Why are Catholic Weddings celebrated in a church?

Sacraments have both a personal and Church dimension. While the wedding surely has deep personal meaning for the bride and groom and their families, the wider church has a stake in their marriage. Their sacrament builds up the whole Body of Christ.

When we celebrate a wedding inside a church, we do so in a space where God most frequently and powerfully interacts with the community of believers. We celebrate the most sacred events there – our sacraments, rituals in which we believe we encounter Christ most intimately. Because marriage is one of our sacraments, it deserves a sacred space.

"When you marry in the Catholic Church, your marriage takes on a spiritual dimension that enjoys the support of a community of believers. This limits some of your choices, such as place, but it gives you the church's assurance that the God we worship together will be an intimate part of your union."
                     — Fr. Paul Turner, The Catholic Wedding Answer Book, Resource Publications, 2001

"Only the following marriages may be held in some place other than a parish church or approved Catholic chapel:

A) A marriage between a Catholic and an unbaptized person

B) The validation of a marriage

C) When a close member of the family would be unable to attend for reasons of health or grave inconvenience if the marriage were celebrated in a church (Canon 1118) — Archdiocese of Baltimore, Pastoral Handbook, 1986, Policy 4.2G.19

Requests for permission in situations other than stated above should be directed to the Chancery Office.