Bride-to-be Blogger Leslie: Consenting Together

Leslie and Charles, outside the chapel at their alma mater, where they will get married this spring.

This week, Charles and I had a very important meeting at Villanova University. It was an appointment we had both been looking forward to for some time. We met with our priest, Fr. David, and went over a bunch of paperwork that we had to finalize before the upcoming wedding.

This meeting with the priest was a mandatory part of going through with our wedding at the Villanova chapel. The first part of this was when we completed our Villanova Pre-Cana (Day 1 & Day 2) last spring. This week, we met with Fr. David together first, and then he met with each of us individually, with the goal of getting to know both of us better as a couple.

The theme of the meeting was to confirm that we both consent to the marriage. Lots of questions were asked regarding how we feel about the future, having children together, and to make sure there was no pressure of any type in our relationship. I was a bit nervous, because I didn’t know what to expect, but our priest is young, super personable and made us both laugh.

Fr. David had a document that he needed to fill out that involved him calling four members of our family and friends to make sure we were getting married for the right reasons. He asked our friends and family the same questions he had asked, us so it was funny to hear some of their answers.

Aside from the mandatory paperwork we had to get through, Fr. David talked with us a bit about the actual wedding day, and what we should expect. Having a wedding at Villanova University is amazing and it’s going to be beautiful — but it takes a lot of work. Fr. David reassured us that everything will be perfect!

It was fun to spend some time on our old stomping ground and it was nice to talk with Fr. David about our upcoming wedding, as well as our new marriage. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in all the craziness of wedding planning — but it’s important to remember that the wedding is just one day, and we are preparing for a lifetime together. Truly, it’s important to keep everything in perspective!

Did you meet with your priest or officiant a few times before your Big Day? What was it like?

For more information on my wedding planning and healthy living for brides, please check out my other blog, And Her Little Dog Too.

Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Philadelphia Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.