So, you have decided to join your destiny with your loved one, not just receiving the blessing of the registry office, but also getting married in Orthodox Church. It is important that this event turns out to be not just a tribute to fashion, but becomes a serious, deliberate step, and for this it is important to know its features. Who can get married and when, under what conditions is the sacred sacrament performed and what needs to be prepared for this?
The editors of the site learned all the details of this amazing and powerful ritual.
Who can and cannot get married
The first requirement for those getting married is to be baptized in the Orthodox Church. If the bride or groom is not a member of the Orthodox Church or the situation with baptism is not clear, it is important to come to the church at least a month before the expected wedding date and discuss the nuances with the priest. Sometimes it is allowed to marry newlyweds, even if someone in the couple is not Orthodox, but! - provided that children born in this marriage will be baptized in Orthodoxy.
The second requirement is the marriageable age of the young people: the bride must be 16 years old, the groom -18. True, the priest will probably make an exception for a younger bride if she is expecting a child (or, as we say in Ukraine, “if there is hope”). The Church is interested in children being born in a married marriage.
It is curious that the couple will be married even if the future spouses have not received the blessing of their parents. In this case, everything is decided by the blessing of the clergy.
IMPORTANT.Atheists and unbaptized blood and spiritual relatives (for example, godfather and goddaughter), as well as those marrying for the fourth time, cannot get married. The wedding ceremony can only be performed three times. And then provided that the person is widowed or the previous marriage was dissolved by church rules.
When you can and cannot get married
It is important that you can get married on the day of marriage in the registry office (but this is very difficult to bear physically), and even if your legal marriage is many years old.
By the way, if one of the couple has any misunderstandings with documents or other problems, do not be afraid to contact the priest - they will definitely meet you halfway in the church.
Don't get married:
During fasting:
Rozhdestvensky - lasts November 28 - January 6;
Great - seven weeks before Orthodox Easter;
Petrov - depends on the date of Easter, lasts from 8 to 42 days;
Uspensky - lasts from August 14 to August 27.
Take this nuance into account when planning your wedding (fasting involves abstinence from food, alcohol consumption, loud celebrations, and sexual intimacy);
. weddings will be denied on significant days:
September 11 - Beheading of John the Baptist;
September 27 - Exaltation of the Holy Cross;
from January 7 to January 19 - Christmastide;
on Maslenitsa;
on Bright Week (the week after Easter);
If one of the couple planning to get married is married to another person who was not dissolved in the order established by the church;
People get married in church not every day, but 4 days a week on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On the days of four fasts, during them, church marriages are not celebrated;
If the blessing of a clergyman is not given for marriage and wedding.
IMPORTANT. There is one piquant point: according to church laws, you cannot appear in the temple at “ critical days" Well, it makes sense to calculate and choose the right time for the ceremony.
How to prepare for a wedding
It is important to choose a church and a priest who will perform the ceremony. It is advisable to give preference to the temple that you have been going to since childhood, or the one in which you feel comfortable and calm.
You need to agree on a wedding date in advance - several weeks in advance. It is also important to discuss in time: how long the ceremony will last, what to bring with you to the temple, whether it is possible to film the ceremony in the temple on camera or do a photo shoot, how much the ceremony will cost (it is paid).
IMPORTANT. The priest may offer you additional church services: e.g. bell ringing, church choir singing.
How to choose guarantors
Guarantors are witnesses at a wedding who hold the crowns during the ceremony. It is customary to choose them from close (friends), baptized, unmarried or legally married people (the church is not allowed to choose divorced or civilly married people). Guarantors perform the same duties as godparents: they help young people in life with advice and spiritually guide the family.
IMPORTANT. If it was not possible to reach an agreement with witnesses, the wedding can take place without them.
Which wedding dress to choose?
An important rule: young people must wear baptismal crosses. The bride is supposed to wear a dress that is not short (below the knees), without a deep neckline and too open shoulders (a stole can be thrown over the shoulders). A veil is allowed, but massive headdresses or hats are not allowed, since the bride will be wearing a church crown on her head.
The groom is supposed to be in a suit, but... not in a sports suit or too bright or extravagant, and for female guests of the ceremony it is advisable to wear a dress or a skirt below the knee, and for married women - with their heads covered.
IMPORTANT.The bride should not come to church with very bright makeup, and besides, you cannot kiss the cross and the icon with painted lips. By the way, people believe that a wedding dress cannot be given or sold: it is stored like a baptismal shirt, kryzhma and candles.
What you need to prepare for a wedding
Two scarves (they are used to wrap wedding candles).
IMPORTANT. The wedding towel is kept, like wedding candles, which can be lit to cleanse the house on difficult days or when someone in the family is sick.
How to behave during a wedding ceremony
The priest will tell you how the ceremony will take place. The wedding takes place at the entrance to the church, the bride stands to the left of the groom, both stand on a towel and keep candles lit until the end of the sacrament. During the ceremony, the newlyweds are blessed by the priest - after a special prayer, he must change wedding rings from the young man's hand to the bride's hand.
Next, the confessor asks the question: “Is the wedding taking place of your own free will? Are there any obstacles? After the young people answer and pray, the young people become spouses before God. They kiss the church crowns and drink the church wine in three gulps.
At the end of the ritual, the priest leads the spouses around the lectern, then to the Royal Doors, the young man kisses the icon of Christ, the young woman kisses the icon of the Mother of God. Afterwards, guests can congratulate the newlyweds!
Those who want to get married in the Church should know that this is not only a solemn and beautiful ceremony, but also a great responsibility that young spouses take on. Some people want to “complement” their wedding ceremony with a wedding, without understanding the seriousness and significance of this rite. After all, a wedding is not just a beautiful ceremony and not a tribute to tradition.
Those who wish to get married in a church must necessarily be Christians baptized in Orthodoxy, but also believers, since they need to understand that to independently dissolve such a marriage or to break the vow of fidelity means to commit an absolute sin.
Before getting married, the bride and groom should prepare themselves spiritually. They must confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries. Before this, it is advisable to observe a seven- or ten-day fast.
For the wedding it is necessary to prepare two icons in advance: the Savior and Mother of God. During the Sacrament of Wedding, these two icons will be used to bless the bride and groom. Traditionally, these icons were taken from the parental home and thus passed on to subsequent generations.
It is for this reason that parents bring icons to the church ceremony. If, for some reason, the parents are absent for the wedding, then the bride and groom should bring the icons with them.
In addition to icons, the bride and groom must purchase wedding rings. At a wedding ceremony, the ring symbolizes eternity and indissolubility marriage union. A gold ring is purchased for the husband, which in its brilliance represents sunlight, to which the husband is like in a marriage.
The wife is given a silver ring, which is like the moon, a smaller luminary that reflects sunlight, that is, the wife is a reflection of her husband. Nowadays, young people usually buy rings made of gold or decorated with stones or engravings for both.
Wedding candles will also be needed for the ceremony. They can be purchased right there in the temple. In addition, it is worth finding a white towel (handbrake) in advance in order to lay it under your feet.
According to custom, the newlyweds hold burning candles in their hands. To avoid getting waxed, you should take care of white handkerchiefs with which you can protect your hands.During the wedding ceremony, the newlyweds are given a cup of wine. Before the ceremony begins, the priest must be given a bottle of Cahors.
Selection of witnesses
Now those getting married decide for themselves whether witnesses are needed at the ceremony.
Witnesses (in other words, guarantors) must necessarily be people baptized in Orthodoxy, preferably church members, who reverently relate to the sacrament of weddings.Previously, they tried to invite as witnesses people who were not very young, who understood well what it means family life and, if necessary, able to give advice. Witnesses must be well acquainted with the bride and groom, because they are vouching for the new family.
During the wedding ceremony, guarantors hold the crowns over the heads of the bride and groom while the newlyweds walk around the lectern. Also, the witnesses, with their signatures, metric book confirm the completed wedding act.
Sacrament of wedding
The wedding ceremony consists of the following stages:
- engagement;
- the wedding ceremony itself;
- permission of the crowns;
- thanksgiving prayer.
Engagement
The first part of the wedding sacrament is the betrothal. Betrothal symbolizes that the newlyweds, entering into marriage, make mutual promises and obligations to each other in the presence of God and at his discretion.
Traditionally, the groom should be the first to arrive at the church and wait for the bride there, but nowadays the newlyweds arrive together after the marriage has been registered at the registry office.
The bride and groom stand in front of the main entrance to the church. A priest is already waiting for them at the altar, who will conduct the ceremony. The young people are led inside the church.
After blessing the newlyweds three times, the priest hands them candles that are already lit. With each blessing from the priest, the bride and groom must cross themselves three times. It should be remembered that if this is not the first marriage in the church, but the second or third, candles are not given to the newlyweds.
The priest then places the rings on the fingers of the bride and groom. After receiving the blessing, the newlyweds exchange rings three times as a sign of their love, devotion and willingness to help each other throughout their lives.
The prayer of the clergyman completes the betrothal.
After the engagement, the bride and groom stand in front of the lectern on a white handbrake, which is spread on the floor. A cross, a Gospel and crowns are laid out on the lectern. The witness stands next to the groom, and the witness stands next to the bride.
In the face of the Church, the young people once again confirm their desire to get married. This consent is the main condition for a natural marriage to be considered concluded. Now the wedding ceremony begins - the sanctification of the marriage by Divine grace.
The laying of crowns on the bride and groom and their blessing by the clergyman testify to the sealing of the Sacrament of marriage. The rules of the Church do not clearly indicate whether it is necessary to put crowns on the heads of young people or whether it is enough for witnesses to hold them above their heads.
As a sign of common fate, joys and sorrows, the newlyweds are given a cup of wine. It must be taken one at a time, first the groom, then the bride, drinking it in three doses.After the young people have drunk the wine, the priest joins the hands of the young people and circles them three times around the lectern. Then the newlyweds kiss the icons: the groom - the icon of the Savior, the bride - the image Holy Mother of God.
A kiss from the newlyweds ends the wedding ceremony. It is a symbol of chastity and purity of their love.
After this, the gathered relatives and guests can congratulate the newlyweds.
In order to get married in the Orthodox Church, you should remember that there are certain restrictions.
Thus, in order to celebrate the Sacrament of marriage in the Orthodox Church, it is necessary that the young people be Christians. If one of the spouses, for example, is Catholic, then such a marriage will be possible provided that the children born in it will be baptized in the Orthodox Church.
The marriage will not be blessed if one of those entering into marriage is an atheist and agrees to perform the Sacrament of Wedding at the insistence of the spouse.
Also, an obstacle to a wedding is if the groom has not yet turned eighteen years old at the time of marriage, and the bride has not reached the age of sixteen.
A wedding is not permitted if one of the spouses (and especially both) is not baptized and does not intend to be baptized before the wedding.
You can get married in the Church a maximum of three times.. The Church does not bless the fourth, fifth and subsequent marriages.
The wedding takes place only after the marriage is registered in the registry office. The Church recognizes civil marriages, but considers them devoid of grace.
It is not possible to get married in the Church if at least one of the spouses is legally married to another person. Provided that the previous marriage was also consecrated by the church, it is necessary to take the bishop's permission to dissolve it and enter into a new marriage.
It is unacceptable to have a wedding, as well as a civil marriage, between blood relatives, as well as relatives acquired through baptism.
Not a rule, but rather a recommendation. The clothes of young people should be elegant. Bride's dress light color, arms, shoulders and back must be covered. If the style of the dress is quite open, then you can cover yourself with a thin cape. Everyone present at the wedding sacrament must wear a cross.
Behavior in the temple
While in church, young people, their relatives and friends should adhere to certain rules of conduct:
- Women should wear a dress or suit with a skirt no longer than knee length. Women are not recommended to wear trousers. Shoulders should also be covered.
- Women should also cover their heads with a headscarf or scarf. Makeup should not be bright and provocative.
- Guests should gather in the church approximately 15 minutes before the wedding ceremony begins, so as not to create a crush when the bride and groom enter.
- Sound in mobile phones needs to be turned off.
- You are not allowed to walk around the temple during the wedding ceremony.
- During the ceremony, women stand on the left side of the hall, and men on the right.
- Standing with your back to the iconostasis is not allowed.
- You should cross yourself with your right hand.
- The wedding lasts approximately one hour, so if someone cannot stand such a long time, it is better to immediately stay on the street and wait for the end there.
- These rules must be followed by all guests who are present at the wedding ceremony.
Wedding cost
The cost of performing the sacrament of a wedding in an Orthodox Church usually varies depending on the city in which the parish is located. The larger the city, the higher the wedding price will be. Accordingly, in small towns the cost will be much lower.
It's not just the size of the city that affects the cost. If the newlyweds want to get married separately from other couples who are also getting married on this day, the cost will be slightly higher. IN weekdays As a rule, there are not very many such people getting married. Also, the sacrament will cost more for those couples in which one of the spouses was already in a marriage sanctified by the church.
In order to find out exactly how much the wedding will cost, you should come to the church in advance and find out exactly all the information about the sacrament, the conditions for its holding and the cost.
Signs associated with weddings
The sacrament of wedding is one of the oldest and most important rites in life. Orthodox Christian, so it is not surprising that over time it appeared a large number of signs that are associated with him.
If the ring falls during the engagement, it means the family will not be strong or the widowhood of one of the spouses.
The handbrake on which the newlyweds stood during the wedding sacrament cannot be given to anyone. It should be kept in the family all their lives, as a symbol of the newlyweds’ life path.
Wedding candles should also be kept in the family for life. But perhaps some people don’t know that they can be lit again during a difficult birth or illness of the child.
Before going to church and after the wedding at home, the newlyweds were showered with grain and hops. Now this tradition has undergone changes and newlyweds are showered with coins to ensure a rich life.
Wedding rings were chosen to be smooth, without stones, inserts or carvings, so that life in the new family would be smooth.
Until the moment when the crown is placed on the bride, her face should be covered with a thick veil, so that no one can see it. Nowadays, this custom is rather symbolic, so the veil is worn transparent or openwork.
If, during the wedding sacrament, candles crackle in the hands of the bride and groom, then life in the family will not be calm.
During the wedding, young people should not look into each other's eyes so that family life would not be overshadowed by infidelity.
When the newlyweds returned home after the wedding in the temple, the bridesmaids braided her hair.
There are still a large number of similar signs. But today, the church does not require strict adherence to all the rules. Therefore, following signs or beliefs is a personal matter for everyone.
On what days do people not get married?
According to church rules, it is not allowed to perform the wedding sacrament on the following days:
- during the large and strict four fasts (Great, Petrov, Uspensky and Rozhdestvensky);
- on Easter and cheese weeks;
- in the days between the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany (Christmastide);
- before the great, temple and twelve holidays;
- before fasting days (Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays), that is, the wedding ceremony is not held on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday;
- per day and on strict days one-day posts(Beheading of John the Baptist and Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord);
- Also, wedding sacraments are not performed at night.
In any case, you need to come to the church in advance and find out whether it is possible to get married on the day you are interested in, since a large number of holidays and fasts do not have a fixed date, but change every year.
If the wedding took place on one of the days prohibited by the church charter, the marriage will still be considered valid.
Photo and video shooting during a wedding in an Orthodox church
Although church marriage is not mandatory in Russia and the CIS countries; many couples decide to take this important step. And if some families sincerely want to marry in heaven as a sign of confirmation of pure love and faith in God, then others simply follow fashion, including the sacrament in the wedding plan.
For whatever reason you decide to get married, the wedding portal site reminds you: be sure to follow the church rules for preparing for the sacrament!
Before the wedding: will there be a sacrament?
Before you begin preparing for your wedding, you need to find out whether the church will allow your couple to get married in a church ceremony. After all, there are prescribed taboos to the ritual.
The wedding will not take place if:
If at least one of the above points occurs, alas, the church will not be able to bless your union.
Are there any obstacles to the sacrament? Then we offer you a little instruction in preparing for the wedding:
A wedding ceremony in the Orthodox Church is held only if the couple has formalized their relationship. It doesn’t matter whether you decide to seal your union directly on the day of the celebration or years later, the church may ask you to provide a marriage certificate.
Confession and Communion before the wedding
The decision to get married should not be made spontaneously. Everyone in a couple must be sincerely confident in their intentions. An important role is played by cleansing the soul through prayers, Confession and Communion.
Maximum detailed information The church will definitely tell you how to prepare for the rituals. Do not hesitate to ask questions, because this will help avoid awkward situations directly during the rituals.
Before Communion and Confession, one should fast. For three days, the newlyweds read prayers (the priest will tell you which ones), visit evening services, refuse for this period from sexual relations. Eggs, meat and dairy products will have to be excluded from food.. All this must be observed before the preparatory rites for the wedding.
One of the main tasks of the church is to help a person improve his own soul. Church teachings call to get rid of evil thoughts, empty and abusive words, and to accept everything humbly and calmly.
As a rule, Confession and Communion take place immediately before the wedding. But this is not a mandatory requirement. The bride and groom can attend church the day before and separately.
Every church ceremony aimed at healing human soul. And if you really decide to seal your relationship with a Church marriage, then both should want this. And the groom. And the bride.
The portal Svadbaholik.ru advises only those couples who are confident in the strength and purity of love in the family to go to church. This may take years, even decades of married life. But only then will you be able to fully appreciate the depth and significance of the sacrament of marriage. And you will treat the question of how to prepare for a wedding with maximum responsibility.
IN Soviet years in our country, some functions that were previously performed by the church began to be performed by registry offices. IN government institutions civil status acts were registered, including marriages, and the sacred rite of consecration of the union between spouses, which was performed in churches, was forgotten.
In those years, people who got married in church were expelled from the party and Komsomol, and sometimes even fired from their jobs. It is not surprising that few people decided to take such a step. Over time, these prohibitions were lifted, and old tradition sanctification of relationships loving people in our churches it is beginning to revive.
Some couples decide to enter into such a union several years after registering the marriage in the registry office. What are the requirements for those getting married in a church if they are already married? There is no difference in the rules of the church charter for people who have been married for a long time or recently.
What do you need for a church wedding if you are already married?
In any case, you are required to bring documents to the church confirming registration with the registry office.
According to the rules, spouses who want to sanctify their union in church must be baptized Orthodox Christians, not related to each other by blood (up to the fourth degree), not godfathers of each other, or godparents and godchildren.
In some cases, weddings with Christians of other faiths (Catholics, Lutherans, Protestants) are allowed, but this ceremony is not performed if one of the spouses is not baptized, is a Muslim, a Buddhist, or adheres to another faith.
You should also know that the church does not recognize all marriages concluded in accordance with civil norms. It does not allow marriage more than three times, although in accordance with the legislation in our country subsequent – fourth and fifth – marriages are allowed.
If one of the spouses has already been married before, he must obtain permission from the bishop to dissolve the previous marriage.
How do those who are already married prepare for a wedding?
You need to choose a temple where this ceremony will take place, install suitable date in accordance with church calendar and negotiate this with the priest. According to the church charter, weddings are not held:
- during multi-day church fasts (Christmas, Great, Petrov and Assumption),
- on Cheese and Easter weeks,
- during the period from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany (Svyatka),
- on the eve of the twelve, great and temple holidays,
- in days church holidays(on Candlemas, Ascension of the Lord, Trinity, Beheading of John the Baptist, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, Protection of the Holy Theotokos),
- on Saturdays, as well as on Tuesdays and Thursdays - the day before Lenten Wednesdays and Fridays.
In order to have time to prepare everything you need, it is better to set a wedding date 2-3 weeks before the event.
What else do married spouses need to prepare for the wedding ceremony? On the eve of this ceremony, the spouses need to fast for three days, confess and take communion.
If you are not very familiar with the procedure for conducting church rituals, do not worry - the priest will tell you everything. Before giving you his blessing, he will offer to read certain prayers, attend a church service, etc.
Keep in mind that on the eve of communion and weddings you should not drink alcohol; It is also recommended to abstain from intimacy. These days they do not need to be angry, quarrel, allow idle talk, unkind thoughts, they should be more humble and meek.
What is required for a wedding ceremony in a church?
To perform this ritual you will need:
- two icons - the Savior and the Mother of God, with which the priest will bless the spouses during the sacrament,
- rings: gold for a man and silver for a woman, although only gold or silver can be used,
- church candles and two small scarves with which you will wrap the candles so that during the wedding the dripping wax does not burn your hands,
- towels, one of which is used to bandage the wedding couple’s hands, and the other is placed under their feet (these can be elegant white towels or towels decorated with wedding symbols),
- red fortified wines "Cahors" or "Sherry".
The wedding set will be available for purchase at the church store. The wedding ceremony itself is carried out free of charge, but there is a tradition of leaving a donation in the temples. Its size, which is discussed individually, is usually 500-1500 rubles.
Video filming in the temple is possible only with the prior permission of the priest. Some churches prohibit filming, while others allow it only from certain places.
How to prepare for a wedding in a church?
Take your choice of witnesses seriously. According to the rules, only baptized Orthodox believers can act in this capacity. It is desirable that this be a married couple, married and with children.
Witnesses will have to not only be present in the church and hold crowns over your heads during the ceremony, but also maintain close contact with you later, help in establishing a family and, if necessary, provide moral assistance.
The spouses' outfits should be formal and at the same time modest. You should not wear casual, sports or too revealing clothes to your wedding. The bride's dress should not have a deep neckline or slits and should not be longer than the knees.
If it is too open, you need to take care of a scarf or cape that is thrown on top. The heads of all women present at the wedding must be covered with scarves or hats. Also, during the ceremony, the spouses must wear pectoral crosses. This also applies to other people present at the wedding ceremony.
It remains to say that the wedding ceremony takes quite a long time - at least 40 minutes, and it is better for the bride to choose comfortable shoes in not too high heels, so that nothing would distract her during the ceremony.
We hope that in this article you will find the answer to the question of what is necessary for a wedding in a church for those couples who have already been married. We advise you to treat this sacrament with all seriousness and responsibility, because dissolving a church marriage, unlike a civil one, is extremely difficult.
Features of the sacrament of church wedding in the Orthodox Church. Choosing a date, outfit, witnesses.
- God brings people together. It is in his power to compile the whole picture of our fate, “chance” meetings, trials and sorrows.
- Before the Bolsheviks came into power, our ancestors respected church canons and were very sensitive to the sacrament of marriage. There was no question of any cohabitation or civil union; all this was considered a shame and was not welcomed in society
- In all scriptures it is said that man was created by God, that is, He is our father and progenitor, who related all people to each other
- This means without his will, blessing and good parting words starting an important business means dooming it to failure in advance. This is probably why our ancestors revered their older family members so much and did not marry without their permission and approval.
The meaning of a wedding in the Orthodox Church?
young people hold candles during the wedding- Even if you consider yourself not a religious person and don’t go to churches, you still feel that a wedding is a serious step for spouses
- The priests say that at the moment of their wedding, a young couple lets Jesus Christ into their family. He protects them from adversity and disagreement, strengthens it if both spouses are faithful to each other
- In the face of the Holy Icons and God, people cement their union, merge together, turn into a single whole
- The young couple thus receives the blessing of the Almighty and undertakes to fulfill his commandments
- Those who have undergone the sacrament of wedding note that they felt spirituality during the ceremony and even greater closeness with their loved one
Wedding rules
beautiful couple getting married - You should inform the priest about your intention in advance. Consult with him on all issues that concern the minds of the young couple
- The wedding date should not be chosen during fasting
- Christians are married if they were baptized in the church and are not in another marriage. Between representatives different faiths, for example, Muslim, Buddhist, wedding in the Orthodox Church is impossible
- Clothing for this sacrament is chosen to be elegant and light in color. For women, long sleeves, closed shoulders, back or the use of a cape covering them are desirable
- Before the ceremony, a betrothal takes place in the church, when the newlyweds are given a period of time to confirm their intention to link their destinies.
- Photo and video filming of the wedding ceremony in the church is allowed, the main thing is to discuss this point in advance with the priest
- The wedding is held for those who have reached the age of 18 and registered the marriage in the registry office
- It is permissible to perform the wedding ceremony of a person three times in his entire life if he is widowed or his marriage was dissolved with the consent of the church
- The priest will refuse to administer the sacrament to close relatives
- On the eve of the wedding date, the young couple observes fasting and confesses to the priest.
How to prepare for a wedding in the Orthodox Church?
serious faces of the newlyweds during the wedding Before starting the Holy Sacrament for marriage, you should consider and fulfill several points:
- choose the right date. The church has its own schedule and life, therefore weddings are not held during fasting and holidays
- decide on the temple where the wedding will take place
- negotiate with the priest who will conduct the service. This could be your confessor from another church/cathedral
- prepare a set for the wedding. By the way, you can buy it ready-made in a church shop
- rings. Some time ago a young couple brought one gold and one silver rings. The first symbolizes the sun and male energy, the second symbolizes the moon, female energy. And the ritual itself was considered the union of two creative principles into one for the birth of a new life
- choose your outfit carefully. Usually this is the dress that was worn on the day the marriage was registered at the registry office. But many couples come to the desire to get married consciously later. Then a different outfit is chosen. For women, long-sleeve, floor-length dresses and a scarf on the head are optimal.
- be sure to come to confession the day before and take communion, and observe the required duration of fasting
How to choose the best days for a wedding?
choose the wedding date according to the calendar As noted above, a church or temple has its own daily routine, in which there are days only for prayers and divine services of the monks. For example, during fasting, great holidays known in the world, the wedding ceremony is not held.
Each temple has its own schedule for the whole year in advance. You can get acquainted with it when you come to the priest to agree on a date.
What is needed for a wedding in the Orthodox Church?
wedding icons Before the wedding ceremony, a young couple should:
- come for an interview with the priest, discuss the date of the sacrament with him
- follow all his instructions regarding the post
- agree on the day the young couple will come for confession and communion
- talk about the engagement - will it be held several months before the wedding or will it precede the last one on the same day
On the day of the sacred sacrament, the young couple prepares:
- icons of the Savior and the Virgin Mary, perhaps they are passed down as a relic in one of the families from parents to children
- pectoral crosses
- rings
- special wedding candles. They can be purchased locally at the church store
- towel under your feet
- towel or cloth for tying hands
- handkerchiefs for holding candles and crowns, 4 pieces in total
- bread, wine, sweets
Many churches also require two witnesses who will hold the crowns over the wedding couple and help in the process of performing the sacrament. These people are selected from among baptized Christians who regularly attend church services.
What kind of wedding rings are needed?
wedding rings in a box - More than 10 centuries ago, the tradition of betrothal on the eve of the wedding developed. Both of these sacraments were performed only before the face of God in church
- Closer to our time, registration of marriage in the registry office began to be considered betrothal. Some couples believe that this act is enough to create new family, the other part is not. They either, under the influence of fashion, pressure from parents, personal mutual desire, come to church to get married
- According to church canons, wedding rings are different from engagement rings. The second is a symbol of the desire to reunite in the union of two people. Externally, they can be anything, including expensive options with precious stones
- Wedding rings are more modest and simple decorations. on their inside our ancestors carved prayers, and we carved the wedding date and the name of the spouse
- Correctly chosen rings - gold for the husband, silver for the wife. The first personifies Jesus Christ and Divine power, the second - the Church, purity, loving service
How to choose a dress for a wedding in the Orthodox Church?
correct wedding dress for the bride Perhaps this is the most exciting and sensitive question for every bride. After all, she wants to be the most irresistible and beautiful on her wedding day.
What should be included in a bride's outfit:
- dress or skirt below the knees
- closed shoulders, chest, back. For open styles wedding dresses take the cape
- the head is covered with a veil, scarf, hat
How is a wedding carried out in the Orthodox Church?
young couple before the wedding - The sacrament of the wedding begins with the engagement, if the young couple arrived at the church after the registry office. Liturgy is going on in the church all the time
- The priest meets them at the entrance and leads them inside. In this case, the newlyweds are positioned like this - the man is on the right, the woman is on the left, and both are turned to face the altar
- The deacon brings out the engagement rings on a tray, which were prepared in advance and lay on the altar
- Father dawns on sign of the cross young couple with the help of lit wedding candles and hands them to them. This is a symbol of the meeting of two loving hearts who want to link their destinies together.
- Next, the priest invites the newlyweds to put on the rings, reading special prayers and voicing their intention to get engaged. He makes the sign of the cross over each of the couple - first the man, then the woman, and he himself puts the rings on them. Afterwards, the bride and groom exchange rings as a sign of their readiness to share their joys and sorrows with each other
- Then the young couple stands on a towel, which means their desire to have one destiny for two. They confirm this three times, answering the priest’s question, that they did not promise their heart to anyone else.
- Prayers are read and the service continues. Everyone present in the church prays with the priest for the happiness of the young
- Then the crowns are brought out and the priest first makes the sign of the cross over the young people and places them on their heads. The crown can be held above the bride by a witness due to her voluminous hairstyle
- The priest ties the young people’s right hands with a towel and leads them around the lectern three times
- Then the deacon brings wine in a cup, over which the priest reads prayers and offers the man and woman to drink three times in turn.
- Having joined his right hands together and covered them with his stole, the priest again leads the young couple in a circle three times. Leads to the golden gate, where they take turns kissing the icons of the Savior and the Virgin Mary
- At the end of the wedding, the priest gives a cross for kissing to the husband and wife and hands them the icons with which they were married. Newlyweds can hang them above their bed to maintain a constant connection with the Almighty
Duration of the wedding ceremony in the Orthodox Church
young people holding wedding candles in their hands Different churches have their own rules and canons, which may differ slightly from the general church ones. That is why the duration of the wedding ceremony is quoted from 40 minutes to an hour.
What is the cost of a wedding in the Orthodox Church?
As you understand, there is a difference in the cost of a wedding in a rural church or a large legal church in the capital. Exact number You can find out from the priest, to whom you will come the day before to agree on the date and all the nuances. On average, the amount varies from $10 to $35.
Video: beautiful wedding
Weddings in the Orthodox Church: signs
the newlyweds enter the middle of the temple for the wedding - Before the wedding ceremony, no one should see the face of the bride, not even the groom. A thick veil was used for this. Nowadays, the bride's face is covered with openwork or more transparent headlights/scarves
- After the bride left for the wedding, the floors in the house where she lived were washed so that she would not return home and her family life would be happy
- If during the sacrament of a wedding someone drops the crown, he must be widowed
- During the ceremony, those getting married should not look into each other's eyes. This promises a short period of love and betrayal
- According to signs, rings should be smooth, without stones or inscriptions, so that the life of the young people will be smooth and okay
- If the wedding candles crackle loudly during the ceremony, the life of the young couple will be difficult
Wedding ceremony in the Orthodox Church: reviews
happy husband and wife after wedding Polina and Victor, young family
We got married a year after the wedding ceremony at the registry office. We came to this step consciously, regularly attended church services and communicated with our spiritual father. We received permission to film the ceremony. Surprisingly, while watching, we saw that at a certain point we became similar in appearance to each other. And in everyday life, many acute moments began to smooth out. We felt supported Higher power and give inspiration to overcome all twists and turns of fate.
Galina and Evgeniy, family with 10 years of experience
We got married immediately after the wedding ceremony at the registry office. It was more a tribute to fashion than our conscious decision. We went through a lot of difficulties and trials, we were on the verge of divorce three times. But they stayed together. We believe that God decided to bind us tightly together and helped us overcome all the challenges of fate. For this we are immensely grateful to him!
Video: wedding ceremony in the Orthodox Church
