One of the seven church Sacraments, serving to bless a newly created family. Previously, when the church was united with the state, this replaced the civil registration of marriage. In some countries, for example, in Greece, this is still happening.
A little history
The marriage ceremony has existed for a long time. Marriage customs were different in different countries. Before Christ, in Greece, when a marriage took place, wreaths made of plants were placed on the heads of the bride and groom.
The Gospel tells how Christ came to Cana for the wedding ceremony. There He turned water into wine. With His presence, Christ sanctified this marriage. This means that marital relations cannot be a sin, as heretics believe.
In the first centuries of Christianity, the wedding rite had not yet been created. The custom of marriage remained the same. And only in the fifth century the Sacrament became similar to the modern one . Betrothal has existed for a long time, it is still preserved in Judaism. But in the sixth century, weddings were not yet perceived as a church Sacrament, but simply as a festive meal.
In Rus', marriages were concluded only in the church; with the advent of Soviet power, the church separated from the state, and marriages began to be registered in the registry office. Now young people can register their marriage at the registry office, and then, if they wish, they can get married in a church.
What is the sacrament of marriage?
The sacrament of wedding is a sacred rite. Its meaning is that two people bare their souls to themselves, to each other and to God and enter into a marriage that is recognized not only on earth , but also in heaven.
What is the difference between a wedding and a wedding: the first is the conclusion of a legal marriage announced before society. And the second is people’s desire for unity , to create conditions in marriage where love and faith will only strengthen.
The wedding usually takes place in a church, but if desired, an outdoor ceremony can also be organized, although it will not be particularly solemn, as in a temple
Where to start preparing for the wedding: first of all, you need to approach the priest for permission. Father will explain the essence of the wedding, which is an Orthodox tradition. You should not go through the ritual just to get beautiful photos or because “it’s necessary.”
Basic rules for those who have decided to get married:
- husband and wife must be baptized;
- a man and a woman must be married, registered in the registry office;
- Before the ritual you need to go to confession and take communion.
What you need to know for those who, for whatever reason, decided to undergo a wedding ceremony abroad:
- a wedding held in another country will be recognized as legal in the homeland;
- a Christian wedding can only be held in a Christian country;
- For a wedding abroad, you will need a baptismal certificate, birth and marriage certificate (depending on the country, the list of documents may vary);
- Documents for consideration are submitted no less than a month in advance.
A wedding is only an external ritual, without sincere love and understanding of why this ceremony is needed, it will not have true meaning. First, you need to honestly admit to yourself whether you are ready to share with your spouse all the joys and sorrows and difficulties of life. Wedding couples receive great support from the Almighty , but they must make efforts to preserve and strengthen the relationship themselves.
People often wonder whether an unmarried marriage is fornication - if a man and a woman love each other, are faithful in their relationship and have registered it in the registry office, then they have the right to turn to the wedding when they consider it necessary.
The whole truth is that a righteous life in an unmarried marriage cannot be considered wrong or sinful, and is recognized by the church
There is a misconception that marriage can be debunked. The bishops are meeting the requests of spouses who have separated and are already in relationships with other people, so that they do not fall into even greater sin.
Therefore, to the question of how many times you can get married, the answer is clear - one, wedding and divorce are incompatible things . If such a need arises, how to get married a second time? You need to file a petition for debunking. Only the highest priest, the diocesan bishop, can do this. He looks at the situation and allows me to give her a chance for a new marriage . The answer may be negative if a person has violated the vow of fidelity made before the Lord.
Required Attributes
Before conducting the ceremony, you should understand the list of necessary attributes.
Wedding rings
The most important attribute of a wedding is the wedding rings that people give to each other. When choosing rings, it is recommended to adhere to ancient traditions, according to which the products should be made of pure gold. This metal is very important in Orthodoxy, as it represents the sun.
For the bride, you can choose a ring made of silver. It is considered a symbol of light and warmth in the house.
However, now such traditions are rarely observed, and therefore people buy different rings. It all depends on the preferences of the young couple, as well as their financial capabilities.
Orthodox icons
Before the ceremony, two wedding icons are prepared:
- Lord Almighty. For the ritual, they acquire this image, which depicts Christ. The icon recalls the divine essence of Jesus, who, like the Lord, participated in the creation of the world. The image gives the young family not only protection, but also peace of mind. Looking at this image, the newlyweds will remember their promises that they made at the time of the wedding.
- Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. This is one of the most revered images in the Orthodox faith. Such an icon will protect the couple from illnesses and troubles, and will also strengthen their faith. They pray to her to strengthen the family and find family happiness.
White and pink towel
An important attribute of the ceremony is the wedding towel. During the procedure, young people become attracted to it. Today the ritual is not as strict as it used to be, since in past times people kneeled on the towel. Now you can stand on it and kneeling is not necessary.
When choosing a towel, pay attention to what is depicted on it. It is recommended to use towels with images of birds or rings. Also suitable for weddings are towels that depict geometric patterns or plants. You cannot use towels that have embroidery in the center.
Pectoral cross
People to be married must be baptized. Therefore, each of them must have a pectoral cross, which was given to them at baptism. If it is not there, the clergyman may refuse to perform the ceremony. Therefore, you need to find and prepare a pectoral cross in advance for the wedding procedure.
Wedding candles
For the ceremony, the couple will need to prepare special wedding candles. They should burn continuously throughout the entire procedure. This represents warmth and light for the future family. It is recommended to select candles that would be suitable for such a ceremony. Clergymen advise buying large and thick candles, as they burn longer than others. The average burning time of such products is 30-40 minutes.
Also, along with the candles, special stands are purchased that are installed under the candles. This is done so that hot wax does not drip onto your hands.
Red wine
Cahors is considered an integral part of the solemn process. The bride and groom take turns drinking it from a common large bowl. This is church wine, which is most often used at the sacrament of communion. However, in addition to this, it is also used during the wedding of young couples. Wine is used in church ceremonies, as it symbolizes the blood of Christ. Cahors is drunk from a common cup, as it is considered a symbol of salvation and family unity. For the ritual, it is recommended to buy not fakes, but real Cahors, the strength of which should not be less than sixteen degrees.
Freshly baked bread
Freshly baked bread is prepared for the procedure. It is presented as a gift to the church for performing the wedding ceremony. According to Orthodox traditions, it is carefully wrapped in a small linen towel and handed over to the clergyman. He then breaks it and offers it to the young couple.
How does a wedding take place and what is needed for it?
What you need to bring to church for the wedding:
- icons: the Savior and the Mother of God;
- white handbrake;
- wedding candles;
- cahors.
All these things can be purchased at the shop at the temple. The recommended pair of icons is considered wedding .
The icon of the Savior is used to bless the spouse as the protector of his family. And the icon of the Mother of God is a spouse, like a mother and keeper of the family hearth
During the wedding, witnesses also play their role. They are called recipients because they agree that the young people have decided to get married in the church. Witnesses must also be Orthodox and baptized, close people of the newlyweds.
How does the wedding take place - the whole process is divided into 2 stages : engagement and the wedding itself. After the Divine Liturgy, the bride and groom are betrothed and blessed by the priest.
After the newlyweds confirm that they are getting married voluntarily, the sacrament of Marriage begins. Crowns are placed on the heads of the bride and groom, supported by witnesses. The priest reads the sacred texts and joins the hands of the spouses. Then the young drink Cahors filled in special bowls.
Bowl with Cahors
Repeated
Wedding is one of the seven great sacraments of the Orthodox Church, a mystery that binds two destinies together. During this ceremony, the groom symbolizes Christ, and the bride symbolizes the Church. The oaths of love and fidelity given during the ceremony are sacred, and therefore divorce or debunking does not exist for the Orthodox Church.
The conditions under which the bishop will allow a second wedding are limited, requiring a personal petition and the provision of compelling evidence.
Why do you need a church wedding?
Is it necessary to undergo the sacrament of wedding, because it does not give people a guarantee that the marriage will be happy and without any special difficulties. Spouses must work together to go through all the hardships and joys that they encounter and solve problems on their own. The question arises, why then is faith needed - so that it helps people along the entire path of life.
Why do people get married - because after going through this ritual, the spouses receive God's blessing . This helps them build their marriage in unity of thought and mutual love, as well as raise their children according to Christian morality.
Before you decide to get married, you need to weigh the pros and cons: is there confidence that the spouses’ intentions are reliable and both understand the seriousness of this ritual. Married people remain spouses in Heaven. Should you get married immediately after the wedding? Each couple decides this issue independently, but it is better to first check the strength of their relationship. After all, a wedding is like a kind of test of the maturity of the spouses’ feelings.
The sacrament seals the union forever, so you need to be clearly aware of your responsibility for the integrity of the family “boat” before the Lord
Is it necessary to undergo confession and communion before the wedding? This is a loose rule and can be skipped. But true believers always try to undergo these rituals before an important matter in order to be cleansed of sins .
Why do spouses need wedding rings, a kind of infinity sign? In order to remind that a married family is created forever.
Wedding engagement rings
What is a church wedding?
What a wedding does for a family is a complex question. Some spouses receive a lot: spiritual unity, love and mutual support, while others remain in eternal strife or even get divorced.
What does it mean to get married? Not all newlyweds ask themselves this question before undergoing the sacrament. Some go to a wedding following the example of their parents or friends, for some it is just a beautiful ceremony, others obey their spiritual impulse. For spouses who do not think about what the sacrament of wedding means, you need to understand that this is a deeply spiritual, serious act, which should be approached only after fully understanding the essence.
The meaning of a married marriage is that:
- two loving people receive God's blessing for their union, as well as for the birth of children;
- the spiritual and physical of women and men are united into one whole in order to go through all the difficulties and trials, and then unite in heaven;
- this marriage is similar to the union of the Church and Christ, the husband protects and loves his wife, like Christ the Church, and the wife submits to her husband, like the Church does to Christ.
Falling in love is an easy feeling that can pass quickly. Therefore, marriages often collapse, people decide that they have met the “wrong” person and tend to immediately separate.
A wedding helps spouses understand how important their union is, which is for life.
A believing husband and wife always remember the word given to God to stay together, no matter what, and fulfill it.
Such things as betrayal and wedding are incompatible. If one of the spouses turns out to be unfaithful, then the second has the right to ask the church for a divorce. Treason, as well as renunciation of Orthodoxy, entering into a new marriage, assault or mental illness are serious grounds for this.
Spiritual preparation
Before performing the ritual, young people must undergo special training:
- fast;
- attend confession;
- take communion;
- read prayers, turning to God with a request to grant a vision of your sins, forgive them, teach them how to atone;
- You must definitely forgive all your enemies, ill-wishers, and pray for them with Christian humility;
- pray for all people who have been voluntarily or unwittingly offended in life, ask God for forgiveness and the opportunity to atone.
Before the wedding, if possible, it is recommended to pay off all debts and make donations to charitable causes. Wedding is a church Sacrament; young people should try to approach it with a clear conscience and a calm heart.
Rules for church weddings in Russia
The sacrament of wedding in the Orthodox Church in Russia has a number of requirements that must be strictly observed. Some of them also concern the bride’s outfit.
What to wear to a wedding:
- the back, shoulders and chest should be covered; if the dress is open, then you should take care of the wedding cape;
- the dress should not be too tight or short;
- It is better to choose shoes with low heels, since the wedding lasts about an hour;
- the head must certainly be covered with a scarf or veil;
It is important to note that guests must also be dressed in accordance with the rules. Revealing clothing and trousers on women are not allowed
Before the wedding in church, the priest appoints the newlyweds to fast : it can take several days or a week. At this time, you need to avoid going to parties, eating meat and having intimate relationships. It is advisable to fill the fast before the wedding with reading spiritual books, prayers and attending services in the temple.
When you can get married - there are some days a year when it is prohibited:
- all main 4 posts;
- the period between Christmas and Christmastide;
- Easter and cheese weeks;
- eve of great holidays;
- the day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord, the Beheading of John the Baptist, as well as the eve of fast days - Tuesday and Thursday.
The Orthodox and Catholic churches are close to each other, but there are still several differences, including in the wedding ceremony:
- visiting the church is required 3 months before the wedding for a kind of education about marriage according to Catholic rules;
- children born in marriage must be raised in the Catholic faith;
- special permission is required if people of different faiths are getting married (Jewish, Muslim or with an atheist);
- In the Catholic Church you can get married on any day, even during Lent.
How to get married in a Protestant church - the sacrament is very similar to the rite of a Catholic church. Both the preparation and the process itself are almost identical to each other. The main difference is that at the beginning of the process, the bride enters the church alone or with her father, and the guests and groom are already waiting for her.
There is an interesting rule: alcohol is prohibited at Protestant weddings. As a last resort, you can allow light wine or champagne, but no more
After the opening prayer, the priest asks the newlyweds whether they really agree to get married, and also asks the parents whether they bless their children.
In a Protestant church, you can celebrate a wedding right in the church: instrumental music, Christian songs are played, guests bring donations to the church, and also receive communion.
You cannot get married in a monastery - this is stated in the statutes of the Orthodox Church. After all, in this place live people who have renounced everything worldly , and neither weddings nor baptisms are held in the monastery.
Should you fast?
Three days before the wedding, you should limit yourself to animal food and intimate relationships. This is done so that the young people tune in spiritually. On the wedding day itself, you should not eat, drink, or smoke from midnight, because in the morning you will have to attend the liturgy.
Is it possible to eat if you are in poor health? If you have medical contraindications or are afraid of fainting, then be sure to discuss this issue with the priest. The church makes concessions, and if you wish, you can drink sweet tea or yogurt before the ceremony.
