Does the Catholic Church have a hard and fast position on non-church weddings (for example, an intimate, personal wedding ceremony in a quiet courtyard), or is it left to the discretion of the diocese/parish/priest performing the sacrament?

I can't speak for the Catholic Church but I do know that in the past, especially in Europe, there were two ceremonies. One small intimate immediate-family-only ceremony in the church and a larger, more public civil ceremony with all the family and friends. It was done that way from long ago because the church and civil ceremonies didn't acknowlege each other so if you run into a snag, you could resort to this. Just a thought?

Im a Catholic from europe :)

Till this day the average and normal wedding ceremony procedure here is to first get married through a civil ceremony, but that's left rather basic where only the couple go to sign the papers to prove they are married by law, then about 1 week later they have the huge church wedding.

In my instance due to many circumstances I got married in a civil small wedding, not a church wedding.

So it depends where you come from but form where I am although it's a catholic country we are still allowed to have a small civil wedding only. Its up to you.

I believe it is left to the parish priest's discretion. I have heard of many backyard/beach/resort weddings where the priest presided.

Here in the US it is normally left up to the parish preist ( with some direction of the diocese Bishop) If the parish priest knows the Bishop does not approve of something, he normally will not. But at least in the US the local parish priest will have be more open.

What so in the US you need to ask your parish's priests permission to have a civil wedding?