A Catholic wedding mass is longer than most wedding ceremonies because it consists not only of the vows, but also the entirety of the mass, the celebration of Christ's sacrifice for us on earth! Please uphold a spirit of reverence and joy for this special time in which all the angels and saints in heaven are celebrating the love of God with us! We hope you appreciate the divinity of the prayers the faithful have joined in together since the Early Church! The mass is integral to our faith as Catholics because during the mass the Eucharist is transformed by the power of God from bread into the literal, living Body of Christ under the mere appearance of bread. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, and the Eucharist is incredibly important to us. It has changed both of our lives radically and has brought us closer to Christ. Because of how important the Eucharist is to Catholics, it is reserved for those who fully believe, uphold, and love the truth that it is the literal Body of Jesus. Thus, practicing Catholics in a state of grace may receive the Eucharist during our wedding mass. We ask that our non-Catholic and non-practicing friends come forward to the altar to receive a blessing from our priest instead of receiving Communion. This is not an act of gatekeeping of the Eucharist by the Catholic Church, rather, a reservation of the Eucharist for those who fully believe it to be truly, literally the body of our Lord.