Honoring the Virgin
Mary at Catholic wedding ceremonies
Submitted by
Mary Ritzo Mary Ritzo
Killeen,TX
All brides want their
wedding day to be memorable. For the Catholic bride, this is quite
easy to accomplish. Honoring the Virgin Mary at your Nuptial
Mass is a beautiful act that will bring a great sense of
spirituality to your wedding day.
There are three main ways to honor the most revered woman in the
Catholic faith on your wedding day-through music/song, prayer or
offering. With a little planning, you can incorporate these
rituals into your ceremony.
Music/Song - The piece "Ave Maria" is usually played by the
organist and/or sung by a soloist during the prelude. If you have a
talented friend, you may ask her to perform this beautiful song as a
special gift to you and your groom.
Prayer - There are two prayers that show great respect for
the Virgin Mary: Hail, Holy Queen and the Memorae. Your priest will
be happy to discuss which prayer would fit perfectly in your
ceremony.
Offering - Before leaving the altar as man and wife with her
groom, many brides like to participate in the Presentation of
Flowers. In this beautiful tradition, the bride places her
bouquet-or a small part of it-at the statue of the Virgin Mary in
her church before she walks back down the aisle as a married woman.
Of course, you may want to explain the importance and relevance of
these acts in the program that you provide to your guests at the
beginning of your ceremony. Non-Catholics will especially appreciate
this gesture.
The Virgin Mary is considered to be one of the most sacred figures
in Christianity. Perhaps even more importantly, she was once a young
bride with hopes and dreams. Showing respect to her will truly make
your wedding day unique as it creates a bridge between the present
and the past
