Are you wondering whether you can have your Catholic wedding outside? Trying to figure out how to get your special day in the church of your dreams (even though you're not registered there and have no desire to go there ever again)? Are you frustrated that some old priest whose most contemporary musical acquisition is Beethoven's 5th won't let you walk down the aisle to "Stand by Me"?
Now that the snow has finally abated (well, mostly), 'tis the season for these and a hundred other wedding-related questions. And if you're looking for some cheeky but interesting conversation on the issues, the online series "The Princess, the Priest and the War for the Perfect Wedding" is the show for you. A feature of Busted Halo, an online magazine for young adults, in "Princess", prospective brides send in video clips of their questions, and then over the course of five minutes show hosts Dr. Christine Whelan, a social historian, journalist (and recent bride herself), and Fr. Eric Andrews, CSP, pastor of a parish in Knoxville, bat back and forth. Dr. Whelan usually stands in for the couple, pushing Fr. Andrews on why priests approached about weddings can be such "jerks" at first, or why the beaches of Kau'ai aren't appropriate for our day of days, while Fr. Andrews, who says that he prefers funerals to weddings (a position held by many priests), tries to present and make sense of the liturgical positions of the church. The advice ranges from the perfunctory to the marvelously funny and practical. After going back and forth about outdoor weddings, Dr. Whelan and Fr. Andrews come up with a list of good reasons to avoid outdoor weddings that includes some things you might not think about, like BUGS, heat, accessibility for grandma in a wheelchair; and above all, rain.
If you're getting married soon or know someone else who is, "The Princess and the Priest" is a good, fun show asking the questions young couples wonder about. I can't guarantee you'll get the answers you want -- I know Les Mis is a great show, but you can't have a song from it as your communion meditation. Not even "I Dreamed a Dream." Not even with Susan Boyle singing it. But you will understand, it's not just because the priest hates Broadway.
