I don’t know many priests who really enjoy doing weddings. Many of my brother clerics have adapted a contemporary word to describe the blushing young woman at the center of it all:

“Bridezilla.”

A lot of these women come to meet the priest (or, increasingly, deacon) armed with swatches, fabrics, binders of ideas and – not insignificantly – a matronly wedding planner, who is equipped with BlackBerry, cell phone headset, and a long leather whip.

But along comes Busted Halo‘s Christine Whelan, with a timely column about what is or is not possible at a Catholic wedding.

Catholics must marry in an actual church, so the castaway-esque nuptials are not an option. “Because the intimate connection between the sacrament of marriage and the community of faith, it is most appropriate that marriage be celebrated where the community gathers, namely the parish church,” says Rev. Eric Andrews, CSP, pastor at the John XXIII University Parish. While there may not be cocktail umbrellas, this is actually a blessing: Getting married in a church is a less nerve-wracking choice. If it rains, there’s a roof.

Clip and save. It’s must reading for anyone planning a wedding – or any cleric dreading one.