone else has their heads properly bowed, eyes closed.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Tell her, "lets just enjoy the day and we'll let god deal with them if needed"

Mikeeee

 

[mumom95]

An older lady I know was giving me the play-by-play of a society wedding she attended this weekend , actually trying to find fault in every little thing,

Her big beefs:

1- the guys didn;t walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids (I have not seen this done in 20 years! )

2- When each bridesmaid got down the aisle-she was shocked that they didn't "bow" to the altar before entering the pew=has anyone ever seen this? is it expected in a Catholic wedding?

I was married 12 years ago in a Catholic church. The guys didn't walk the bridesmaids down the entire isle, they met them about 2/3rd's the way down and walked them the rest.

They didn't "bow" at the alter in our wedding either. But the people in the wedding who were catholic probably did genuflect before they went into the pew out of habit.

Ours wasn't a high society wedding though. About 200 friends and family (my dh has a large family, his dad is one of 9) in a catholic church, with a non expensive reception following (buffet dinner, dj, dancing, that kind of thing)


Don't know what you're "supposed" to do, but that is what we did, and that is what our priest at the time instructed us to do.

 

[Beth76]

Can someone please explain the whole groomsmen meeting the bridesmaids in the middle of the aisle and walking them the rest of the way. I absolutely detest that. I think it just looks silly. I say either the groomsmen walk down the whole way or not.

 

[Chicago526]

I'm Catholic and I just was a BM at a Catholic wedding over the summer. The guys were already near the alter, the girls all came down the aisle, met up with their groomsman partner, they then bowed together at the alter and then split up on either side for the rest of the ceremony. As far as I know, bowing is customary at a Catholic wedding (and kneeling before entering a pew before sitting, of course) but I wouldn't "dock points" if the attendents didn't bow, they may not have been told or got nervous and forgot.

 

[lemondog]

An older lady I know was giving me the play-by-play of a society wedding she attended this weekend , actually trying to find fault in every little thing,

Her big beefs:

1- the guys didn;t walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids (I have not seen this done in 20 years! )

2- When each bridesmaid got down the aisle-she was shocked that they didn't "bow" to the altar before entering the pew=has anyone ever seen this? is it expected in a Catholic wedding?

We had a Nuptial Mass (9 years ago this month)...

1. The guys actually did walk down the aisle, 2 at a time, then lined up on their side. DH and his best man came out from the side to stand at the altar.

2. No one bowed at the altar. I honestly don't think I have ever seen this done at a wedding. A couple of my bridesmaids were not Catholic, though, so this would not have been expected of them anyway.

 

[MO Disney cruiser]

I really detest all of the "appropriate things to do" in relation to wedding, specifically church weddings. Why can't it just be whatever the bride and groom want? IMO ceremony most of the time is just crazy.

Right now my DD says she'll do a destination wedding because she does't want to deal with all of that. I hope she stays with that attitude.

 

[juligrl]

Been in several Catholic weddings. Always the guys were up front with the groom waiting for the gals to come down the aisle before the bride. Also never genuflected a day in my life and am pretty sure I'd get it all backward if I tried. No bowing either. What was the ladies problem anyhow?!

 

[Disney Doll]

See bolded areas

An older lady I know was giving me the play-by-play of a society wedding she attended this weekend , actually trying to find fault in every little thing,

Her big beefs:

1- the guys didn;t walk down the aisle with the bridesmaids (I have not seen this done in 20 years! ) I've seen it done with the men escorting the ladies in. I've seen it done where the men walk in first in a single file so more attention can be focused on the ladies. I don't think the men escorting the women into church is canon law with regard to a wedding ceremony...I think it is personal preference. Usually the men escort the women out. In my own Catholic church wedding, the men walked in single file, took their seats and then the women entered, then me & Dad! 2- When each bridesmaid got down the aisle-she was shocked that they didn't "bow" to the altar before entering the pew=has anyone ever seen this? is it expected in a Catholic wedding? It is customary to genuflect (if one is physically able) or bow ones head to the altar...in other words make some sort of recognition of the fact that God is up there. Some people just pause for a moment before entering the pew and bless themselves. As a PP said, the bridesmaids may have been nervous and forgot. God understands. I doubt any of them have been condemned to Hell for all eternity for forgetting to do it.