Worst Wedding You've Ever Attended

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Wine in a Presbyterian Church?!?!??!?

LOL. What I meant was arms folded across the chest means receiving a blessing rather than receiving the elements.

That said, yes, you will find wine in many Presbyterian churches. (The requirement is that if wine is used, non-alcoholic grape juice must also be available for those who cannot or prefer not to drink wine.) You are not likely to find wafers, though. We tend to use loaves that are cut or torn into proper-sized pieces.

Originally Posted by aephi alum

Non-Catholics (whether or not they belong to another Christian denomination) are ineligible to receive Communion . . . .

Not quite. I believe that canon law provides that Orthodox Christians may receive communion in a Catholic church. (Whether Orthodox would be allowed by their own canons to receive is a different matter.) I think canon law also provides that other Christians may, under extraordinary circumstances (including, I think, the permission of the bishop), receive communion in a Catholic church if they are unable for some reason to have access to a minister of their own church and they share the Catholic understanding of the sacrament.

That said, there is a large Catholic church nearby that openly invites Protestants to receive communion. It threw us a bit the first time we were there (for a neighbor's son's First Communion). I'm told the bishop repeatedly told them to stop. I'm also told that since the parish is run by Franciscans not directly under the bishop's authority, they would smile and nod and keep on doing it.

[angels&angles]

Also, it seems weird to put your bridesmaids in srat colors, because I'm kind of hoping not ALL of your close female friends are in your sorority. Maybe it's just me though. At my hypothetical future wedding, I'll probably have one or two that are my sisters, and then my bio sis and friends from before/after college, none of whom are greek. It would be weird to see them all in wine and silver blue, like some weird sratbot unit.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Yes, it's a year later - but I thought I'd mention (for Mystic Cat) that my Anglican-Use Roman Catholic parish does still publish the banns. I love the banns.

Originally Posted by IrishLake

Oh, and Belle, around here, a full Catholic mass wedding is not the norm, unless both the bride and groom are Catholic. Hub and I had a full Catholic mass. I hate seeing little kids having to sit through a full mass wedding as a part of the wedding party. It's torture on them!

I'm marking this to remember to tell my Catholic-Presbyterian wedding story. I don't have time now and I don't want to forget.

[pomplemousse12]

Originally Posted by angels&angles

Also, it seems weird to put your bridesmaids in srat colors, because I'm kind of hoping not ALL of your close female friends are in your sorority. Maybe it's just me though. At my hypothetical future wedding, I'll probably have one or two that are my sisters, and then my bio sis and friends from before/after college, none of whom are greek. It would be weird to see them all in wine and silver blue, like some weird sratbot unit.

Of my 4 bridesmaids, only one of them is a sister. Two are members of other organizations, and the last is my biological sister, who never went greek.

[Mevara]

I don't know if this counts as the worst ever but it is very weird.

Almost right after I graduated college I went to a sorority sister's wedding. The ceremony was nothing special but when we got to the reception. When we got the the reception there was no food and no beverages (alcoholic or not). A few minutes later someone came out with cold cuts and rolls from Costco. Someone else also ran out for a beer run.

The bride and groom also left the reception after 2 hours to go back to their hotel room. It was so early everyone stayed and continued the festivities with out them.

[Gusteau]

This may be a regional thing, but I've never seen anyone raise eyebrows, or get offended when someone stays in their seat for communion - especially at an event like a wedding or funeral where there is likely a significant number of non-Catholic guests present. I've always seen it more of a, "thanks for being quiet and respectful while we do our thing." I've even been to weddings where the priest asks non-Catholics to remain seated.

And for the record, some of my family members are very strictly observant Catholics, so if they had something to say, I would have heard it!

[WVU alpha phi]

Originally Posted by Gusteau

This may be a regional thing, but I've never seen anyone raise eyebrows, or get offended when someone stays in their seat for communion - especially at an event like a wedding or funeral where there is likely a significant number of non-Catholic guests present. I've always seen it more of a, "thanks for being quiet and respectful while we do our thing." I've even been to weddings where the priest asks non-Catholics to remain seated.

And for the record, some of my family members are very strictly observant Catholics, so if they had something to say, I would have heard it!

Co-sign. I am Catholic and have never thought twice when people remain seated at a Catholic wedding during communion. In fact, I'd be more caught off guard if I saw someone who I knew was not Catholic get up with the rest of us. Catholics who are divorced do not receive communion. My aunt falls into this category and she remains seated during communion.

[SWTXBelle]

We do the "folded arms - do not want" thing. Folded arms - get a blessing.

[Psi U MC Vito]

I thought that was standard, at least for the Western Church. I remember I was at an Orthodox service and went up for a blessing and I got weird. Fortunately I have talked to teh priest before the service and he had agreed to it.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

I thought that was standard, at least for the Western Church. I remember I was at an Orthodox service and went up for a blessing and I got weird. Fortunately I have talked to teh priest before the service and he had agreed to it.

In all the Russian Orthodox parishes I've been to, communicants fold their arms over their chests to receive. The priests place the Gifts directly into the communicant's mouth, either with a hand or a spoon.

In my parish, one of the young men brings his Jewish girlfriend to church pretty often. During communion, she remains seated, but she goes up for a blessing when the Antidoron is given.

We're pretty strict about who gets communion. Even faithful observers who haven't confessed/fasted before communion don't get it.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

In all the Russian Orthodox parishes I've been to, communicants fold their arms over their chests to receive. The priests place the Gifts directly into the communicant's mouth, either with a hand or a spoon.

In my parish, one of the young men brings his Jewish girlfriend to church pretty often. During communion, she remains seated, but she goes up for a blessing when the Antidoron is given.

We're pretty strict about who gets communion. Even faithful observers who haven't confessed/fasted before communion don't get it.

I know now this is the standard. I didn't realize how great a request I was making the time i did it. Antiochian, not Russian, but still.

[barbino]

One of my husband's friends is an Armenian Orthodox priest. We recently attended a service at his church. Not knowing the requirements for communion, I chose not to go and remained in my seat. It was a good thing, too - I had forgotten about "fasting" because although I was raised Catholic and always fasted then, I have been attending Protestant services for 15 years.

I watched the women hand each other veils to cover their heads before taking communion. We are going to a Greek Orthodox service this Sunday (husband has to go to 2 Orthodox services for a grad-level class)and I have already decided just to stay in my seat again to minimize any issues. I am very sensitive to this as my husband had communion at a Roman Catholic service earlier this year and my brother was highly offended although the priest "opened up the communion."

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by barbino

I watched the women hand each other veils to cover their heads before taking communion.

This is interesting. In my parish, we cover from the time you walk in the door until you leave. Every woman in the church wears a veil whether or not she is Orthodox. I always feel very demure and womanly with my veil.

[honeychile]

I've only seen the folded arms at Anglican churches, symbolizing that they didn't want wine with their wafer.

[SWTXBelle]

In my husband's Anglican parish, folded arms gets you a blessing - no wafer, no wine.