mrs2be.ie

[BluefishJD]

This is one of the things I really like about this forum is the ability for people to put their own thoughts through and you get a well rounded view of a specific topic and I really appreciate all your opinions but now it's confused me and I'm back to thinking should i have to worry about inviting the priest!
Part of me agrees with alot of the posts saying that you should invite the priest and can see their point and then the other side of me totally agrees with the people who have said don't need to invite and fife comment below is quite true:

If we had a civil ceremony the registrar wouldn't even be invited to the reception so I don't see why a priest should be any more special.

I must admit the only civil ceremony I attended never had the registrar at the reception so should it not indeed be treated the same - oh my head We have plenty of time to think about it yet anyway and as a few have said priests are so sparingly now a days (There is confirmations on the day of our wedding and our priest has just become PP) he probably has lots of other things to attend to so won't be able to come anyway so maybe just an invite will be nice and a show of appreciation and if he comes he comes (He gets to sit beside the Granny - am sorry but definitely won't be on top table, just doesn't fit in with my symmetrical vision) and if he doesn't he doesn't...thanks all for the input really given me food for thought!

[koko]

Ill just say if you are going down the route to have a church wedding and you are obviously having a traditional wedding, in keeping with that it is tradition to invite the priest to dinner. If you actually believe in the religious aspect of it then that priest is the person that has entered you in a contract with god and as a token of appreciation you invite him to share rest of your day. As a registrar they are paid by the state to complete an official contract they have no personal involvement in your wedding. thats my two cents on this, I did invite my priest and unfortunately he couldnt make it. I would have liked him there as he was so nice and was in contact with me from the moment we decided to plan our wedding and we did talk alot on the phone and in person, not all priest will go but I think the gesture is polite under the circumstances.

[BluefishJD]

Gesture...Gesture that was the word I was looking for and as you say KoKo a token of appreciation I think my head is swaying to inviting him as a gesture and as I said if he takes it up he takes it up - were not exactly close or know him well and have only ever spoken on the phone (have yet to do per-nup enquiry) but like most have said not all priests will go but as long as the gesture is there!
And good point on the registrar for a civil ceremony never thought of it like that! Cheers

[MrsEL10]

I do think it's the norm to at least invite them to the dinner, not all of them will be able to come, we had our priest at the top table beside my parents. But as you are not having a traditional top table the family table should be fine As for the grace before and after meals our priest did that and I thought it was nice - but the poor priest got a shock when he was handed the mic as he was in the process of eating the sweets that i had in favour bags on the table lol

[letmeeatcake]

I agree that it is the norm to invite the priest, but I know a lot of them tend to turn down the invitation if they have a small parish and have to do evening mass. Other priests (like ours) have been to a miliion weddings, and truthfully can't really be arsed going to another (our priest's words, not mine! ) so they respectfully decline. Our priest would have come to the reception as an exception, and we would have loved to have him, but he will be celebrating another marriage after ours on the day, as he is very popular, and then he is off to do evening mass. Our priest is great craic, but otherwise I would be very reluctant to invite the priest, but have felt obliged as he is marrying us.

So I think that it is expected to invite the priest, but a lot of the time they don't come, so you can always hope for that!

[Skittles]

I think its the norm to have the priest at the reception. We had two priest at the reception. Would have had 4 but two couldnt make it to the reception. We had three priests on the alter. The were family friends.

[Iheartdiamonds]

We will invite the priest but I'm not expecting him to come as we don't know him personally. The last few weddings I've been to the priest that married the couple declined the invitation.

[2012cantwait]

We were not planning on inviting the priest as he's not a family friend (and in fact is a stranger toa ll intents and purposes). I can't get over how horrified people have been! I just didn't realise it was so the done thing to invite them. We will be now - I'm aiming to let these little things go so as to reduce the overall stress