Couples turn to Web for marriage prep

MARKHAM, Ont. (The Catholic Register) - A new Internet-based company here is helping couples prepare to wed in the Catholic Church.

Catholicbrides.com allows couples to create their own wedding programs using online templates to insert Scripture readings, psalms, prayers, blessings and vows. "What this does is it provides couples with a worship aid for people to follow along with at the ceremony," said Ray Hladysh, who co-owns the company with his wife Patricia. Some couples choose a simple program, but print out full song sheets with verses. Others print the entire ceremony in their program so the priest doesn't have to tell people when to sit and stand, said Hladysh. "It's a way of inviting their guests to fully participate in the marriage." "The site also provides three educational sections on engagements, the ceremony and the basics of the Catholic faith. Couples can find answers to contemporary questions such as why Catholics can't get married on the beach and what to do if you are co-habitating before the marriage. This is the first company to get permission from the Canadian Catholic Conference of Bishops (CCCB) and the United States to reprint copyrighted psalms and readings. They were able to reprint the material under the condition that the CCCB and other publishers receive royalties, said Hladysh. "We had to maintain the integrity of the rite of marriage, we can't change the readings or how they are printed. There are certain indentations (and) grammar marks for instance... it's all proper presentation," said Hladysh. The company officially launched in December 2005. It has since received about 50,000 Web site hits, with 10 per cent of the traffic being Canadian, said Hladysh. Most of its business has been in the United States. Two years ago the Hladyshs started to brainstorm a way to make marriage preparation easier for couples after their niece had difficulty preparing for her wedding. "We noticed how much they didn't know about putting together a ceremony, how intimidating it was because it was their first time doing this," said Hladysh. The young couple had trouble finding appropriate information from the order of the ceremony, to the meaning of the readings to what's to be expected in terms of etiquette because it was an interfaith marriage, said Hladysh. "More than 40 per cent of Catholic marriages are interfaith marriages," said Hladysh. "What instruction is there on the net for non-Catholics getting married? We want to make it easy for them, they are all very computer literate." For a lot of couples the wedding program has been a do-it-yourself-project that costs $20 for 100 sheets of paper, said Hladysh. At Catholicbrides.com a single four-page black-and-white program costs $1.50 and prices increase depending on the amount of pages and text and optional color printing. "It's not a cash grab when (couples) are spending $8 on chocolate covered strawberries (per portion) or $400 for doves to be released. Other than candles, a ring bearer pillow or pens to sign your register, your florist, your dress, your rings, after that it's all party, party, party. "We find a lot of couples who use us are doing it because they feel the ceremony is a very important part of their day to them, it's their start. Without the ceremony why have the reception?"

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